name	Labelle
alias	The Ordettes Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles Patti LaBelle and Her Blue Belles
background	group_or_band
origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
genre	Pop, doo-wop, psychedelic soul, R&B;, rock, funk, dance
years active	1959–19772005–present
label	Newtown, Cameo-Parkway, Atlantic Records, Warner Bros., Epic Records
associated acts	Wilson Pickett, Laura Nyro, The Meters
current members	Patti LaBelleNona HendryxSarah Dash
past members	Sundray TuckerCindy Birdsong
website	}}

Labelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing their name to The Blue Belles (later Bluebelles). The founding members were Patti LaBelle, Sundray Tucker, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. Tucker left before the group cut their first record and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong.

As The Bluebelles, and later Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles, the group found success with ballads in the doo-wop genre, most notably, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)", "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Over the Rainbow". After Birdsong departed from the group to join The Supremes in 1967, under the advice of Vicki Wickham, the group changed its look, musical direction and style and reformed as Labelle, in 1971. Their funk rock recordings of that period were cult favorites and they were raved for their brash interpretation of rock and roll and for dealing with subject matter that was not touched by black groups. Finally after adapting glam rock and wearing outlandish space-age and glam rock-adorned costumes, the group found success with the proto-disco smash, "Lady Marmalade", in 1974, leading to their parent album, ''Nightbirds'', becoming a platinum success. They are notable for being the first contemporary pop group and first black pop group to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House.

The group went on their own after the end of a tour in 1976 going on to have significant amount of solo success, especially Nona Hendryx, who followed an idiosyncratic muse into her own solo career, which often bordered on the avant-garde and Patti LaBelle, who's enjoyed a very successful Grammy-winning solo career.

The group returned with their first new album in 32 years with 2008's ''Back to Now''.

History

Sweethearts of The Apollo

In 1958, Patricia "Patsy" Holt formed her first singing group, the Ordettes in her Philadelphia hometown, after being influenced by The Chantels and The Shirelles and solo female performers such as Mahalia Jackson and Dinah Washington. Around 1959, Holt and fellow Ordette member Sundray Tucker met and befriended a rival girl group from Trenton, New Jersey, not too far from Philadelphia, named the Del-Capris, which featured friends Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. Shortly afterwards, both groups disbanded and the Ordettes' then-manager Bernard Montague insisted Holt and Tucker join forces with Hendryx and Dash. The girls, loving the camaraderie between them, reformed the Ordettes. In 1960, due to failing grades, Tucker was forced to drop out of the group. Needing a replacement, Holt contacted a longtime neighborhood friend, Cindy Birdsong, who had moved back to Philadelphia from Camden, New Jersey where she was attending college to study a life as a nurse. However, after Holt contacted her of the Ordettes needing a new member to replace Sundray Tucker, Birdsong immediately decided to drop out of college and join the group. At 20 years old, she was the eldest member of the group (Holt was 16, Hendryx was 15 and Dash was only 14).

After performing in several talent shows for a year, the group found a record label with the local Newtown Records. Before signing the group, the label's president, Harold Robinson, was unimpressed with the physical looks of Holt, telling staff he felt Holt was "too dark and too unattractive" to be the lead singer. When Holt sung during the group's audition, however, the president changed his mind, and soon signed the group. Shortly afterwards, Robinson advised the group to change its name to one of Newtown's subsidiaries, Blue Belle Records. As The Blue Belles, their first single was ironically a song that the group didn't participate in - "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" was, as explained in Patti LaBelle's memoirs, ''Don't Block the Blessings'', originally recorded by The Starlets, then riding high on their hit single, "Tell Him No" and were on the road when the song was released, unable to promote it. Robinson credited the song to the Blue Belles, who later were sent to promote the song, which peaked at the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100, in 1962. Following a potential lawsuit from a president of another record label for using the name Blue Belles, Robinson gave Holt the stage name, Patti La Belle (La Belle means French for "the beautiful one"), and altered the group's name to Patti La Belle and Her Blue Belles. In 1963, the group recorded two albums for Newtown, a Christmas album titled ''Sleigh Bells, Jingle Bells and Blue Bells'', and a live album, ''Sweethearts of the Apollo'', taking from a title giving to them after the group successfully performed at the Apollo Theater, however the group failed to match their live success with any following records and left Newtown for more established Cameo-Parkway Records, releasing the top 40 hit, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)".

The group performed constantly with Murray the K and also performed on the infamous chitlin' circuit. The group, which consisted of sweet, soulful harmonies, and gospel backgrounds, set themselves differently from more pop-oriented girl groups such as The Ronettes, The Marvelettes and The Supremes, gaining an audience. In 1964, the group had another top 40 hit with their version of "You'll Never Walk Alone", later reappearing on ''American Bandstand'' singing the song. After releasing their third album, another live performance at the Apollo, the group looked to find fame after Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun offered the group a deal.

Move to Atlantic and Cindy Birdsong's departure

In 1965, Atlantic Records signed the Bluebelles to a contract, again altering their name to simply Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles. Following a year in the studio, the band released their first studio album, ''Over the Rainbow'', which was modestly successful and included the modest pop hit, "All or Nothing" and the soon-to-be R&B; standard, "Over the Rainbow". The latter hit won them more fans as they began touring outside the United States, first opening for The Rolling Stones. Due to their UK exposure, the group toured constantly in the region, appearing on an episode of ''Ready Steady Go!'', produced by their future manager Vicki Wickham, and also touring with Reginald Dwight's band, Bluesology, backing them up. Around this same time, the group began to work behind the scenes as session singers, filling in backgrounds for the likes of artists such as Wilson Pickett. They were famously featured singing background on Pickett's 1966 hit, "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)".

The group seemed destined for stardom after the release of their second album, ''Dreamer'', which featured the soulful title track, the hit "Take Me For a Little While" and their cover of The Impressions' "I'm Still Waiting", which each gave them moderate chart success. However, promotion of the album and its singles stopped abruptly when Cindy Birdsong, who had spent months as a stand-in for Supremes founder Florence Ballard, suddenly left the Bluebelles to become a full-fledged member of The Supremes. Following Birdsong's departure, Sundray Tucker briefly filled in in Cindy's place while touring. the group fell out of sync as grittier soul artists such as Aretha Franklin and psychedelic rock artists such as Sly and the Family Stone and The Jimi Hendrix Experience emerged, making the girl group sound out of date with the public. The group struggled with recordings and were forced to take whatever performance offers they were given. In 1970, the Bluebelles were dropped from their Atlantic contract. Their longtime manager, Bernard Montague, would also leave them that year to focus his full time on fellow Philly group, The Delfonics. After almost signing with Frankie Crocker and Herb Hamlett as their managers, the group settled on Vicki Wickham, after Dusty Springfield, who was also managed by Wickham and was a fan of the Bluebelles insisted Wickham worked with them.

Reinvention

Wickham advised the group to move to London and change their entire image and sound, something Patti LaBelle later admitted she felt real uncomfortable with, saying she was okay with the way things were going. LaBelle had fears when the group returned to America with their new laid-back image that they would be booed and heckled for betraying fans with a new sound and look. Wickham advised them to change their name to simply Labelle and adapt a rock sound while keeping the group's R&B; roots intact. After a year in London, the group returned to the United States and signed with the Track Records imprint and a distribution deal with Warner Bros, later being sent out on the road as the opening act to The Who. The group's producer Kit Lambert signed on to produce Labelle's debut album on Warner Bros, which came out in 1971. The album was notable for their inspired soulful covers of The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and Laura Nyro's "Time and Love". It was also notable for the first known compositions by member Nona Hendryx, who co-wrote with LaBelle, the socially conscious "Shades of Difference". The album's first single, the sexually charged, "Morning Much Better" was co-written by future disco hit-maker Michael Zager.

In the same year ''Labelle'' was produced, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff hired the group to partake in backing up Laura Nyro on her acclaimed covers album, ''Gonna Take a Miracle''. Nyro and LaBelle later became best friends and Nyro became a godmother of LaBelle's son Zuri in 1973. Nyro and the group later toured together continuing into 1974. That same year, they vocally contributed to Nikki Giovanni's ''Peace Be Still''. During the Nyro recordings, Gamble & Huff had approached the group to record a song about a marriage breaking up after ten years titled "If You Don't Know Me By Now". It's unknown if Labelle themselves recorded it but due to conflicting recording and touring schedules, the song was never put on Labelle's follow-up Warner album, ''Moon Shadow'' and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes recorded the song making it a hit. In 1972, the group's second album, ''Moon Shadow'', came out, notably featuring more compositions from Nona Hendryx. Though Patti LaBelle and Sarah Dash had some parts in writing some songs for the group, Hendryx would emerge at the end of 1972 as the dominant songwriter of the three. ''Moon Shadow'' again featured Labelle doing gospel-influenced renditions of rock and roll numbers including the title track (originally by Cat Stevens) and The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" and another sexually intense Hendryx composition, "Touch Me All Over". The group debuted their then-Afrocentric look on the show, ''Soul'', in 1972. The group received critical acclaim for these works but neither attracted commercial attention. Following the release of ''Moon Shadow'' and its relative failure, Warner Bros dropped them from their contract. In 1973, the group accepted a one-off deal with RCA Records to produce their next record, the transitional ''Pressure Cookin''' album, released shortly after LaBelle gave birth to her son.

It was during promotion of the album that Wickham once again advised the group to change their look. Inspired by the emerging glam rock sounds and styles of Marc Bolan and David Bowie, the group adapted a more flamboyant image. The album itself had glam rock influences and was notable for the group's impassioned, shocking take of "Something in the Air" which segued into Gil Scott Heron's acclaimed "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Despite their new image and Hendryx's growth as a songwriter (the song "Hollywood", or "(Can I Speak to You Before You Go To) Hollywood", allegedly dedicated to Cindy Birdsong, was a notable highlight in their career) and the presence of Stevie Wonder on the single, "Open Your Heart", ''Pressure Cookin''' again failed to attract a commercial audience. Despite this, a cult following began to develop and following the group opening for The Rolling Stones on their U.S. tour, the group switched labels, going to CBS Records in 1974, signing with the subsidiary Epic.

