Ella Mae MORSE  Ella Mae Morse, Rock 'N' Roll Influence, Dies

Ella Mae Morse, the swinging ``boogie-woogie''-inspired pop singer whose 1942 hit ''Cow Cow Boogie'' helped establish Capitol Records as a major label and who had an important influence on rock 'n' roll, has died at age 75 of respiratory failure Saturday night.

The Texas-born Morse, was born in 1924 and got her start in show business at age 9 by singing in her parents' ragtime band.

Morse made 10 gold records, including ``House of Blue Lights'' in 1946, which is considered one of the most important records in the evolution of rock 'n' roll. Although she stopped recording in 1957, Morse sold some 100 million records during her career, and performed occasionally until 1987. (Reuters)