| Name | Kelly Price |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Born | April 04, 1973 |
| Origin | Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Genre | R&B;, soul, gospel |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Voice type | Mezzo Soprano |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Label | Island Black Music (1994–1996)Def Soul (1996–2005)EcclectiSounds/Gospo Centric (2006–present) |
| Url | Official Site |
She issued her debut album, Soul of a Woman, in 1998 on Island Records, which contained the hit single "Friend of Mine". A remix of the song, also included on the album, features R. Kelly and Ronald Isley. In the remix, Isley takes on the fictional role of the singer-protoganist's Godfather ("Mr. Biggs"), taking her husband (R. Kelly) to task for cheating on her with her best friend. The "Friend of Mine" remix was a #1 hit on the U.S. R&B; chart.
She issued her second album, Mirror Mirror, in 2000 on the Def Soul imprint of Def Jam Records; Island and Def Jam had merged in 1999, with Price and labelmates Dru Hill being reassigned to Def Soul. Mirror Mirror featured the singles "You Should've Told Me" and the Grammy Award nominated "As We Lay", a cover of Shirley Murdock's 1986 hit. A remix of "Love Sets You Free" was issued a single in 2000, produced by Teddy Riley and starring a number of fellow R&B; performers, including Babyface, Tamar Braxton, Aaron Hall, Blackstreet, and Def Soul labelmates Dru Hill, Case, Montell Jordan, LovHer and Kandice Love.
Price was featured in the 2003 film, Bringing Down the House, performing a cover of the 1983 Rufus & Chaka Khan hit "Ain't Nobody."
A Christmas album, One Family, was issued in 2001. Two years later, Price returned with her third regular studio album, Priceless. In October 2005, Price recorded her first live gospel project. The This Is Who I Am album has been released on October 24, 2006 on her own label, EcclecticSounds Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Gospel Charts and peaked at #9 on the R&B; album chart.
Price was inducted as an honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in July 2006.
In early 2007, Price kicked off a tour with the 'Sisters in the Spirit 2007'.
In 2006, she recorded the song "Why?" for the soundtrack Why Did I Get Married?, a film version of the stage play of the same name she once acted in, playing the role to Sheila.
In early 2009, Price was featured on Coko's gospel album entitled The Winner In Me on the track "Oh Mary".
In June 2010, Price promoted her single "Tired" on The Jazz Joy and Roy syndicated radio show as "some of the best work of my career to date."
Referring to her company's collaboration with the legendary producers at My Block Records, Price said, "(There was) no pressure from outside forces--you know, the suits behind the desk," adding, "It's great to be able to work with musical people who understand the heart of music and my heart...."
Price expressed gratitude for the legions of fans who have a positive connotation in mind when they label her "DIVA," and was more than happy to break down the word for listeners.
"'DIVA' can sometimes take on a negative connotation particularly when it's applied to women. But I believe that the true DIVAS are those who have come up, have spent a little time in this business...And they find a way to round out their world, not just musically or (through) style, but as human beings. They give back."
The acclaimed vocalist leaned closer to the mic and continued to educate, saying, "(A DIVA) does family, they do friends. They are not defined just by the music they make, but by every area of their life. They know what they want and are not afraid to go for it. So, if that's what you are saying when you call me a DIVA, then I accept that label and I'll wear it proudly."
Onlookers burst into laughter and applause when Price added, "I'll get a big 'D' stamped on my forehead!"
Price's grandfather is the Bishop Jerome Norman, the pastor of the Full Gospel Mission Church of God in Christ in Queens, New York and Jurisdictional Prelate of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiciton of Barbados West Indies since 1990 by the late Presiding Bishop J.O. Patterson. Her mother, Claudia Price, is the former musical director of the church. Price began singing in the church as a six year old; with her big voice, she gained the nickname 'Little Mahalia Jackson'.
In April 1999, Price volunteered to showcase her fashion designs during a special charity gala and fashion show to help the National Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative raise money for breast cancer education for minority women. The previous year, Price learned that her mother-in-law had breast cancer. Later in 1998, Price's own mother also was diagnosed with the disease. Her mother-in-law died from the disease.
Claudia Price, the mother of Kelly, is a survivor of inflammatory breast cancer which is the deadliest and most deceptive type of breast cancer. Claudia, who is a New York City resident, has become a breast cancer activist to educate the public about the disease. She was the chairwoman of the seventh annual Sister to Sister Fitness Festival held in Dallas, Texas which was sponsored by the Celebrating Life Foundation.