Success

After Allen Toussaint offered to produce the group's next album, Labelle spent two weeks in New Orleans working on what became ''Nightbirds''. More inspired by Elton John, who they would be reacquainted with since Elton's band Bluesology had originally backed the former Bluebelles, and Bowie, the group wore more wilder outfits with each member adapting their own flamboyant style to their distinctive looks. They debuted this new image while opening for The Stones. After ''Nightbirds'' was released in September 1974, the group went on a U.S. tour. That October, the group made history by performing at the Metropolitan Opera House in a concert later billed as "Wear Something Silver", as the members of Labelle were now wearing silver, metallic wear equipped with feathers and silver platform boots, which later inspired George Clinton to adapt a similar look for his band, Funkadelic, two years later, also adapting the space-age lyrical and musical matter, pioneered by Nona Hendryx and Labelle. The success of the concert gave them rave reviews and soon radio airplay increased with the album's leading single, "Lady Marmalade", released shortly after the performance at the Met.

Famed for its come-hither chorus (''"Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"'', French for "Do you wanna sleep with me, tonight?"), "Lady Marmalade" became an instant success and by March 1975 had become the number-one hit in the country and also was an international hit. The success sent ''Nightbirds'' to the top ten of the Billboard 200 album chart, eventually selling a million copies. "Lady Marmalade" was also a million-seller, the group's first-ever, making the group, after a sixteen-year tenure, overnight successes. They had modest chart success with the dance single, "What Can I Do For You". Both songs became important in the development of disco and also pushed funk to the mainstream. Following this success, Labelle made history again as they became the first predominantly black group to be featured on the cover of ''Rolling Stone''. Labelle embarked on an international tour as headliners. After returning to the states, the group later reassembled in New Orleans to record their follow-up to ''Nightbirds''. The follow-up, ''Phoenix'', featured the singles "Messin' With My Mind" and "Far As We Felt Like Goin'". While it charted at a respectable number 44 on the pop chart and was again a critical success, it failed to repeat the success of ''Nightbirds'' and the group never again had a hit as huge as "Lady Marmalade". In 1976, the group worked with David Rubinson on their next album, ''Chameleon'', which featured the hits "Get You Somebody New" and "Isn't It a Shame", the latter song Patti LaBelle mentions as the last song the group ever recorded together.

Decline and breakup

Though they had achieved stardom, the group members of Labelle were never satisfied with their music. This dissatisfaction slowly led to the group's implosion as they could no longer agree on a musical sound. For years, Patti LaBelle had long to return to the ballads she had enjoyed singing while the group was the Bluebelles. Nona Hendryx, who was in favor of the glam rock image and style, wanted to record more music of that caliber but often found herself in conflict with the label and even her own band mates. Sarah Dash wanted the group to record more disco, a genre neither LaBelle nor Hendryx took favorably, despite the fact that "Lady Marmalade" helped to pioneer that particular genre.

The group was actually recording another album, ''Shaman'', when the group finally came unglued during their U.S. tour. Despite trying to keep an image of unity and sisterhood that had often been the message of Labelle, tensions between the band mates grew. Finally during a show in Baltimore on December 13, 1976, according to Patti LaBelle in her memoirs, ''Don't Block The Blessings'', Hendryx snapped. Before going into their famous number, "(Can I Speak To You Before You Go To) Hollywood", the singer suddenly left the stage. When LaBelle and Dash found Hendryx, she had suffered a nervous breakdown, tearing up her dressing room. Hendryx was later taken to a hospital for mental evaluation. Feeling the group had reached the end of its rope, LaBelle advised Hendryx and Dash to disband the group, ending it as long as their friendship remained intact. Eventually the group agreed to go their separate ways, announcing their split in early 1977, repairing their friendship. All three members, shortly afterwards, embarked on solo careers.

Solo careers and reunions

Of the three members to embark on solo careers, not surprisingly, lead singer Patti LaBelle was the most successful, crossing over to pop in the 1980s with hits such as "New Attitude" and "On My Own". LaBelle would later win two Grammys and would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sarah Dash found more success as a side-woman collaborating with the likes of Keith Richards and released several dance recordings that found modest success. The experimental Nona Hendryx recorded hard rock, hip-hop, house and new age, finding her biggest chart success with the dance-pop single, "Why Should I Cry?"

All three members collaborated on each other's projects over the years following their 1977 split. LaBelle appeared in a couple of albums by Hendryx and Dash attributing background vocals and, in the case of Dash, a duet. In 1991, 15 years after their last recordings together, the group reunited on Patti LaBelle's ''Burnin''', recording the funky "Release Yourself", another Hendryx composition. Hendryx and LaBelle co-wrote the latter's hit, "When You've Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven)" on the same album. The group performed their reunion song at The Apollo Theater during a televised special there to help LaBelle promote ''Burnin'''. The group reunited again in 1995 to record the dance hit, "Turn It Out", for the soundtrack to the film, ''To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything Julie Newmar''. The song became their first charted hit in nineteen years peaking at number-one on the Billboard dance singles chart. Labelle would announce a full-fledged reunion in 2005 after the group recorded the Rosa Parks tribute song, "Dear Rosa", featured on LaBelle's TV show, ''Living It Up with Patti LaBelle'', and after recording, with gospel artist Tye Tribbett, the gospel song, "Preaching to the Choir", from the movie of the same name, which LaBelle starred in. The group would sign a recording deal with Verve Records in 2007 and recorded their new album, ''Back to Now'', throughout late 2007 and 2008, releasing the album that October.

That year, the trio went back on tour together which carried through the spring of 2009. In an interview with the ''Toronto Star'', Patti LaBelle explained why she, Dash and Hendryx waited over 32 years to record a full length album: "You don't want to half-step something this important....it was about finding the right time and place. We were never ones to do anything on anyone else's time anyway; we were always unconventional. I still have my glitter boots to prove it."

The group performed a triumphant show at the Apollo Theatre in New York City on December 19, 2008.

Legacy and influence

Years after their departure in 1976, Labelle's influence has been reflected by groups such as En Vogue, Destiny's Child and The Pussycat Dolls, who recorded the Labelle hit, "Far As We Felt Like Goin'" from the ''Phoenix'' album. Their biggest hit, "Lady Marmalade" continues to be covered, with its successful covers being renditions by All Saints and the Grammy-winning number-one hit collaboration between singers Christina Aguilera, Pink and Mýa and rapper Lil' Kim in 2001. The latter song recorded for the ''Moulin Rouge!'' soundtrack. The song was also covered by Madchester-era indie group The Happy Mondays, who spliced it with "Kinky Afro". The group's 1960s hit, "You'll Never Walk Alone", was sampled by Kanye West in an early version of his song, "Homecoming" (which sampled the group's "walk on" intro) while their 1970s hit, "Isn't It a Shame" was sampled by Nelly on his song, "My Place". Their 1973 song, "Goin' On a Holiday", was also sampled in several hip-hop songs (sampling the group's vocal bridge, "goin', goin', goin', goin'...on...").

The group has been called pioneers of the disco movement for the proto-disco singles "Lady Marmalade" and "Messin' With My Mind". In turn, "Lady Marmalade" has been also called one of the first mainstream disco hits (Jones and Kantonen, 1999). In 2003, "Lady Marmalade" was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 2009, their songs "It Took a Long Time" and "System" were featured in Lee Daniels' film ''Precious''.

Lineups

The Ordettes

;1959–1960

Patricia "Patsy" Holt

Nona Hendryx

Sarah Dash

Sundray Tucker

The Blue Belles

;1960–1963

Patricia "Patsy" Holt¹

Nona Hendryx

Sarah Dash

Cindy Birdsong

Patti La Belle & Her Blue Belles

;1963–1965

Patti LaBelle

Nona Hendryx

Sarah Dash

Cindy Birdsong

Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles

;1965–1967

Patti LaBelle

Nona Hendryx

Sarah Dash

Cindy Birdsong

;1967–1970

Patti LaBelle

Nona Hendryx

Sarah Dash

Labelle

;1970–1976

Patti LaBelle

Nona Hendryx

Sarah Dash

;2005–2009

Patti LaBelle

Nona Hendryx

Sarah Dash

¹ Holt changed her name to Patti La Belle in 1963 after Harold Robinson was sued by a manager of a group, also called the Blue Belles, therefore becoming Patti La Belle and Her Blue Belles.

Discography

''As The Blue Belles (aka Patti La Belle and Her Blue Belles; Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles):''

''Sweethearts of the Apollo'' (Newtown Records, 1963)

''Sleigh Bells, Jingle Bells and Blue Belles'' (Newtown, 1963)

''On Stage'' (Cameo-Parkway, 1964)

''Over the Rainbow'' (Atlantic, 1966)

''Dreamer'' (Atlantic, 1967)

''As Labelle:''

''Labelle'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1971)

''Gonna Take a Miracle'' (Laura Nyro ft. Labelle) (Columbia, 1971)

''Moon Shadow'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1972)

''Pressure Cookin''' (RCA, 1973)

''Nightbirds'' (Epic, 1974)

''Phoenix'' (Epic, 1975)

''Chameleon'' (Epic, 1976)

''Back to Now'' (Verve, 2008)

See also

List of number-one hits (United States)

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

List of number-one dance hits (United States)

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart

References

Jones, Alan and Kantonen, Jussi (1999) ''Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco''. Chicago, Illinois: A Cappella Books. ISBN 1-55652-411-0.

