Peylia Marsema Balinton — better known as blues singer Sugar Pie DeSanto — talks to her longtime manager Jim Moore. At 86 years old, she is about to be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Growing up in the Fillmore district of San Francisco, Peylia Balinton only remembers her mother playing classical piano at home. It wasn’t until she visited a friend’s house that she was exposed to Blues music. That was the start of a lifelong career on stage.
Peylia’s first performance was at an open mic at the historic Ellis Theater in San Francisco, where she soon became a regular. It was after one of these performances that she was approached by Johnny Otis, who immediately recognized her talent and asked her to record an album. Otis also gave her the stage name Sugar Pie DeSanto.
Sugar Pie came to StoryCorps in 2022 with Jim Moore—her manager of over 50 years—to remember how she got her start.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired May 3, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
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