Claudia experienced pain in her breast in 1997, but said fear and a lack of insurance kept her from seeking immediate medical attention. Instead, she waited two years before seeing a doctor. While at work one day in 1999, her doctor called and said she had inflammatory breast cancer. Doctors gave her two months to live. She underwent chemotherapy, and the disease is in remission as of October 2006.
Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:African American singers
Category:American dance musicians Category:American gospel singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American soul singers Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:American Christians Category:American Pentecostals Category:Members of the Church of God in Christ Category:People from New York City Category:People from Far Rockaway, Queens Category:People from New York Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:DeKalb County, Georgia
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| Name | Ronald Isley |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Born | May 21, 1941Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Genre | Rhythm and blues, doo-wop, funk, soul, rock, smooth soul, quiet storm, contemporary R&B; |
| Years active | 1954–present |
| Url | Isley Brothers homepage |
| Associated acts | The Isley BrothersSnoop DoggAngela WinbushR. Kelly |
| Label | RCA, Scepter, Tamla-Motown, T-Neck/Epic, DreamWorks, Def Soul/Island Def Jam |
Ronald Isley (; born May 21, 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States) is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.
By his early teens, he was singing regularly with his brothers in church tours. In 1957, sixteen-year-old Ronald and his two elder brothers Kelly, 19 and Rudy, 18, moved to New York recording doo-wop for local labels before landing a major deal with RCA Records in 1959, where the trio wrote and released their anthemic "Shout". For much of the Isley Brothers' duration, Ron Isley would remain the group's consistent member of the group as well as the lead vocalist for most of the group's tenure with sporadic lead shares with his older brothers. In 1969, Ron and his brothers reformed T-Neck Records in a need to produce themselves without the control of record labels, forming the label shortly after ending a brief departure with Motown. In 1973, the group's style and sound drastically changed following the release of the 3 + 3 album where brothers Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley and in-law Chris Jasper permanently enter the brothers' lineup, writing the music and lyrics to the group's new sound. The younger brothers had been providing instrumental help for the brothers since the late 1960s.
After Kelly Isley's death in 1986 and Rudy Isley's exit to fulfill a dream of ministry in 1989, Ronald has carried on with the Isley Brothers name either as a solo artist or with accompanying help from the group's younger brothers, much more prominently, Ernie Isley. In 1990, Isley scored a top ten duet with Rod Stewart with a cover of his brothers' hit, "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" and in 2003, Ronald recorded a solo album, Here I Am: Bacharach Meets Isley, with Burt Bacharach. In addition, Ron Isley became a sought-after hook singer for hip-hop acts such as R. Kelly, Warren G., 2Pac and UGK.
Ronald released his first solo album Mr. I on November 30, 2010. The album includes the first single "No More". It debuted at #50 on The Billboard 200 selling 22,243 copies. It was his first solo album to crack that chart.
In 2010, Isley received a "Legend Award", surveying Isley Brother music written largely by the younger brothers, at the Soul Train Music Awards.
Isley is listed as one of California's most delinquent taxpayers, with a $303,411.43 debt from a lien filed on October 22, 2002.
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| Caption | Devine in December 2010 |
|---|---|
| Birth date | August 21, 1949 |
| Birth place | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Yearsactive | 1978–present |
| Spouse | Lamar Tyler (1973-2008) |
| Othername | Loretta Tyler |
She has two siblings: Denise (born October 2, 1947) and Joseph (February 29, 1952-January 29, 2001). She has one half-sister from her father's first marriage: Clara (born July 11, 1943). Her father and his first wife divorced in 1945 and Devine's parents married in 1946 and divorced in 1959. Devine's father remarried to Gertrude Ellis (died 2007) in 1970 and remained married Gertrude's death in 2007. Devine's mother later remarried to John O'Neal (died 1990) and remained married until his death.
She was a repertory character in the play The Colored Museum with Vickilyn Reynolds. They both went on to play sisters in the short-lived TV series Sugar and Spice. During the period between the play and the series, Devine appeared in the first season of the TV series A Different World as Stevie Rallen, dormitory director at fictional Hillman College.