LaBelle, Patti, with Laura B. Randolph (1996). ''Don't Block the Blessings: Revelations of a Lifetime''. New York, NY: Riverhead Books. ISBN 1-57322-039-6.

VH1.com, “Labelle”, by Steve Huey, Allmusic (accessed on June 29, 2008)

Thestar.com, Labelle gets back to now with release of new disc, by Elio Iannacci (accessed on October 21, 2008)

External links

Labelle interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' June 2009

Billboard review of Back To Now

Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Warner Music Group artists Category:RCA Victor artists Category:Epic Records artists Category:Verve Records artists Category:Musical trios Category:Disco groups Category:Doo-wop groups Category:American dance music groups Category:American funk musical groups Category:American soul musical groups Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups Category:American vocal groups Category:American girl groups Category:Musical groups from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Musical groups established in 1959 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1977 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2005

it:Labelle nl:LaBelle sv:Labelle

name	Patti LaBelle
background	solo_singer
birth name	Patricia Louise Holt
birth date	May 24, 1944
origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
alias	Patricia Edwards
genre	R&B;, pop, soft rock
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress
years active	1958–present
label	Epic (1977-1980)Philadelphia Int'l (1981-1984)MCA (1984-2001) Def Soul Classics (2003-2005, 2007-present)Umbrella / Bungalo (2006)
associated acts	Labelle, Michael McDonald
website	}}

Patricia Louise Holt Edwards (born May 24, 1944), better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is an American singer, author and actress. LaBelle spent sixteen years as lead singer of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, who changed their name to Labelle in the early 1970s and released the disco song, "Lady Marmalade".

LaBelle started her solo career shortly after the group disbanded in 1977 and crossed over to pop music with "On My Own", "If Only You Knew", "If You Asked Me To", "Stir It Up" and "New Attitude". She has also recorded R&B; ballads such as "You Are My Friend" and "Love, Need and Want You".

Biography

Early years

Patricia Louise Holt was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 24, 1944. Her father, Henry Holt, was a railroad worker and lounge singer. Her mother, Bertha Holt, was a domestic and housewife. Holt was one of four daughters (Vivian, Barbara, ''Patricia'' and Jacqueline). Holt recalls having a happy childhood but said being sexually molested at the age of seven led her to be shy and withdrawn. Holt's parents had an unhappy marriage. When Holt was twelve, her parents split up and Bertha Holt raised her daughters as a single mother. Holt's mother later adopted Claudette Grant, who would become one of Holt's closest friends.

Despite her shyness, Holt was known for her gifted voice even as a child. After first joining her church choir at ten, she sung her first solo at the Beulah Baptist Church at the age of twelve. Growing up, Holt listened not only to gospel, but jazz and rhythm and blues. By her teens, "Patsy", as friends and family called her, also began listening to doo-wop and was encouraged to form a girl group in the late fifties. In 1958, she formed The Ordettes with three other friends. The following year, when two members of the group dropped out, singers Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, from a former rival group, joined them. Eventually with Cindy Birdsong included in the lineup by 1961 and with respected music impresario Bernard Montague managing them, the group gained a reputation around Philadelphia and soon caught the eye of a record scout, who introduced them to Newtown Records president Harold Robinson.

After hearing Holt's voice during an audition, Robinson, who nearly ditched the group due to their looks - he allegedly thought Holt was "too plain and dark" to lead a singing group, agreed to sign the group, renaming them The Blue Belles (the name would simply be The Bluebelles by the mid-1960s), after a Newtown subsidiary label.

Early career

Not long after signing, the group was credited for the hit single, "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman", though the song was recorded by another girl group, the Chicago-based The Starlets. This led to a lawsuit by a manager of the group and its record label boss, later resulting in the group winning $5,000 in damages. "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" eventually reached the Billboard top 20. Despite this credited success, the group could not follow up with any other hit. The Blue Belles supported themselves by constantly touring including an appearance at the Apollo Theater.

In 1963, a record label executive sued Harold Robinson for use of the name Blue Belles, since another group was using the name. As a result, Robinson gave Holt the nickname, Patti La Belle (La Belle is French for "the beautiful one") and the group's name was altered to Patti La Belle And Her Blue Belles. A year later, the group left Newtown switching over to Cameo-Parkway Records. Their first hit for Cameo-Parkway was the top 40 hit, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)". Their follow-ups included "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Danny Boy".

In 1965, Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun signed the group to the label, working with the group for a year. The group issued their first studio album (as Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles) titled ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow'' in 1966. While they had a modest pop charted hit with "All or Nothing" and its b-side, a pop cover of Judy Garland's "Over The Rainbow", the group was not as successful as the label predicted. In 1967, their second release, ''Dreamer'', issued two singles, "Take Me For A Little While" and the Curtis Mayfield standard, "I'm Still Waiting". In the middle of touring for that album, Cindy Birdsong suddenly left the group to join The Supremes after replacing Florence Ballard. The remaining trio of LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash struggled with subsequent recordings and by 1970, Atlantic had dropped the group from its roster, as had longtime manager Bernard Montague, who had by now focused his full energy on more successful Philly groups such as The Delfonics and The Stylistics.

After almost signing a management deal with Frankie Crocker and Herb Hamlett, the group settled on British manager Vicki Wickham (producer of the UK pop show, ''Ready, Steady, Go!'') after Dusty Springfield had mentioned signing them. Wickham advised the group to perform in London and work on a brand new image and sound. LaBelle would later have disagreements with Wickham over changes often saying in interviews that she liked things the way they were. This led to some musical disagreements between LaBelle and Nona Hendryx.

Labelle

In late 1970, the group returned to the U.S. changing their name to Labelle and signing a contract with Warner Bros imprint, Track Records. Wickham then had the group open for rock group The Who. In mid-1971, the group released their Warner debut, ''Labelle''. The record mixed harder-edged soul music with rock music elements, a marked departure from the pop sound of the Blue Belles. The album failed to catch on, as did their 1972 follow-up, ''Moon Shadow''. The group, however, did find success singing alongside Laura Nyro on her acclaimed album, ''Gonna Take a Miracle''. The group would tour with Nyro off and on for the next couple of years.

In 1973, Wickham had the group signed to RCA Records, where they recorded the ''Pressure Cookin' '' album. In the middle of recording, LaBelle gave birth to her only child, Zuri. While promoting the album opening for The Rolling Stones, Wickham advised the group to adapt the same flamboyant costumes of rock artists such as T. Rex, Elton John and David Bowie. Soon, their own stage entrances started to take a life on its own, at one point the group members flew into the concert stage, while singing. Despite this change in direction, their third album failed to become a success. However, a scout for Epic Records advised the group to sign with them in 1974 at the end of the Rolling Stones tour.

Later that year, Labelle issued their most acclaimed album, ''Nightbirds''. In October 1974, the group made history by becoming the first pop group to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. In late December, Epic issued the single, "Lady Marmalade". Within six months, the record became a smash and reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, the group's first to do so. This helped their album sell over a million copies. Their fame was so massive during this time that they made the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' later in 1975.

Later in 1975, the group issued their follow-up, ''Phoenix'', which did not quite catch on as fast though it was critically raved. They had a little more success with the ''Chameleon'' album in 1976, with the songs, "Get You Somebody New" and "Isn't It A Shame", the latter song Patti LaBelle would say was "the last record we ever did together". Despite her success, LaBelle was not pleased at the group's direction and by late 1976, neither LaBelle, Dash and Hendryx could agree on a musical direction. Following a concert in Baltimore in December 1976, LaBelle advised the others to break up. LaBelle began having anxiety attacks following the group's split and was arguing constantly with her husband at the time. After seeing a shrink for psychological evaluation, LaBelle began to let her husband manage her affairs as she reluctantly soldiered on with a solo career.

Solo career

LaBelle released her self-titled album in 1977 on Epic. The record was a critical success, with the highlights being the dance singles, "Joy To Have Your Love" and "Dan Swit Me" and the pop-R&B; ballad, "You Are My Friend", a song she and her husband co-wrote. Her subsequent follow-ups, however, 1978's ''Tasty'', 1979's ''It's Alright with Me'' and 1980's ''Released'', failed to be as successful. Though well-established in some circles, LaBelle never follow her live performance success with hit records, which was often the case with the Bluebelles. In 1981, she was switched to the CBS subsidiary, Philadelphia International Records, issuing the album, ''The Spirit's In It''. That record also proved to be unsuccessful.

LaBelle found success outside music, performing in the Broadway revival of ''Your Arm's Too Short to Box with God'', with Al Green. However, the play was criticized mainly because of what critics felt was vocal showboating by Green and LaBelle, criticism that LaBelle did not take lightly. In 1982, she recorded the Grover Washington ballad, "The Best Is Yet To Come", which led to her first top 20 R&B; hit and her first Grammy nomination in the spring of 1983. Later that year, LaBelle appeared in the PBS-produced play, ''Working''. In October 1983, the mid-tempo love song, "If Only You Knew", was released. The parent album, ''I'm In Love Again'', was released the following month. In January 1984, "If Only You Knew" reached number-one on the Hot R&B; Singles chart, where it stayed for four weeks. The song became LaBelle's first charted hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist, reaching the lower regions of the top fifty, peaking at number 46. The success of that single and its similar-sounding follow-up, "Love, Need and Want You", which reached number ten on the R&B; chart, helped ''I'm in Love Again'', reached gold in the U.S.

