Deniece Williams
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[edit] Career
Born June Deniece Chandler on June 3, 1950 (some sources list her birth year as 1951) in Gary, Indiana, Williams' career began in the 1970s when she became a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder as part of "Wonderlove", along with Minnie Riperton. She left Wonder in 1975 and teamed up with producer Maurice White, who was the leader of Earth, Wind & Fire. After signing to Columbia Records, her 1976 debut album entitled This Is Niecy was released. The single "Free", reached number two on the Black Singles chart, #25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the British Singles chart. The album also featured "Cause You Love Me Baby" (which charted separately on the R&B chart as the flip side of "Free") and "That's What Friends Are For". She also shared a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with pop singer Johnny Mathis in 1978 with the duet "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". The duet also topped the Black Singles and Adult Contemporary charts.
Williams moved on to the American Recording Company (ARC) in the early 1980s where she scored the top ten R&B smash hit "Silly." in 1981. The following year, famed producer Thom Bell helped Williams score another #1 R&B chart-topper with her remake of The Royalettes' "It's Gonna Take a Miracle," which became a Top 20 pop hit as well. In 1984, Williams released the album Let's Hear It for the Boy, in which the title track reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was featured on the soundtrack to the motion picture, Footloose.
Williams continued releasing albums during the 1980s such as Hot On The Trail (1986), Water Under The Bridge (which featured her final hit song "Never Say Never") in (1987), and As Good As It Gets (1988). However, in part due to a lack of promotion from her record company, her mainstream popularity faded.
Since 1996, Williams has presented her own BBC radio show in the UK, showcasing the best in new gospel and inspirational music.
Deniece Williams has a sweet soulful voice with a Minnie Riperton-like soprano quality [1]. Justin Kantor in describing Deniece's vocal, states 'Her flexible upper range is a fine balance of Riperton's ethereal, floating soprano and LaBelle's fiery phrasing'[2]. Deniece Williams' vocal styling has inspired many over the years such as Terry Ellis and Debelah Morgan who one reviewer on Rhapsody said to be able to go from Toni Braxton depth to Deniece Williams' sky-highness [3]. Deniece Williams' vocal eptitude at singing in amazing range has been pointed out also by The New York Times, 'Miss Williams mounted a spectacular vocal display in which her penetrating, feline soprano soared effortlessly to E flat above high C, and she worked various vowel sounds into prolonged feats of vocal gymnastics'[4] . In pointing to Deniece's similar vocal ability as her former musical icon and colleague (Minnie Riperton), Mark Anthony Neal in referencing Jill Scott's agility in displaying vocal acrobatics, states 'Scott Draws on her upper register recalling the artistry of the late "songbird" Minnie Riperton and Deniece Williams'[5].
[edit] Trivia
- Deniece Williams & Johnny Mathis' collaboration on "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", was preceded by a few months by an entire album they recorded together titled That's What Friends Are For. The title track was a remake of the same song from her debut album. The album also contained covers of Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "You're All I Need To Get By", Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" and Stevie Wonder's "Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", a hit for Aretha Franklin in 1974.
- The "wordless" operatic soprano in the background of Minnie Riperton's classic "Every Time He Comes Around" is the voice of Williams.
- Mathis & Williams also recorded the popular theme to the sitcom Family Ties, "Without Us".
- In December 2005, Deniece Williams appeared on the reality-dating show Elimidate as part of their "Celebrity Week". Other participants included fellow 1970s icons Leif Garrett and Jimmie Walker.
- Contrary to widespread belief, Williams is not the mother of hip-hop and R&B producter Phalon "Jazze Pha" Alexander. Alexander's mother is a different woman named Denise Williams.[6]
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
[edit] External links
- Deniece Williams at the Internet Movie Database
- The Deniece Williams website (unofficial)nl:Deniece Williams
Categories: 1950 births | African American musicians | African-American singers | American female singers | Living people | American dance musicians | Rhythm and blues musicians | Grammy Award winners | American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters | Gospel singers | Whistle register singers | Smooth jazz | American record producers