In 1995, she landed a high-profile role as Gloria Matthews in Waiting to Exhale, joined in the cast by Whitney Houston, Gregory Hines, and Angela Bassett, among others. The role earned her an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress, as did her next movie, The Preacher's Wife, her second movie with Houston and Hines.
In 2000, Devine took on the role of impassioned high school teacher Marla Hendricks on the Fox TV drama Boston Public. Devine won three more Image Awards for her work in the series. She also continued to work in film, playing prominent roles in Urban Legend, , and I Am Sam. Devine earned yet another Image Award nomination and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her work in the 2004 film Woman Thou Art Loosed. She also appeared in the 2005 Academy Awards Best Picture winning film Crash. She also plays Rochelle's mother, Maxine, who's always picking on her, on the sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris.
In 2007, she appeared in This Christmas, a Screen Gems production co-starring Delroy Lindo, Mekhi Phifer, and Regina King.
Devine also appeared in Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Richard Webber's wife, Adele Webber.
Devine played Patti on Eli Stone, an ABC television series which began airing in 2008.
In 2009, Devine played the character of Jeanette in the rejected pilot for the David E. Kelly television series that was supposed to air on NBC, Legally Mad. Devine also recently starred in Cold Case.
Devine has two grandchildren: Gregary James Tyler (born 2005) and Lorraine Faye Tyler (born 2009)
Category:1949 births Category:African American actors Category:African American television actors Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Brandeis University alumni Category:Living people Category:People from Houston, Texas Category:Actors from Texas Category:University of Houston alumni
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| Name | Kim Burrell |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Born | August 26, 1972 (Age 38) |
| Origin | Houston, Texas |
| Instrument | Vocals, Piano |
| Genre | Gospel, Jazz |
| Occupation | Singer, Songwriter, Arranger, Producer, Assistant Pastor, Senior Pastor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Label | Pearl Records, Tommy Boy Gospel, Elektra, Epic/Sony Gospel, Shanachie Records |
| Url | backstagewithkim.com |
Kimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this generation's Ella Fitzgerald". In 2010 she founded The Love & Liberty Fellowship Church, where she serves as Pastor.
Since that time, Burrell has become a wife and mother with a son by the name of Christian. She has continued to perform live and to collaborate with other artists. Though only intermittently active as a recording artist, Burrell has established and hosts the Ephesians 4 conference annually to show up-and-coming singers, dancers and other artists how to improve the quality of their craft.
There are many instances of established artists who laud Burrell: Chaka Khan deemed Kim Burrell "one of the most interesting voices I've heard in a long while". After expressing an interest in gospel music, pop singer Nelly Furtado purchased Burrell's Everlasting Life on recommendation from Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams.
Continuing her trend of affecting artists both inside and outside the realm of gospel music, Kim Burrell will make an appearance on a new album by funk pioneer George Clinton on the original song "Mathematics of Love" from a new album of covers entitled George Clinton and Some Gangsters of Love on September 16, 2008.
The long-awaited gospel compilation from Bad Boy Entertainment was slated to release May 8, 2001 featuring Kim Burrell, John P. Kee, Mary Mary, Hezekiah Walker, Fred Hammond, and Vickie Winans among other performers. To date, the project has still not been released and is rumored shelved indefinitely.
Burrell collaborated with Tonéx in 2004 on some recordings for a new album.
Since August 2006, according to Sony Gospel president Tara Griggs-McGee, the anticipated new studio album from Kim Burrell has been turned to plans for a live recording, though no date has been set. The live album may include several studio tracks already recorded. However, since the time of that article, Sony Gospel has been merged into Columbia Records and Griggs-McGee is no longer with either label.
More recently, it has been announced that she is indeed recording a new album. A recent interview revealed that Burrell is planning a live recording at the Lincoln Jazz Center in New York City on December 11 and 13, 2008.
Burrell released her first studio album in 11 years, entitled No Ways Tired on April 7, 2009 through Shanachie Records. The album will feature covers of classic gospel songs like "My Faith Looks Up To Thee", "What A Friend We Have In Jesus", "O Lamb Of God" and "I Surrender All", as well as the classic James Cleveland song after which the album is named.
Burrell also revealed on April 26, 2009, on K.I.N.G.(Kingdom Inspiration for a Now Generation) Talk Radio that she is planning a second 2009 album release: "...who knows...actually I plan to put out another album before the year is out..."-Kim Burrell. Those plans have since become plans for a 2010 release from Burrell. This will be Kim Burrell's first mainstream release.