Later in 1984, LaBelle appeared in her first film, ''A Soldier's Story''. Her appearance in the film later led to Steven Spielberg handpicking her for the role of Shug Avery on ''The Color Purple'', but she turned it down due to hearing that there was a nude scene and same-sex kissing. LaBelle would later regret her decision to turn down the role, after Margaret Avery won an Academy Award nomination for her role as Shug. In the fall of 1984, LaBelle recorded the songs, "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up", later issued for the soundtrack of ''Beverly Hills Cop'', released in December 1984. The soundtrack became a hit, thanks to the releases of "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up". The former single reached as high as number seventeen on the Hot 100 and was number-one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the spring of 1985, introducing LaBelle to pop audiences. In 1985, LaBelle left Philadelphia International signing a lucrative contract with MCA. PIR issued the final contractual LaBelle album, ''Patti''. The album was not successful.

LaBelle garnered headlines in 1985 for her showstopping, and some say, purposely show-stealing performances, first at ''Motown Returns to the Apollo'' engaging in the so-called "infamous mic toss" between her and Diana Ross during the show's finale, to the Foreigner song, "I Want to Know What Love Is". LaBelle later alleged that Ross grabbed the microphone away from LaBelle following her taking over the lead, though someone else gave LaBelle another microphone where she finished singing. That same year, LaBelle was accused again of showboating, after singing in the finale of Live Aid to "We Are the World" so loud that she sounded as the only audible singer. Due to this press, she was given her own television special later that fall. In 1986, LaBelle released her eighth album, ''Winner in You'', which peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the pop hit, "On My Own", a duet with singer Michael McDonald. The song became LaBelle's first number-one hit since "Lady Marmalade". ''Winner in You'' eventually sold a million copies, becoming platinum. It remains her best-selling album. LaBelle took a break in 1988, re-emerging with ''Be Yourself'', in 1989. The album failed to match the success of ''Winner in You'' though it eventually went gold thanks to LaBelle's soft rock ballad, "If You Asked Me To".

Her 1991 album, ''Burnin''', resulted in LaBelle's first Grammy win for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance, and spawned three top ten hits on Billboard's R&B; chart also selling half a million copies becoming her third gold album. Her 1994 album, ''Gems'' and 1997 follow-up, ''Flame'', also were certified gold and LaBelle's 1990s singles, "The Right Kinda Lover" and "When You Talk About Love" hit number-one on the dance charts. She won a second Grammy in 1998 for her live album, ''For One Night Only!'' Following the announcement of the end of her marriage to her husband, Armstead Edwards, who also dismissed himself as LaBelle's manager after more than 20 years, LaBelle released the ballad-heavy ''When A Woman Loves'' album in 2000. The album became her first since 1985's ''Patti'' to not be certified gold due to poor response to its one single, "Call Me Gone". LaBelle would not release another album until, after signing with the Def Jam Records imprint, Def Soul Classics, she released ''Timeless Journey'', in 2004. The album became her highest-charted album in eighteen years though it also failed to become a success. The 2005 follow-up, ''Classic Moments'', was another flop, and LaBelle abruptly left Def Jam Records in 2006 over a public dispute with Antonio "L.A." Reid. She released her first gospel album, ''The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle'', on the Bungalo label. She returned to Def Jam in 2007 and released her second holiday album, ''Miss Patti's Christmas'', which barely charted. As of 2011, LaBelle has yet to release a new solo album. In 2008, LaBelle briefly reunited with Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash as Labelle on the group's first new album in over thirty years, ''Back to Now''.

Following her roles in ''A Soldier's Story'' and ''Sing'', LaBelle won a recurring role as Kadeem Hardison's mother on the hit show, ''A Different World''. In 1992, following her success on the sitcom and responding to the success of rapper Will Smith's ''Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', LaBelle starred in her own sitcom, ''Out All Night''. The show was cancelled after only 19 episodes. In 1993, she earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and two years afterwards, performed at the Super Bowl half time show. For a period, LaBelle's theme song for ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', titled "Get With the Program", proved to be popular along with its catchphrase. In 2003, she starred in her own lifestyle show, ''Livin' It Up With Patti LaBelle'', which aired for three years on the TV-One channel. In 1996, LaBelle issued her autobiography, ''Don't Block the Blessings''. She released her first of five cookbooks in 1997, and in 2006, released the book, ''Patti's Pearls''. In addition, LaBelle began to sell collections of spices, lipstick and even wigs on her website. Her "Patti Labelle"wig collection,-featured in ''Especially Yours wig catalogs-'', discontinued in 2010.

On September 14, 2010, LaBelle made a return two decades after her last Broadway performance to star in the award-winning musical Fela! about Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. LaBelle replaced Tony Award-nominee Lillias White as Fela's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and remained with the production through the end of its run on January 2, 2011.

On May 23, 2011, LaBelle appeared on "Oprah's Farewell Spectacular, Part 1” the first show in a series of three shows constituting the finale of ''The Oprah Winfrey Show,'' singing "Over the Rainbow" with Josh Groban.

LaBelle was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards on June 26, 2011.

Personal life

A longtime resident of Philadelphia, LaBelle currently lives in the Philly suburb, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. In 1969, she married Armstead Edwards. In July 1973, their first and only child, Zuri Kye Edwards, was born. In the late 1970s, Labelle and Edwards adopted Stanley and Todd, the children of their next-door neighbor, after their mother died of cancer. Following the death of her youngest sister Jackie Padgett, Labelle raised Padgett's teenage children. Following the disbanding of the group Labelle in 1976, Edwards, who was a schoolteacher, took over as his wife's manager. In 2000, the couple announced their separation. Their divorce was finalized in 2001. LaBelle's son Zuri has since taken over as her manager.

Her youngest sister Jackie Padgett became president of her sister's fan club in the early 1980s. When Jackie later died of lung cancer in 1989, LaBelle dedicated her 1991 album, ''Burnin''', to Padgett and filmed the video for "If You Asked Me To" a day after her funeral. Her two other sisters, Vivian and Barbara preceded Jackie in death, dying of cancer themselves. LaBelle was diagnosed with diabetes in 1992. Prior to her marriage to Edwards, LaBelle was once engaged to Temptations singer Otis Williams breaking it off due to conflicting schedules.

In June 2011 a West Point cadet filed civil suit against LaBelle after he was allegedly assaulted by her bodyguards at Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston in March. Houston police department is reviewing the conduct of officers responding to the incident after they posed for photographs with the singer, but also filed assault charges against members of her entourage and warrants were issued.

Discography

See also

List of number-one dance hits (United States)

List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

Selective awards and recognition

Grammy history

{| class=wikitable |- | colspan=5 align=center | Patti LaBelle Grammy Award History |- ! Year ! Category ! Title ! Genre ! Result |- align=center | rowspan="1"|2004 | Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance | "New Day" | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center | rowspan="1"|2003 | Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance | "Way Up There" | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center | rowspan="1"|2003 | Grammy Hall of Fame | "Lady Marmalade" | R&B; | Inducted |- align=center | rowspan="1"|1998 | Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance | ''Live! One Night Only'' | R&B; | Winner |- align=center | rowspan="2"|1997 | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | "When You Talk About Love" | R&B; | Nominee |- align="center" | Best R&B; Album | ''Flame'' | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center | rowspan="1"|1993 | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | "All Right Now (live)" | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center | rowspan="2"|1991 | Best R&B; Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group | "Superwoman" (with Gladys Knight & Dionne Warwick) | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | ''Burnin''' | R&B; | Winner |- align=center | rowspan="1"|1990 | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | "I Can't Complain" | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center | rowspan="2"|1986 | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | ''Winner in You'' | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center | Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group | "On My Own" (with Michael McDonald) | Pop | Nominee |- align=center | rowspan="1"|1985 | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | "New Attitude" | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center | rowspan="1"|1983 | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | "The Best Is Yet to Come" | R&B; | Nominee |- align=center |}

Other Awards

{| class=wikitable |- | colspan=5 align=center | Patti LaBelle Awards |- ! Year ! Category ! Title ! Result ! Notes |- align=center | 2011 | Lifetime Achievement Award | BET Awards | Winner |- align=center | 2009 | Legends Hall of Fame | Apollo Theater | Winner |- align=center | 2009 | UNCF Award of Excellence | UNCF Evening of Stars | Winner |- align=center | 2008 | Legend Award | World Music Awards | Winner |- align=center | 2006 | Outstanding Actress - Television, Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special | NAACP Image Awards | Winner | ''Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy'' |- align=center | 2006 | Outstanding Gospel Artist | NAACP Image Awards | Nominee |- align=center | 2004 | Outstanding Female Artist | NAACP Image Awards | Nominee |- align=center | 2003 | Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award | Songwriter's Hall of Fame | Winner |- align=center | 2001 | Walk of Fame Award | BET Walk of Fame | Winner |- align=center | 2001 | Lena Horne Lifetime Achievement Award | Lady of Soul Awards | Winner |- align=center | 1998 | Triumphant Spirit Award - Career Achievement | The Essence Awards | Winner |- align=center | 1998 | Outstanding Performance - Variety Series/Special | NAACP Image Awards | Winner | ''Live! One Night Only'' |- align=center | 1996 | Outstanding Performance - Variety Series/Special | NAACP Image Awards | Winner | ''The Essence Awards'' |- align=center | 1995 | Heritage Award - Career Achievement | Soul Train Music Awards | Winner |- align=center | 1992 | Favorite Soul/R&B; Female Artist | American Music Awards | Winner |- align=center | 1986 | Favorite Soul/R&B; Female Artist | American Music Awards | Nominee |- align=center | 1986 | Outstanding Individual Performance, Variety or Music Program | Emmy Awards | Nominee | ''Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight III'' |- align=center |}

Tours

1985: Look To The Rainbow Tour

1986-1987: Winner In You Tour

1991: Burnin' Tour

1995: Gems Tour

1997-1998: Flame Tour

2000: When a Woman Loves Tour

2005: Timeless Journey Tour

2006: Classic Moments Tour

2008: Divas with Heart Tour (w/Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and Diana Ross)

2008/2009: Back to Now Tour (w/Labelle)

Filmography

;Film

1979: ''Richard Pryor: Live in Concert'' (documentary) (scenes deleted)

1984: ''A Soldier's Story''

1986: ''Unnatural Causes''

1989: ''Sing''

1990: ''A Different World''

2002: ''Sylvester: Mighty Real'' (short subject)

2005: ''Preaching to the Choir''

2006: ''Idlewild''

2007: ''Cover''

2008: ''Semi-Pro''

2011: ''Mama, I Want to Sing!''

