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Valerie Eileen Hall, known professionally as Valerie Wellington, was born on November 14, 1959, in Chicago, Illinois. She began her career as an opera singer, graduating from the American Conservatory of Music before transitioning to blues music in 1982. Her breakthrough came with her 1984 album Million Dollar Secret, which featured collaborations with Sunnyland Slim, Billy Branch, and Magic Slim. Wellington's unique blend of traditional vaudeville and contemporary Chicago blues was showcased at the 1984 San Francisco Blues Festival alongside Marcia Ball and Katie Webster. Her voice was also featured in advertisements and on the soundtrack of the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire!, where she portrayed Big Maybelle. In the same year, she toured Japan with Carlos Johnson. Wellington passed away from a cerebral aneurysm on January 2, 1993, at the age of 33. Her album Million Dollar Secret was reissued posthumously by Rooster Blues in 1995.
