VIDEO VAULT: Kitty & The Haywoods! Or How To Wake Up Chicago-Style!

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Who is Miss Kitty Haywood? I had no idea when I clicked on the song, "Excuse Me I've Got A Life To Catch," but I instantly realized that in addition to being a bangin' R&B tune, this was my new morning alarm for my iPhone. How can you not wake up in a fantastic mood while hearing this song?


Kitty and the Haywoods, I discovered, was comprised of Chicago-based Marilyn Haywood, aka "Kitty," and her sisters Vivian, Mary Ann and Vivian's daughter, Cynthia. Their first LP, "Love Shock," didn't come out of nowhere, since Kitty had long been singing background for a bevy of top performers of the day, like Curtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin. Sadly, the album, along with their follow-up LP, "Excuse Me I've Got A Life To Catch," didn't move the needle as much as their record company had wanted, so it was the last we heard of the group. Even more unfortunate for those of us today, their albums are not available on Spotify or any other streaming music service (though you can cobble them together on YouTube, but the quality is variable). 


Happily, Kitty continued singing in industrial shows and more back-up, and even found time to create a fine piece of chocolate, her son Jason Weaver, pictured above, an actor known for "The Chi," "The LeBrons," and for voicing the singing voice of Young Simba in the original 1994 "The Lion King." He made serious bank off of this Disney stint. Why, you ask? Because of Mama Kitty! Mama knows best, obviously. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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