Carole Fredericks

Carole Denise Fredericks (June 5, 1952 – June 7, 2001) was an American singer best known for her work in French music. She was the younger sister of Taj Mahal.

Between 1990 and 1996 she was in the trio Fredericks Goldman Jones alongside singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman and Welsh–French guitarist Michael Jones.

Carole Denise Fredericks was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on June 5, 1952, the youngest of Mildred and Harry Fredericks' five children. She and her siblings were raised in Springfield and were educated in the public school system. Her mother who was originally from Bennettsville, South Carolina, sang with Big Bands and on Sundays was the lead singer for a local gospel choir. Her father, the son of immigrants from the island of Saint Kitts, was a pianist and wrote arrangements for jazz trios. Growing up in her household, Fredericks was exposed to music from around the world. Her parents encouraged creative expression in all their children. Fredericks' brothers and sister developed careers in art, music, dance and theatre. Her eldest brother is Grammy-winning blues musician, Taj Mahal.

Her parents, who came of age during the Harlem Renaissance, instilled in their children a sense of pride in their West Indian and African ancestry through their stories. Fredericks never got to know her father. When she was two years old, he was killed in a construction accident, crushed by a tractor when it flipped over. Although her mother would remarry later, the loss of her father left Fredericks with grief that remained with her the rest of her life.

By the time she was 20, Fredericks was living in Oakland, California. A year after her graduation from Classical High School, she persuaded Taj Mahal to send for her. Upon her arrival in San Francisco, He put Fredericks to work as a background vocalist on a number of his albums – Mo' Roots; Music Fuh Ya'; Together; and Evolution. To supplement the income from session work, Carole was employed as a receptionist for the Pacific Personnel Services. She was one of 71 voices in the New Generation Singers Gospel Choir (Oakland, California) and performed with Odetta in the stage play Look What A Wonder. Fredericks organized a trio – piano, bass and voice – and booked singing engagements on the weekends.