Barbara Acklin

Barbara Jean Acklin was born February 28, 1943, in Oakland, California. Acklin's family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1948. By the age of eleven she was a soloist in the New Zion Baptist Church and as a teenage she began performing in Chicago night clubs. After high school Acklin was employed as a secretary at St. Lawrence Records. Her first record was produced by her cousin Monk Higgins and release on the Special Agent Label under the name Barbara Allen. Barbara Acklin can also be heard singing background for Chess Records artists Etta James, Fontella Bass, and Koko Taylor.

In 1966 Acklin began working as a receptionist for the Brunswick Records Chicago office, where she presented producer Carl Davis with demos of her own songs. Acklin helped co wrote a song with David Scott, of the Five Du-Tones, for Jackie Wilson, who later helped her get a recording contract with Brunswick. Although Acklin's first two singles on Brunswick were unsuccessful, her third single, "show me the way", a duet with Gene Chandler made it to the R&B Charts. Acklin then began writing songs with Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites. The pair co wrote the hit "Two Little Kids" for Peaches and Herb. Barbara Acklin's biggest solo hit, "Love Makes A Woman", was co written by Record and Davis. Acklin had a slew of hits on Brunswick for several years and carried on co writing with Eugene record. Together they wrote "Have you Seen Her" for The Chi-Lites.

In 1974 Acklin Moved to Capital Records, where her first and biggest hit "Raindrops" stayed on the R&B charts for six years. All recordings, which followed had little success causing Brunswick to  drop her. 

Acklin later lived in Omaha, Nebraska where she began working on a new album, when she died of  pneumonia at age 55.