She is
a singer-songwriter born in Harlem, New York.Her father was a jazz trombonist and Dinah Washington
and Quincy Jones are her godparents. Starting out her long and varied
career when she was four, she debuted at the Apollo Theater, and by the
time she was five had a recording contract with RCA and became the protege of
Dinah Washington and Sammy Davis Jr.By the time she was in her late teens she was singing commercial
jingles and a busy session musician, in 1976 she cut her debut LP End of
the Rainbow, by the early 1980s she was working on Quincy Jones' label
Qwest, and by the time 1991 had been reached she had 20 chart R&B songs
under her belt.Her
biggest Billboard hit was with James
Ingram
on "Baby, Come To Me" where it reached
the No. 1 spot in February 1983 in a chart re-entry after becoming the love
theme for the TV soap opera General Hospital.Other
duets she sang were with artists that include Michael Jackson, Luther
Vandross, Tom Browne, Johnny
Mathis
and George Benson.Singing
her nominated songs on the Grammy Awards and the Oscar ceremonies, she has
released 16 albums to date.Still
currently performing, her busy schedule has seen her lead the new Raelettes
for the album Ray Charles + Count Basie Orchestra = Genius2, co-create the
musical shows Beboparella and Oh Freedom, create her
one-woman show, perform in many charity and AIDS organisation concerts, and
continue to tour and record.
