Little Eva: The Voice Behind ‘Keep Your Hands Off My Baby’

Little Eva (born Eva Boyd, September 29, 1943 – April 22, 2003) was an American singer best known for her 1962 hit single “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby”, which reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Born Eva Elizabeth Boyd in Cochran, Georgia, United States, she was a friend of Cynthia Weil and Gerry Goffin, the songwriting duo who wrote “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby”. They were impressed by her singing and decided to write a song for her.

“Keep Your Hands Off My Baby” was produced by Goffin and became Eva’s debut single. It sold over one million copies and was her biggest hit. The song featured a powerful and assertive female protagonist warning a rival woman to stay away from her boyfriend. This theme was considered risqué for the time, but it resonated with many young women and helped to establish Eva as a star.

Eva had a string of minor hits in the early 1960s, including “Loco-Motion” (which peaked at #14), “What Kind of Girl (Do You Think I Am)”, “Let’s Turkey Trot”, and “Hey, Train! Keep A-Rollin'”. However, she was never able to recapture the success of “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby”.

Eva continued to perform throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but her career gradually declined. She died on April 22, 2003, at the age of 59, from cervical cancer.

Although her career was short-lived, Little Eva left a lasting legacy on popular music. Her signature song, “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby”, remains a popular choice for oldies radio stations and continues to be covered by other artists.