▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁with ▁the ▁Will ▁Batt s ▁band , ▁which ▁were ▁released ▁some ▁twenty ▁years ▁later , ▁ ▁and ▁performed ▁with ▁the ▁Batt s ▁band ▁inter mitt ently . ▁ ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁she ▁recorded ▁several ▁tracks ▁with ▁Sh ade ▁and ▁G us ▁C annon , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁— ▁as ▁Little ▁Laura ▁D uk es ▁— ▁she ▁recorded ▁tracks ▁that ▁were ▁first ▁released ▁on ▁the ▁Italian ▁albums , ▁Blues ▁O ggi ▁and ▁Tennessee ▁Blues ▁Vol . 1 . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁she ▁mainly ▁performed ▁in ▁D ix iel and ▁groups ▁at ▁parties ▁and ▁festiv als , ▁becoming ▁a ▁favorite ▁with ▁white ▁aud ien ces ▁in ▁M emph is . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁she ▁appeared ▁in ▁a ▁BBC ▁television ▁series , ▁The ▁Dev il ' s ▁Music , ▁ ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁perform ▁in ▁clubs ▁in ▁M emph is ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁She ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 8 5 . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁ ▁Inter view ▁with ▁Laura ▁D uk es ▁by ▁Fred ▁J . ▁Hay ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 0 7 ▁birth s ▁Category : 1 9 9 2 ▁death s ▁Category : Pe ople ▁from ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee ▁Category : A fr ican - American ▁female ▁sing ers ▁Category :