hall was born in oakland city, atlanta, georgia, united states. after singing from the age of four at a nearby church, hall formed a duo with her sister, barbara, called the soul sisters. she later formed the exotics, singing and dancing particularly at the royal peacock club, one of the premier atlanta nightclubs. the exotics opened for several touring acts at that venue, including otis redding, joe tex and the temptations. by the late 1960s, hall had trained as a nurse, supplementing her income by working variously as a singer, go-go dancer and stripper. she also raised her daughter during this time.