Little Eva: Singer of The Loco-Motion Dies at 59

Little Eva was an American singer known for the 1962 smash "The Loco-Motion." Born Eva Narcissus Boyd on June 29, 1943, in Belhaven, North Carolina, she was discovered while working as a babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

"The Loco-Motion" reached No. 1 on the U.S. chart in 1962 and sold more than a million copies. Her other singles include "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" and "Let's Turkey Trot." She left music in the early 1970s and returned in 1988 after Kylie Minogue's version of the song became a hit.

She was one of 13 children and the mother of three. She died of cervical cancer in Kinston, North Carolina, on April 10, 2003, at age 59. Her gravestone has an engraved steam locomotive.

Achievements: "The Loco-Motion" (No. 1, 1962), gold record.

Birth: June 29, 1943 - Belhaven, North Carolina.

Profession: Singer.

Interesting Facts: A widely told story that she earned only 50 dollars for the song is a distortion; that was her weekly salary at the time.