Dodie Stevens became the first female rapper when she recorded
"Pink Shoe Laces."
Geraldine Anne Pasquale was born February 17, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. When she was three the family moved to San Gabriel Valley in California. Her parents were very musical, her mother a beautiful dancer and her father had a wonderful voice, but neither did anything professionally. From four on Geraldine took singing and dancing lessons. At the age of eight in 1954, she sang her first record "Merry-Go Round and Round," issued as by Geri Pace on Gold Star Records, on the "Art Linkletter's House Party" TV show.
Over the next few years, Geraldine performed at U.S.O. functions, veteran's hospitals and local television shows. Her vocal coach was secretary to Frankie Laine and she got to appear on his show a few times, before at eleven she made her fateful appearance on a local show called "Strictly Informal" hosted by Larry Finley. Carl Burns the president of Crystalette Records happened to see the show and contacted her parents to inquire if she was available to make records. When told that she was, he told them he would search around for the right material and when he found it he would give them a call. It would be a year and a half before they would hear from Burns.
The song Burns had for her was "Pink Shoe Laces." Geraldine, now dubbed Dodie Stevens, was only twelve years old when she recorded "Pink Shoe Laces." Dodie who was really into rock and roll, didn't like the song or her new name. However, she felt that she had nothing to lose by doing it, went ahead and recorded it and kept her fingers crossed. It was a hit reaching number three on the national charts.
Dodie might have been the first rapper in that she spoke all verses and only sang the chorus. She made three non-charting albums - Dodie Stevens (!959); Over the Rainbow (1960); and Pink Shoe Laces (1963). From 1959 through 1961, she had a few minor hits, but her career was pretty much over before she was out of her teens.
Dodie appeared in a number of films - Houndog Man (1959), Convicts Four (1962), and Alakazam the Great (1961).
At sixteen, after a three year career, Dodie got married, moved to Missouri, and lived on a farm. At nineteen she had a baby. Realizing that she didn't care for being a housewife and mother, her marriage soon ended, and in 1966 she resumed her singing career. After voice lessons and much practice she contacted her old manager, who in 1972 arranged for her to be one of the two female singers in Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77; appearing on his albums, Live at the Greek and Primal Roots. She did some rock and roll revival shows, recorded with Raquel Welsh, Buddy Miles; toured with Diahann Caroll, Loretta Lynn, Boz Scaggs through the Silk Degrees album; and for twelve years toured as a back up singer with Mac Davis. In the 90s, as Geri Stevens she toured with Fabian and her own company "Dodie Stevens and The Pink Shoe Laces Review."