Philadelphia soul singer Lorraine Ellison started out with the gospel groups The Ellison Singers and The Golden Chords, but in the mid-1960s she struck out on her own for a secular solo career. Her 1966 Jerry Ragovoy-produced/written hit, “Stay With Me,” became her signature song, and was covered by many other singers. Her subsequent single, “Try Just a Little Bit Harder,” was made popular by Janis Joplin. In the '70s, Ellison left the music business, and died in 1983 of ovarian cancer.