;Television

1990: ''A Different World''

1992: ''Out All Night''

1994: ''The Nanny''

1997: ''Cosby''

2003: ''Living It Up With Patti LaBelle''

2007: ''The Dog Whisperer''

2008: ''An Evening With The Stars: A Tribute to Patti Labelle''

Music video

''Going Home to Gospel with Patti Labelle'' (1991) with Albertina Walker, Barrett Sisters, Ricky Dillard and many more.

Further reading

References

External links

Official website

Official FELA! Broadway website

Category:1944 births Category:Actors from Pennsylvania Category:African American actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African American female singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American disco musicians Category:American pop singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American sopranos Category:American soul singers Category:Ballad musicians Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Epic Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Labelle members Category:Living people Category:MCA Records artists Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Philadelphia International Records artists Category:World Music Awards winners Category:GLAAD Media Awards winners

cs:Patti LaBelle de:Patti LaBelle es:Patti Labelle fr:Patti LaBelle ko:패티 라벨 id:Patti LaBelle it:Patti LaBelle nl:Patti LaBelle ja:パティ・ラベル pl:Patti LaBelle pt:Patti LaBelle simple:Patti LaBelle fi:Patti LaBelle sv:Patti LaBelle th:แพตตี ลาเบลล์

Name	Sarah Dash
Background	solo_singer
Born	August 18, 1945Trenton, New JerseyUnited States
Genre	R&B;, soul, funk, disco, funk rock, blues, rock, pop, dance music, jazz, rap
Occupation	Musician, Actress, Songwriter
Years active	1958–present
Labels	Kirshner Records, Manhattan Records, EMI, Megatone Records, Cutting Records
Associated acts	Labelle, Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, Keith Richards
Website	Sarah Dash.net
notable instruments	}}

Sarah Dash (born August 18, 1945) is a singer and actress. Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. Dash has had a full career, moving from singer, to songwriter, session musician, sideman for famous bands that include Patti LaBelle, The Rolling Stones, and Keith Richards.

Biography

Early career

Born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1945, she later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the mid-1950s where she got reacquainted with fellow adopted Philadelphian Nona Hendryx and Philadelphian natives Patricia "Patsy" Holte and Sundray Tucker. In 1959, following the break-up of a rival girl group, Hendryx and Dash joined Holte and Tucker in "The Ordettes". In 1961, Tucker was replaced by Philadelphia-born Cindy Birdsong and the quartet became The Bluebelles in 1962. The group changed their name again to Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles after Holte was advised to adapt the stage name of Patti Labelle. Among the Bluebelles hits including the doo-wop classic, "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" and doo-wop-esque R&B; ballads "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Danny Boy", the top forty classic, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)", the soul standard "All or Nothing" and their now-legendary rendition of "Over the Rainbow", which LaBelle later transformed into a tour-de-force in her 1981 solo cover. Dash sings with a sharp soprano.

Labelle

In 1967, Birdsong left the group to join The Supremes and four years later, The Bluebelles changed their name to Labelle and began recording material that set them apart from other girl groups including songs of political, social and sexual matters transforming them into a "hard-rocking, sexually and politically-outspoken group". Much like The Supremes' Mary Wilson, Dash was often the "middle" of two of the group's extremes, Nona Hendryx and Patti LaBelle, who often had differed in the group's change of direction before LaBelle eventually agreed to "go along with it". After a tour of England where they changed managers hiring Vicki Wickham, in 1971, the group ditched their bouffant wigs and dresses for Afros and jeans releasing transitional records such as ''Labelle'' (which included the Hendryx-penned sexual "Morning Much Better") and ''Moon Shadow'' (which featured the group's gospel-fueled renditions of the Pete Townshend penned, "Won't Get Fooled Again", and Cat Stevens' "Moonshadow").

During this period, the group got notice by the mainstream after opening for blue-eyed soul singer-songwriter Laura Nyro and British rock group The Who during their tours, leading up to the 1973 release of ''Pressure Cookin''', which featured more songwriting from Hendryx and a more unified group effort in which Dash sung co-lead on including the group's memorable ballad, "Can I Speak to You Before You Go to Hollywood?", where Dash sings most of the song with Hendryx singing in the beginning and LaBelle bringing up the rear near the end of the song. Dash was a major vocal force for the group. Dash's strong vocals in the group provided for balance and stability when LaBelle and Hendryx occasionally went off on vocal tangents or were pulling audience members up onto the stage to dance. Dash also functioned as songwriter for several songs. It also marked a political consciousness in the choice of cover songs and lyrics chosen on original compositions. One song, for example, was a medley of psychedelic styled "Something in the Air", a mixture of a Townshend inspired album of songs written by a roadie, John Keen, who had written a track on his band's album, ''The Who Sell Out'', and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by African-American activist, Gil Scott-Heron.

Despite the group's cult raves of their early material, their critical success didn't translate to commercial acclaim until the releases of 1974's ''Nightbirds'' (which featured the group's biggest smash single of their careers, "Lady Marmalade") and 1975's ''Phoenix''. Following the release of 1976's ''Chameleon'' and a 1977 tour, the group agreed to split after the trio failed to come to terms with material (the group were working on an album titled ''Shaman'' when they split) and had finally "rocked and rolled themselves out".

Solo career

In 1978, Dash released her self-titled debut album, which included the disco classic, "Sinner Man" and vocals on several stunning ballads, notably "You," and "We're Lovers After All," and "I Can't Believe Someone Like You Could Really Love Me," (with a full gospel choir backing), she also had another minor disco hit with "(Come and Take) This Candy from Your Baby". Dash enjoyed much success and television and public appearances with "Sinner Man." At this time, she was asked to compose and sing "For The Love of You" (the theme song for the 1980s PBS show ''Watch Your Mouth'') and "Bringing It All Home." She also guest-starred on an episode of the ''Watch Your Mouth'', and played a fictional character, a super diva with an attitude, "Tessie Bright," to the hilt.

However, on the Kirshner albums, and especially ''Ooh La La, Sarah Dash'', (1980) she was given substandard material to work with, although she wrote "I Feel Good Being Me" for this album. It featured one strong disco track, "Ooh La La, Too Soon," which was used in a Sassoon jeans commercial, and the late Phyllis Hyman provided backing vocals to the album. But by 1980, disco was dying, and many talented divas such as Dash, Linda Clifford, Pattie Brooks, Cheryl Lynn, and even Donna Summer, were at a loss as to how to proceed musically. After releasing one more musically stronger album ''Close Enough'', for Kirshner, which features standout ballads like "Somebody's Angel" and "God Bless You," and the rocker, "Paradise," Dash left Kirshner for other opportunities.

In 1983, Dash released two dance singles for Megatone Records in San Francisco, both produced by the late Patrick Cowley. The first, "Low Down Dirty Rhythm" was basically ignored, but the second single "Lucky Tonight" (featuring background vocals by Sylvester), was much more successful, even rising to the #5 spot on ''Billboard'''s Dance Chart, and was even a Billboard "Pick of the Week." Dash was excited about her career again and went on an extensive tour of major U.S. dance clubs. There was supposed to be an album, but because of the untimely death of Cowley, the album was never recorded.

Dash's most experimental musical endeavor was the recording she made on the Rap record, ''Satisfaction'', for High Fidelity Three in 1985. This single was groundbreaking because it was one of the first (if not ''the first'') rap records that combined a rapper with a vocalist. It was not given much attention at the time, since rap was still in its early stages, but today it is considered a classic, especially with New York DJs.

Also during this time, Dash did a great deal of session work for The O'Jays, Nile Rodgers of Chic (duetting on a beautiful ballad with Rodgers, "My Love Song for You" from, ''The Adventures in the Land of the Good Groove'' - a collector's item now), The Marshall Tucker Band, and David Johansen.

In the later 1980s, she teamed up with musician Dr.York for the duet ''It's Too Late'' (for which York even took out ad space on the cover of Billboard magazine, alas to little success).

Then in 1988 she was signed to Manhattan Records, (via EMI) and released the album entitled ''You're All I Need''. This set included a title track duet with Patti Labelle; a further duet "Don't Make Me Wait" with Ray, Goodman & Brown; and "''To Tell You The Truth''". The album was overproduced for some reason, and kept Dash's vocals hidden in the background. The outstanding cuts on the CD are "It's Over," where Dash really belts out and makes full use of her vocal range, and the sweet ballad, "After Love." Once again, unluckily, EMI decided not to promote the album, and it was met with only moderate success. Dash has not recorded an album since.

Subsequently, Dash released another unnoticed dance single in 1990, "When You Talk to Me/ Manhandled," with Disc jockey Jellybean Benitez.