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| Name | Jenifer Lewis |
|---|---|
| Birthname | Jenifer Jeanette Lewis |
| Birth date | January 25, 1957 |
| Birth place | Kinloch, Missouri, U.S. |
| Yearsactive | 1979–present |
| Occupation | Actress |
Lewis accepted a position as a Harlette, a back-up singer for Bette Midler which led to Lewis' first TV appearances on Midler's HBO specials. She also landed her first screen role as a result, appearing as one of the buxom chorines in the 'Otto Titsling' production number in the Midler vehicle Beaches (1988). At the same time, Lewis was developing her nightclub act, The Diva Is Dismissed, an autobiographical comedy and music show in NYC cabarets. She performed the show off-Broadway at the Public Theatre.
Although she auditioned for role of Tina Turner in the biopic What's Love Got to Do with It? she landed the role of Turner’s mother. In 1994 she followed with other supporting roles, including Mrs. Coleman the Unemployment Office lady in Renaissance Man and as Whoopi Goldberg's sister in Corrina, Corrina. In 1995, she was cast in maternal roles to Kadeem Hardison in Panther and to Larenz Tate in Dead Presidents before she accepted the role of a lesbian judge on the short-lived CBS series Courthouse. Lewis returned to the big screen as Theresa Randle's telephone sex line boss in Spike Lee's Girl 6 . She then played Whitney Houston's character's mother in Penny Marshall's The Preacher's Wife.
In 1999, she starred in the made-for-TV film Jackie's Back, a mockumentary about the struggling comeback of a diva in turmoil. She recently appeared in The Cookout, Nora's Hair Salon, Shark Tale and Cars. She was in a few episodes of Friends as Monica Gellar's co-worker. Since 2000, she has played Lana Hawkins on the Lifetime television medical drama Strong Medicine, the show ended February 2006. She also had a recurring role as Veretta Childs (Toni's mother) in the sitcom Girlfriends. In 2006, she had a featured role as the wedding planner in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion, and also appeared in the movie Meet the Browns.
In one episode of That's So Raven she played the titular character's maternal grandmother, who has psychic powers. She recently starred as a judge in Boston Legal and appeared in the 2008 film Meet The Browns. On April 22, 2008, Lewis replaced Darlene Love as Motormouth Maybelle in Broadway's Hairspray, a role that was originally written for her.
In June 2010, Lewis' distinctive voice was in fine form as she told The Jazz Joy and Roy syndicated radio show, "I just did a production of 'Hello Dolly' at The 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle and it had to be one of the greatest productions that I have ever done, because I got to just do a character, Dolly Levi, and it was just great."
Lewis gave the state of Washington some love when she exclaimed, "I just love Seattle!"
Lewis' most recent singing role came with her role in the movie musical The Princess and the Frog.
Category:1957 births Category:Actors from Missouri Category:African American actors Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:People from St. Louis County, Missouri
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| Name | Faith Evans |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Faith Renée Evans |
| Born | June 10, 1973Lakeland, Florida United States |
| Married to | Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, Todd Russaw |
| Origin | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
| Voice type | Mezzo_soprano |
| Genre | R&B;, soul, hip hop soul, Hip hop |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, author |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Label | Bad Boy (1994–2004) Capitol (2004–2007) Prolific/E1 Music (2009-present) |
| Associated acts | Notorious B.I.G., Sean Combs, Mary J. Blige, 112. |
| Url | FaithEvansOnline.com |
Following Biggie's murder in March 1997, Evans helped work through her grief by producing her tribute song titled "I'll Be Missing You", based on the melody of The Police's 1983 single "Every Breath You Take". The song, which featured Combs, Evans, and all-male group 112, became a worldwide number-one hit and debuted at the top spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1997, staying there for eleven weeks. It eventually won Puffy and Evans the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Two years in the making, Evans' second solo effort, Keep the Faith, was released in October 1998. Almost entirely written and produced by her, Evans considered the album tough to complete as she had initially felt discouraged about the progress at first. Also enjoying commercial success, it eventually went platinum and produced the top ten singles "Love Like This" and "All Night Long", prompting Evans to start an 18-city theater tour with Dru Hill and Total the following year. Her first project with husband Todd Russaw as executive producer and creative partner, the album reached number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number two on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart, eventually being certified platinum, but spawned moderately successful singles, with the Jennifer Lopez-penned "I Love You" becoming the only top twenty entry. Released amid Bad Boy Records' transition from distributor Arista Records to Universal, Evans felt Faithfully received minimum support by the label, and in 2004, she finally decided to leave Bad Boy as she was convinced Combs couldn't take her career any further due to his other commitments.
