The Hall remarked that her "fiery fusion of blues, jazz and R&B showcased her alluring vocals and set the stage for the rock and roll surge of the Fifties".

Under her mother's new surname, McMurley, Delores – on December 23, 1948, at age nineteen, in Cook County, Illinois – married Eugene Williams.

[11] Georgia Gibbs recorded a note-for-note cover of the song, which reached number 1; subsequently Baker made an unsuccessful attempt to sue her for $250,000[12] (equivalent to $2,843,478 in 2023) and petitioned Congress to consider such covers copyright violations,[13][14] citing Gibbs and Vickie Young as copying her arrangement and vocal style.

In 1958, she was one of the best-selling artists for Atlantic, on a short list of musicians who never sold less than 50,000 units[22] and by 1961, she had three million-selling singles: "I Cried a Tear", "Tweedle Dee", and "Jim Dandy".

[citation needed] Baker toured Australia in 1957 as part of Lee Gordon's Big Show, performing with a number of rock 'n' roll bands including Bill Haley and the Comets.

[28] After divorcing Eugene Williams in the fall of 1958, Baker married the comedian Slappy White February 19, 1959, in Baltimore.

While recovering at the U.S. naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines, a friend recommended that she stay as the entertainment director at the Marine Corps Staff NCO club there.

She performed a song for Alan Parker's film Angel Heart (1987), which appeared on the original vinyl soundtrack album but was not included on the later CD issue for contractual reasons.

[31] She continued to perform live after the loss of her legs and in ailing health, she sang at a benefit concert honoring her in late 1996 that helped pay for her recent medical bills.

In 2020, Baker was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame God took my legs, but He left me my voice so I could continue to do what I love, to sing and entertain.