Reunited with the Rolling Stones

In 1988, Keith Richards invited Dash by Keith Richards to accompany him on tour: her association with him led to another world tour, a tour with Richards' X-pensive Winos, appearances on two of his albums, and on The Rolling Stones' ''Steel Wheels'' album in 1989. With Richards, she guested on ''Live At The Hollywood Palladium'' in 1988, and ''Main Offender'', in 1992. In the early 1990s, Sarah developed her own one-woman show, "Dash Of Diva," performing at different club venues, as well as doing a more jazz-flavored set that resulted in various appearances. In 1995, she reunited with Patti Labelle and Nona Hendryx to record the track "Turn It Out" for the movie soundtrack, "To Woo Fong: Thanks For Everything" garnering a No. 1 dance music hit in the process. Also in 1988, Dash was asked to add her strong backing vocals to the Rolling Stones' ''Steel Wheels'' album, which eventually led to a tour with her old friend Keith Richards. They became close when Dash was still performing with Patti Labelle and The Blue Bells, who opened for Stones in the early 1960s. She recorded the duet "Make No Mistake" with him, and she took the lead vocal on "Time Is on My Side", showcasing her powerful delivery and vocal range, which, Keith has said in his autobiography, is 'the best version of that song he's ever heard'. She also recorded as lead vocalist for "Rock Awhile". For his next album, Dash wrote and sang another track, "Body Talk". Another highlight during her tour with Richards was her singing the female vocal on "Gimme Shelter." Dash starts the song with the her silvery "Oohs' and then ''really'' cuts loose on her solo in the middle of the song. Another contribution is only available on the Keith Richards song "Eileen", a CD single from his album ''Main Offender'' on the Virgin Records label. In 1992, Dash added her background vocals on the collaboration between Bo Diddley and Ronnie Wood's ''Live at the Ritz'' album.

Later career and Labelle reunion

Lately, Dash has made a few guest appearances on albums, including Temptation and Persuasion's cut "Greener." From time to time, she also does jazz/blues shows in small clubs on the east coast.

Sarah took a break to work on her autobiography, ''Dash of Diva''. She decided with her friend and confidante the late Pam Johnson scripted excerpts and wrote a musical with the same title debut at The Cross Roads Theater in New Brunswick.

Charity work

Dash received a citation from the deputy Mayor of New York City, Ruth Messinger, for her work and efforts in the underprivileged New York City community, where she raised funds for homeless single women with children. With her generous time, Dash collected donations and funds she acquired for these mothers and their children which included clothing, toys, books, after-school activities, excursions to amusement parks, theater in the parks, and food.

Reunited Labelle with a cause

The biggest news for Dash and her fans lately is that Labelle, having reunited for television a few times over the years and sporadic recordings, recorded in January 2006, a tribute to civil rights leader Rosa Parks tentatively titled, "Dear Rosa." In 2008, the long-awaited new album from Labelle founders; Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx & Sarah Dash, ''Back to Now'', was released to rave reviews. Dash sings Lead vocals in the group's political song, "System", which featured LaBelle and Hendryx singing side by side to Dash in autotone, resurrecting songs that didn't make the final cut from earlier recordings, including Cole Porter's composition, "Miss Otis Regrets" amongst other songs. Dash's voice had taken a while to return after an injury on the New York subway and hospitalization, but she recovered her voice by the time of the recording. Producers on the project included rock superstar Lenny Kravitz, hip hop icon Wyclef Jean, plus legendary classic Philadelphia soul writer/producers Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff.

Dash headlined for a month in the San Francisco Cirque du Soleil influenced Teatro Zinzanni and performed at the 2007 Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender parade. She was also busy at work on a gospel album at the time.

Dash was honored by her hometown of Trenton, NJ by being the Grand Marshall in the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade was held on Saturday November 22, 2008. The honor was presented to Dash during a time when her hometown of Trenton is at a point where morale is at an all time low and violent crimes such as murder have reached an all-time high. The hope is that such honors will spark encouragement in the city and show that people from Trenton can reach a measure of success with hard work.

Discography

Albums

''Sarah Dash'', 1978, Kirshner Records

''Ooh La La, Sarah Dash'', 1980, Kirshner Records

''Close Enough'', 1983, Kirshner Records

''You're All I Need'', 1988, EMI

Singles

''Sinner Man'', 1978, Kirshner Records

''(Come and Take This) Candy from Your Baby'', 1978, Kirshner

''Ooh La La Too Soon'', 1980, Kirshner

''Leaving Again'', 1983, Kirshner

''Low Down Dirty Rhythm'', 1983, Megatone Records

''Lucky Tonight'', 1983, Megatone Records

''Satisfaction'' (with High Fidelity Three), 1985, Cutting Records

''It's Too Late'' (with Dr. York), 1985

''Feel Good'', 1988, EMI

''When You Talk to Me'', 1990, EMI-Manhattan

Film and television

''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band'', 1978, MCA

''Midnight Special'', 1978

''Merv Griffin Show'', 1978

''Dinah Shore Show'', 1978

''Soul Train'', 1978

''Don Kirshner's Rock Concert'', 1978

''Watch Your Mouth'' (acting as character 'Tessie Bright'), 1978, PBS

''Soul Train'', 1978

Theater

''Teatro Zinzanni (San Francisco)'', May - August 2007

References

Sources

Lewis, Pete. "Labelle in-depth interview by Pete Lewis, ''Blues & Soul'' May 2009"

Dillinger, Tim. "Interview with Sarah Dash" June 2007. Available: Itunes.

"Gals Too Big for Broadway." PlanetOut.com (2006)

LaBelle, Patti, with Laura B. Randolph (1996). "Don't Block the Blessings: Revelations of a Lifetime." New York, NY: Riverhead Books. ISBN 1-57322-039-6.

Pratt, Paul E. "Zinzanni Adds Dash of Diva to 'Ceative Fantasy'" ''San Fanciso Bay Times.'' July 5, 2007 http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article;_id=6595

Schaefer, Stephen. "Sarah Dash: RED." ''Disco World.'' March 1979, p. 32.

Taraborrelli, Randy J. "Sarah Dash: The Next Group I Join Will Be Group Health Insurance." ''Inside Gossip.'' March 1989, p. 32.

Teatro Zinzanni website "Bio" May, 2007. Available: http://love.zinzanni.org/cast.htm

West, Damon. "Sarah Dash: One Hot Lady." ''In Touch Magazine.'' June 1990, p. 18.

External links

Sarah Dash's MySpace page

Category:1945 births Category:American female singers Category:American contraltos Category:Living people Category:African American singers Category:American disco musicians Category:American dance musicians Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American soul musicians Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Labelle members

Name	Nona Hendryx
Background	solo_singer
Alias	Wynona Hendryx
Born	October 09, 1944Trenton, New Jersey, United States
Genre	R&B;, soul, dance, funk, funk rock, art rock, hard rock, new age
Occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer, musical arranger,
Instrument	Vocalist
Years active	1958–present
Label	ZE Records, Epic, Arista, RCA, Kirshner Records, Manhattan Records, EMI
Associated acts	Labelle }}

Nona Hendryx (born October 9, 1944 in Trenton, New Jersey) is an American vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.

Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music has ranged from soul, funk, dance, and R&B; to hard rock, art rock, and World music.

Biography

Early career

Hendryx was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1944, but her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the mid-1950s. It was in Philadelphia where she first got in contact with fellow New Jersey native Sarah Dash and Philadelphia-based singers Patricia "Patsy" Holte and Sandra Tucker. After the short-lived tenure as member of rival group the Del-Capris, Hendryx and Dash formed a singing group with Holte and Tucker that year calling themselves ''The Ordettes''. In 1961, Tucker was replaced by Cindy Birdsong, who was born in Philadelphia and had lived in New Jersey before moving back to Philadelphia where she was trying to be a nurse. In 1962, the Ordettes changed their name to the Bluebelles after signing their first deal with Newtown Records while Holte changed her stage name to Patti LaBelle.

After the release of their debut hit, 1962's "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman", their name altered again to Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. Hendryx's husky alto differed from Dash's sharp soprano, LaBelle's mezzo-soprano and Birdsong's second soprano. During this tenure, the group became known for their emotional live performances and their doo-wop renditions of classic standards such as "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Danny Boy". The group often found themselves competing against girl groups such as The Chantels and The Supremes, with whom they had a deep rivalry thanks to group member Diana Ross often snooping in on where the Bluebelles bought their dresses, according to LaBelle years later. In 1967, in the middle of a tour, Hendryx, LaBelle and Dash were shocked to discover that Birdsong, who had secretly been acting as a stand-in for Supremes member Florence Ballard, had officially joined the group after Ballard was ousted from the group by Motown CEO Berry Gordy.

Though LaBelle still had a semi-rapport with Birdsong, Nona Hendryx struggled with Birdsong's move and called it betrayal on Birdsong's part. Birdsong's relationships with the Bluebelles healed after the group won an R&B; Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.

Labelle

For the next three years, the group struggled to compete against the changing musical landscape for which their girl group sound had fallen out of favor with popular audiences. In 1971, they moved to England, where they had a cult fan base, and on the advice of Vicki Wickham, changed their name to Labelle and ditched the dresses and bouffant wigs for jeans and Afros. Releasing transitional albums including 1971's ''Labelle'' and 1972's ''Moon Shadow'', the group recorded material unheard of for an black, all-female group included matters of sexual and political affair. The transition was hard for lead singer LaBelle, who was a fan of the group's early-era ballads, but she eventually gave in. Member Dash remained neutral throughout the tenure of the group. Shortly after releasing ''Labelle'', the group became the opening act for The Who, whose producer Kit Lambert had produced the group's Warner debut. They also opened for Laura Nyro during that same time and sang backup on her album, ''Gonna Take a Miracle''.

After the release of ''Moon Shadow'', Hendryx began the chief songwriter for most of the group's records while LaBelle and Dash occasionally wrote their own material. After successfully opening for The Rolling Stones during the group's American tour in 1973, the group released ''Pressure Cookin''', where they once again adopted a new look as "glam rock, space-age divas". As a songwriter Hendryx subsequently wrote powerful ballads ("You Turn Me On" and "Nightbird" from ''Nightbirds'', "Going Down Makes Me Shiver" from Labelle's final album, ''Chameleon''), and a wealth of more uptempo numbers ("Space Children," "Messin' With My Mind," "Gypsy Moths," and "Who's Watching the Watcher"). Her themes were unconventional, diverse, and often experimental. Her composition "A Man In A Trenchcoat (Voodoo)" from ''Chameleon'' also marked Hendryx's first time singing lead vocal on an album. In 1974, the group hit gold with the release of ''Nightbirds'' following the release of the smash hit, "Lady Marmalade". In her memoir ''Don't Block The Blessings'', Labelle frontwoman Patti LaBelle attributed the band's 1976 breakup in part to Hendryx's mental breakdown, which came following the tensions within the group. Labelle, Dash, and Hendryx all embarked on solo careers; Wickham stayed on with Hendryx to manage her solo career.