At the end of the year, Evans released A Faithful Christmas, a holiday album of traditional Christmas songs and original tracks. The effort would become her last release on Capitol Records as the company got bought out in 2007, satisfying Evans' wish to leave the label anyway.
In 2003, Evans appeared in the MTV-produced romantic comedy The Fighting Temptations in which she portrayed a single mother and night club singer. Filmed in Columbus, Georgia and headed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles, the film garnered mixed reviews by critcs, but reached top top three of the U.S. box office, resulting in a domestic gross of US$30.2 million. In addition, Evans recorded a contemporary cover version of Donna Summer's 1978 hit "Heaven Knows" for the film which her characters performs during one of the first in sequence in the film. The accompanying soundtrack reached the top twenty of the U.S. Billboard 200.
In 2004, Evans earned a short guest stint on the UPN sitcom Half & Half. Evans announced that she had been working on a synopsis for her own sitcom that would be loosely based on her life but with a more comedic aspect. It is unknown whether she has officially pitched the sitcom to any television networks at this time.
It's been announced that Evans will play Florence Ballard in a upcoming biopic about the late singer's life in the successful group The Supremes, the movie will be direct by Martha Coolidge.http://www.bvnewswire.com/2010/11/04/faith-evans-to-play-florence-ballard-the-supremes/
"I want people to understand that although he was a large part of my life, my story doesn't actually begin or end with Big's death. My journey has been complicated on many levels. And since I am always linked to Big, there are a lot of misconceptions about who I really am. It's not easy putting your life out there for the masses. But I've decided I'll tell my own story. For Big. For my children. And for myself."In its initial release, "Keep The Faith: A Memoir" landed in the Top 20 on New York's Best Seller's List two consecutive weeks in a row. In 2009, the book received The 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir.
On August 4, 1994, Evans married upcoming rapper and label mate The Notorious B.I.G., six weeks after having met him at a Bad Boy photoshoot. The couple had one child together, Christopher Wallace, Jr. (born October 29, 1996), but the marriage was turbulent as Wallace reportedly had several affairs during their union, including relationships with fellow rappers Lil' Kim and Charli Baltimore. Additionally, it led to Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap scene at the time, which ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California in March 1997, The couple agreed to spend 13 weeks in a drug-treatment program in exchange for halting any further prosecution in their drug-possession case.
Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:African American actors Category:African American female singers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American Christians Category:American film actors Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Beatboxers Category:Bad Boy Records artists Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:People from Lakeland, Florida Category:People from Newark, New Jersey Category:MTV Video Music Awards winners
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| Name | Chaka Khan |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Yvette Marie Stevens |
| Alias | Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi Khan |
| Born | March 23, 1953 |
| Origin | North Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genre | R&B;, jazz, funk, soul, disco, adult contemporary |
| Voice type | Contralto |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Label | ABC (1972–1978) Warner Bros. (1978–1998)MCA (1979-1982)NPG Records (1998-2001) Burgundy (2005-present) |
| Associated acts | Rufus, Prince |
| Url | ChakaKhan.com |
The band gained a reputation as a live performing act with Khan becoming the star attraction, thanks to her powerful vocals and stage attire, which sometimes included Native American garb and showing her midriff. Most of the band's material was written and produced by the band itself with few exceptions. Khan has also been noted for being an instrumentalist playing drums and bass, she also provided percussion during her tenure with Rufus. Most of Khan's compositions were often collaborations with guitarist Tony Maiden. Relations between Khan and the group, particularly between Khan and group member Andre Fischer, became stormy. Several group members left with nearly every release. While Khan remained a member of the group, she signed a solo contract with Warner Bros in 1978. While Khan was busy at work on solo material, Rufus released three albums without Khan's participation including 1979's Numbers, 1980's Party 'Til You're Broke and 1983's Seal in Red.