Solo career

In 1977, Hendryx released her first solo album – a self-titled collection. A blend of soul and hard rock, it contained notable standout tracks such as "Winning" – later recorded by Santana – and the haunting ballad "Leaving Here Today". It quickly disappeared from the shelves, and Hendryx was dropped from Epic. Subsequently, she recorded four singles for Arista (London), which also escaped chart success. She did find success doing session work during this period, most notably providing background vocals for Talking Heads and touring with them, appearing first at the major Heatwave festival in August 1980. She contributed to the song "Checkmate" on Dusty Springfield's, ''It Begins Again'' album (the first of Springfield's comeback attempts) in 1978.

In the early 80's, Hendryx fronted her own progressive art-rock group, Zero Cool, which included guitarist Naux (China Shop, Richard Hell), Bassist Michael Allison (Darshan Ambient), guitarist Kevin Fullen and drummer Jimmy Allington. Simultaneously, she sang with experimental funk group Material, achieving a giant club hit with "Busting Out." She had two other major club hits soon after: a dance remake of The Supremes' "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart," and – in a lead vocal guest spot for the Cage – "Do What You Wanna Do." Material also produced her second eponymous album, ''Nona'', in 1983. The hip, contemporary dance sound of this album proved to be more charts-compatible, with the disco music times, and the single "Keep It Confidential" becoming a modest R&B; hit, and a remix of "B-boys" finding major success on the dance charts. "Transformation" became a Hendryx staple, and was later covered by Fierce Ruling Diva. Another particularly noteworthy track on the album is the ballad "Design For Living," which featured guests Laurie Anderson, Gina Shock of The Go-Go's, Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson, Tina Weymouth of Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads, Nancy Wilson of Heart, and former bandmate Patti LaBelle.

In the mid-1980s, Hendryx was recruited by RCA to record songs for various soundtracks, including: the theme for ''Moving Violations''; "I Sweat (Going Through the Motions)," a commercial hit for Hendryx from the Jamie Lee Curtis film ''Perfect''; and "Transparent" from the Eddie Murphy vehicle, ''Coming To America''. Her album ''The Art Of Defense'' was released in 1984.

In 1985, Hendryx wrote and recorded "Rock This House" with Keith Richards, from her album ''The Heat''. The song was nominated for a Grammy award. The same year, the MTV broadcast of the video "I Need Love" stirred some controversy for featuring drag queens, and it was quickly removed from MTV's playlist as a result.

Her biggest commercial success came with 1987's single "Why Should I Cry?", a top 5 R'n'B hit (also reaching #58 on the Billboard 100). The accompanying album, ''Female Trouble'', boasted an impressive list of contributors, including Peter Gabriel and Prince ("Baby A Go Go"). Around this time, she became a member of the Black Rock Coalition, founded by Vernon Reid of Living Colour.

Hendryx took a detour from commercial music with ''Skin Diver'', a new age record produced with long-time Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann. The album was generally greeted with positive feedback from critics, but was commercially unsuccessful. The title track did attract some attention, as did "Women Who Fly", which was later covered by Jefferson Starship.

In addition to the duet-album with Billy Vera (You Have to Cry Sometime) and a couple of compilation-only tracks, Hendryx has recorded more than five albums worth of music, but has been unable to release any of it due to lack of interest from major and independent record labels. Her Epic, RCA and EMI albums have long been out of print and have yet to attract the attention of specialist reissue labels, but a Best Of album titled ''Transformation'' was released in 1999 by Razor & Tie. Her 1977 debut solo album will be issued for the first time on CD by the T-Bird imprint of the UK reissue label Cherry Red in the fall of 2010.

Hendryx has also dabbled in acting. She wrote and performed the theme for Landlord Blues (1987), while also having a small part in the film as attorney Sally Viscuso. She played herself in the late-90's Pam Grier series ''Linc's'', and at the end of the show accompanied herself on the piano for "Lift Every Voice." Most recently, she appeared in the third season of ''The L Word'', which closed with Grier, Hendryx, and the trio BETTY singing a cover of the Hendryx track "Transformation."

She remains in high demand for musical collaborations, both for her vocals and her songwriting. One of her early collaborations was with Jerry Harrison's (Talking Heads) ''The Red and The Black'' album 1981. In 1992, she recorded a duet with Billy Crawford, "Urgently In Love," which was considered by many to be a strong single that was not promoted properly. In 1998, she recorded the huge rap hit "It's a Party" with Bounty Killer. She has also written songs for Dusty Springfield and Ultra Nate, and produced albums for Lisa Lisa and The Bush Tetras. Other artists with whom she has recorded with over the years include: David Johansen, Yoko Ono, Cameo, Talking Heads (3 albums), 80's band Our Daughter's Wedding, Garland Jeffreys, Dan Hartman, Afrika Bambaata (performing a duet of "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" with Boy George), Canadian band Rough Trade, Curtis Hairston, and Graham Parker on the hit single, "Soul Christmas."

In the beginning of the current decade, Hendryx was asked to appear on two of Paul Haslinger's albums; two tracks for which she sang lead vocals – "Higher Purpose" and "Beginning to End" -were featured on the soundtrack for the Showtime series ''Sleeper Cell''.

Later career and Labelle reunions

Currently, Hendryx is still touring and has written plays, including Blue. Recently, Sandra St. Victor (The Family Stand) recruited daughters of famous African American soul/blues icons – including Lalah Hathaway, Simone, Indira Khan, and Leah McCrae – together with "spiritual daughters" Joyce Kennedy, Caron Wheeler, and Nona, to form the group Daughters Of Soul, which has enjoyed much success, especially on the European tour circuit.

She also formed her own record label with Bobby Banks, Rhythm Bank, in 2005, and has released a gospel CD by protege Najiyah.

Since the breakup of Labelle, Patti, Sarah, and Nona have reunited on occasion. These reunions include Patti LaBelle's "Live In New York" video, the dance hit "Turn It Out" from the soundtrack ''To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar'' (1995), and two television specials. In January 2006, Labelle again reunited to record "Dear Rosa," a tribute to civil rights leader Rosa Parks. Labelle also performed the theme song for the soundtrack for the film ''Preaching to the Choir'', with Nona being the composer of the film's soundtrack. In late 2008, Labelle released their comeback album, ''Back to Now'', and went on a successful concert tour that carried through the spring of 2009.

Speaking in April 2009 to noted UK soul/R&B; writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul, Hendryx discussed the background to Labelle reuniting for ''Back To Now'': "Well, there were lots of ongoing times when we'd discussed doing it. And a lot of it was really down to the fact that the fans were DEMANDING that we did it! But, rather than just going back and doing what we'd done in the past, we did want to be able to make an album of new music before coming back out together. And it was really once we'd recorded the song 'Dear Rosa', together that Patti finally became convinced that yes, we should make a new record and then go out and tour behind it. So I'd say basically our reunion was down to two things - pressure from the fans; plus Patti hearing a sound again that she loved and hadn't heard for many years."

Hendryx has also authored a children's book, called ''The Brownies''.

On May 27, 2010, Hendryx performed selections from a sci-fi musical she is co-writing with Charles Randolph-Wright, ''Skindiver.'' The surprise show was at Busboys and Poets in Washington DC and sponsored by Arena Stage. Marcus Kyd was invited on stage for one song, while Ms. Hendryx sang the rest of the program solo.

Activism

In 2001 she discussed her bisexuality in an interview with ''The Advocate'' magazine and has become a gay-rights activist over the years. In summer 2008, she joined Cyndi Lauper on her True Colors tour, raising awareness of discrimination and the LGBT community.

Discography

Albums

''Nona Hendryx'', 1977, Epic

''Nona'', 1982, RCA Records (R&B; #25, Pop #83)

''The Art of Defense'', 1984, RCA (Pop #167)

''The Heat'', 1985, RCA

''Female Trouble'', 1987, EMI (R&B; #30, Pop #96)

''Skin Diver'' 1989, Private Music

''You Have To Cry Sometime'' (with Billy Vera) 1992, Shanachie

''Mutadis, Mutandis'', 2011

Compilations

''Transformation – The Best Of Nona Hendryx'' 1999, Razor & Tie

''Rough & Tough'' 2001, EMI (Basically, a repackaged version of 1987's "Female Trouble" album with 2 extended/dance mixes added)

Singles

"Everybody Wants To Be Somebody", 1977, Epic

"You're The Only One That I Ever Needed", 1979, Arista Records

"Love It", 1979, Arista

"Snakes Alive", 1979, Arista

"Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart", 1980, Barclay

"Busting Out", 1980, Island Records

"Holiday", 1980, Island Records

"Do What You Wanna Do", 1982, Metropolis

"Do What You Wanna Do", 1982, Hot Tracks Remix, 1983

"Keep It Confidential", 1983, RCA (R&B; #22, Club #25, Pop #91)

"Keep It Confidential", 1983, Hot Tracks Remix, 1983

"Transformation", 1983, RCA (R&B; #40)

"B-Boys", 1983, RCA (Club #25)

"I Sweat (Going Through The Motions)", 1984, RCA (R&B; #28)

"To The Bone", 1984, RCA

"Heart of a Woman", 1984, RCA

"If Looks Could Kill (D.O.A.)", 1985, RCA (R&B; #71)