In 1979, Khan reunited with Rufus to collaborate on the Jones-produced Masterjam, which featured their hit, "Do You Love What You Feel", which Khan sung with Tony Maiden. Despite her sometimes-acrimonious relationship with some of the group's band mates, Khan and Maiden have maintained a friendship over the years. In 1980, while Rufus released their second non-Khan release, Party 'Til You're Broke, Khan released her second solo album, Naughty, which featured Khan on the cover with her six-year-old daughter Milini. The album yielded the minor disco hit "Clouds" and went gold. Khan released two albums in 1981, the Rufus release, Camouflage and the solo album, What Cha' Gonna Do for Me. In 1982, Khan issued two more solo albums, the jazz-oriented Echoes of an Era and a more funk/pop-oriented self-titled album. The latter album's track, the jazz-inflected "Bebop Medley", won Khan a Grammy and earned praise from Betty Carter who loved Khan's vocal scatting in the song.
In 1983, following the release of Rufus' final studio album, Seal in Red, which did not feature Khan, the singer returned with Rufus on a live album, Stompin' at the Savoy - Live, which featured the studio single, "Ain't Nobody", which became the group's final charting success reaching number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B; chart, while also reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom. Following this release, Rufus separated for good.
In 1990, she was a featured performer on another major hit when she collaborated with Ray Charles and Quincy Jones on a new jack swing cover of The Brothers Johnson's "I'll Be Good to You", which was featured on Jones' Back on the Block. The song reached number-eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B; chart, later winning Charles and Khan a Grammy for Best R&B; Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group. Khan returned with her first studio album in four years in 1992 with the release of The Woman I Am, which went gold thanks to the R&B; success of the songs "Love You All My Lifetime" and "You Can Make the Story Right". Khan also contributed to soundtracks and worked on a follow-up to The Woman I Am which she titled Dare You to Love Me, which was eventually shelved. In 1995, she and rapper Guru had a hit with the duet "Watch What You Say", in the UK. That same year, she provided a contemporary R&B; cover of the classic standard, "My Funny Valentine", for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. In 1996, following the release of her greatest-hits album, , Khan abruptly left Warner Bros. after stating the label had neglected her and failed to release Dare You to Love Me.
The album featured the hit, "Angel", and the Mary J. Blige duet, "Disrespectful". The latter track went to number one on the U.S. dance singles chart, winning the singers a Grammy Award, while Funk This also won a Grammy for Best R&B; Album. The album was notable for Khan's covers of Dee Dee Warwick's "Foolish Fool" and Prince's "Sign O' the Times". In 2008, Khan participated in the Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple playing Ms. Sofia to Fantasia Barrino's Celie.
In 2009, Khan hit the road with singers Anastacia and Lulu for Here Come the Girls. In 2010, Khan contributed to vocals for Beverley Knight's "Soul Survivor", collaborated with Clay Aiken on a song for the kids show Phineas and Ferb, and performed two songs with Japanese singer Ai on Ai's latest album "The Last Ai". Khan continues to perform to packed audiences both in her native United States and overseas.
Khan has struggled with drug abuse, alcoholism and weight over the years. She had addictions to heroin and cocaine, which she kicked in the early nineties. After an on-again and off-again bouts with alcoholism, in 2005, Khan declared herself sober. Though she sang at both the 2000 Democratic and Republican conventions, Khan says that she is more of a "Democratic-minded person". In 1990, Khan immigrated to the United Kingdom where she had a steady relationship. She splits her time between Los Angeles, Germany and London but has been living mainly in London since 2006.
In a 2008 interview Khan said that she, unlike other artists, feels very optimistic about the current changes in the recording industry, including music downloading. "I'm glad things are shifting and artists – not labels – are having more control over their art. My previous big record company (Warner Music) has vaults of my recordings that haven't seen the light of day that people need to hear. This includes Robert Palmer's original recording of "Addicted to Love" – which they took my vocals off of! We are working on getting it (and other tracks) all back now."
Category:1953 births Category:1960s singers Category:1970s singers Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Living people Category:African American female singers Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African American singers Category:American contraltos Category:American dance musicians Category:American immigrants to the United Kingdom Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:American expatriates in Germany Category:British people of Native American descent Category:English people of African-American descent Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American funk singers Category:American jazz singers Category:Black Panther Party members Category:Women in jazz Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Native American musicians Category:Native American singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from Lake County, Illinois Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:Illinois Democrats
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