"I Need Love", 1985, RCA (R&B; #68)

"Baby Go-Go", 1987, EMI (R&B; #60)

"Why Should I Cry?", 1987, EMI, (R&B; #5, Club #6, Pop #58, UK #60)

"Winds Of Change (Mandela To Mandela)", 1987, EMI

"SkinDiver", 1989, Private Music Records

"Women Who Fly", 1989, Private Music Records

"Urgently In Love", (with Billy Crawford), 1992

"It's a Party", (with Bounty Killer), 1998

Film / Television / Theater / Radio

''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band'', 1978, Cameo in finale, MCA, film

''Playback '78'', (Interview) 1978, Radio

''Interchords'', (Interview) 1978, Radio

''Heartbreakers'', 1984 (song "Transformation")

''Landlord Blues'', 1987, Composer (Music Score) / Vocalist, Title Track / Acting as attorney "Sally Viscuso" film

''Gospa'', (Composer) 1995, MCA film

''People: A Musical Celebration'', (composer) 1996, TV

''Blue'', (Composer) 2001, Theater

''On the One ... aka Preaching to the Choir '', 2005

''The L Word'', season 3 episode 8 (as herself) 2006, TV

''Preaching to the Choir, a.k.a. On the One, ''2006, (Composer) Film: USA

''The Who's Tommy'' ("The Acid Queen") 2008, Theater, Ricardo Montalbán Theater, Los Angeles

References

External links

Official Homepage

Nona Hendryx interview at Allaboutjazz.com

Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:African American musicians Category:American contraltos Category:American female singers Category:Bisexual musicians Category:African American rock musicians Category:Female rock singers Category:Labelle members Category:LGBT African Americans Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American soul musicians Category:African American female singers Category:ZE Records artists

Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
name	Al Green
background	solo_singer
birth name	Albert Greene
alias	The Reverend Al Green
birth date	April 13, 1946
origin	Forrest City, Arkansas, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, guitar
genre	R&B;, gospel, soul
occupation	Reverend, vocalist, producer, songwriter
years active	1967–present
label	Hi, Myrrh, The Right Stuff
associated acts	The Creations, Willie Mitchell
website	}}

Albert Greene (born April 13, 1946), better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together". In 2005, ''Rolling Stone'' named him #65 in their list of the '100 Greatest Artists of All Time'. The nomination stated that "people are born to do certain things, and Al was born to make us smile." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Green in 1995, referring to him as "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music." Green has sold more than 20 million records.

Biography

Green was born in Forrest City, Arkansas. He was the sixth of ten children born to Robert and Cora Greene. The son of a sharecropper, he started performing at age ten in a Forrest City quartet called the Greene Brothers; he dropped the final "E" from his last name years later as a solo artist. They toured extensively in the mid-1950s in the South until the Greenes moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, when they began to tour around Michigan. His father kicked him out of the group because he caught Green listening to Jackie Wilson.

Green formed a group called Al Greene & the Creations in high school. Curtis Rogers and Palmer James, two members of the Creations, formed an independent label called Hot Line Music Journal. In 1967, under the new name Al Greene & the Soul Mates, the band recorded "Back Up Train" and released it on Hot Line Music; the song was an R&B; chart hit. The Soul Mates' subsequent singles did not sell as well. Al Green's debut LP ''Back Up Train'' was released on Hot Line in 1967. The album was upbeat and soulful but didn't do well in sales. This was the only album on the Hot Line label. Green came into contact with band leader Willie Mitchell of Memphis' Hi Records in 1969, when Mitchell hired him as a vocalist for a Texas show with Mitchell's band and then asked him to sign with the label.

Rise to stardom

Mitchell predicted stardom for Green, coaching him to find his own, unique voice at a time when Green had previously been trying to sing like his heroes Jackie Wilson, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Sam Cooke. Green's debut album with Hi Records was ''Green Is Blues'', a slow, horn-driven album that allowed Green to show off his powerful and expressive voice, with Mitchell arranging, engineering and producing. The album was a moderate success. The next LP, ''Al Green Gets Next to You'' (1970), included a hit remake of the Temptations classic "I Can't Get Next to You", and more significantly, Green's first of seven consecutive gold singles, "Tired of Being Alone". ''Let's Stay Together'' (1972) was an even bigger success, as was ''I'm Still In Love With You'' (1972). ''Call Me'' was a critical sensation and just as popular at the time; it is one of his most fondly remembered albums today. ''Al Green Explores Your Mind'' (1974) contained his own song "Take Me to the River", which was later turned into an R&B; hit (#7) by label-mate Syl Johnson and also covered by Talking Heads (#26 Pop) on their second album.

Turn to Gospel

On October 18, 1974, Mary Woodson White, a girlfriend of Green's, assaulted him before committing suicide at his Memphis home. Although she was already married, White reportedly became upset when Green refused to marry her, some four months after he peaked at #32 on the Hot 100 with the ironically titled "Let's Get Married". At some point during the evening, White doused Green with a pan of boiling grits while he was showering, causing burns on Green's back, stomach and arms. Then she went and found his .38 and killed herself. The police found in her purse a note declaring her intentions and her reasons. "The more I trust you," she'd written, "the more you let me down."

Green cited the incident as a wake-up call to change his life. He became an ordained pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis in 1976 and continues to serve in this capacity, delivering services down the street from Graceland. Continuing to record R&B;, Green saw his sales start to slip and drew mixed reviews from critics. 1977's ''The Belle Album'' was critically acclaimed but did not regain his former mass audience. In 1979 Green injured himself falling off the stage while performing in Cincinnati and interpreted this as a message from God. He then concentrated his energies towards pastoring his church and gospel singing, also appearing in 1982 with Patti Labelle in the Broadway musical ''Your Arms Too Short to Box with God''. According to ''Glide Magazine'', "by the late 70s, he had begun concentrating almost exclusively on gospel music." His first gospel album was ''The Lord Will Make a Way''. From 1981 to 1989 Green recorded a series of gospel recordings, garnering eight "soul gospel performance" Grammys in that period. In 1985, he reunited with Willie Mitchell along with Angelo Earl for ''He Is the Light'', his first album for A&M; Records. In 1984, director Robert Mugge released a documentary film, ''Gospel According to Al Green'', including interviews about his life and footage from his church. In 1989, Green released "I Get Joy", again with producer/guitarist Angelo Earl. In 2001, he appeared in the movie and soundtrack of ''On the Line'' featuring Lance Bass.

Return to R&B;

After spending several years exclusively performing gospel, Green began to return to R&B; (Rhythm & Blues). First, he released a duet with Annie Lennox, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" for ''Scrooged'', a 1988 Bill Murray film. In 1989 Green worked with producer Arthur Baker writing and producing the international hit "The Message Is Love". In 1991 he created the introductory theme song for the short-lived television series ''Good Sports'' featuring Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett. In 1992, Green recorded again with Baker, the Fine Young Cannibals, and reunited with his former Memphis mix engineer (this time functioning as producer) Terry Manning, to release the album ''Don't Look Back''. His 1994 duet with country music singer Lyle Lovett blended country with R&B;, garnering him his ninth Grammy, this time in a pop music category. Green's first secular album in some time was ''Your Heart's In Good Hands'' (1995), released to positive reviews but disappointing sales, the same year Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2000, Green published ''Take Me to the River'', a book discussing his career. Green received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

In 2001, Green's live cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" was released on the soundtrack to Will Smith's film ''Ali'' (the song plays when Muhammad Ali learns of the death of close friend Malcolm X).

By 2003 Green released a non-religious (secular) album entitled ''I Can't Stop'', his first collaboration with Willie Mitchell since 1985's ''He is the Light''. In March 2005 he issued ''Everything's OK'' as the follow-up to ''I Can't Stop''. Green also collaborated with Mitchell on this secular CD.

In 2004, Green sang a duet, "Simply Beautiful", with Queen Latifah on her ''The Dana Owens Album''. In 2006, Green worked on his latest studio album for Blue Note Records with The Roots' Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. The album, ''Lay It Down'', was released May 27, 2008 and includes tracks featuring John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Anthony Hamilton. Green said in an interview that he would have liked to duet with Marvin Gaye: "In those days, people didn't sing together like they do now," he said.

In 2008, Green's album ''Lay It Down'' marked his full return to chart success, reaching number nine on the Billboard hit album chart. It was his most successful album release in 35 years.

In 2009, Al Green, along with Heather Headley, released a version of the song "People Get Ready" on the compilation album ''Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration''.

In June 2010 Al Green appeared on the BBC show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' and sang "Let's Stay Together" accompanied by David Gilmour and Jools Holland.

Discography

Awards

In 2004, Green was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Also in 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked him #65 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 BET Awards on June 24, 2009 .

On August 26, 2004, Green was honored as a BMI Icon at the annual BMI Urban Awards. He joined an impressive list of previous Icon honorees including R&B; legends James Brown, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley

In 2009, Al Green was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. Green's biggest hit, "Let's Stay Together", was voted a Legendary Michigan Song that same year.

See also

List of best-selling music artists

References

External links

Official Al Green website

[ Al Green] at Allmusic

Green Is Blues 40th Anniversary website

Al Green: Biography

Category:1946 births Category:African American musicians Category:African American singers Category:American male singers Category:American Protestants Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American pop singers Category:Songwriters from Arkansas Category:Musicians from Arkansas Category:American gospel singers Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‎ Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Living people Category:Smooth jazz musicians Category:American tenors Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Grand Rapids, Michigan Category:People from Kent County, Michigan Category:Musicians from Michigan Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee Category:People from Shelby County, Tennessee Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:American Christians Category:American Pentecostals Category:Members of the Church of God in Christ Category:Bell Records artists Category:Hi Records artists Category:MCA Records artists Category:RCA Records artists Category:A&M; Records artists Category:Blue Note Records artists

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