The sound of
Anita Baker, brings a peace to the soul, put a Anita cd on and everything
is goner be all right, her voice stands out and is truly the best R&B
singer in the world today. Nothing happens overnight and it has been a
struggle for her to be where she is today.
Anita began
singing in a baptist church choir at the age of 12. At age 16 she was in
a band called Humanity which included fellow high school friends and was
playing with other local bands when she was approached by bass player David
Washington of Chapter 8 to audition. She joined the group which was the
most popular group of Detroit at the time, in 1975. They spend a few years
playing in and around Detroit, and eventually got a record deal with Ariola.
The self titled album came out in the fall of 1979, there where 2 R&B
chart singles on it "Ready for your love" and "I just wanna be your girl".
Ariola records ran into troubles and the company was bought by Arista,
and when it was time to renewed the contract, the executives at Arista
told Anita that she couldn't sing and therefore used that reason, not to
renew Chapter 8's contract. Anita went home to Detroit and worked, first
as a short order cook, then waited tables at a bar and finally getting
a good job with a law firm as a receptionist. Otis Smith who was the man
behind Chapter 8's contract, formed his own label in 1981, called Beverly
Glenn. Remembering Anita's special voice, he got her telephone number from
a Chapter 8 member and called her in 1982, first Anita said no, because
of the 9-5 job, a steady income, health coverage and paid vacations, but
when Otis Smith raised the first 10.000$ offer and her law firm, whom she
was working for, approved the contract, was the answer, yes!.
The fabulous
album "Songstress" hit the
streets in 1983, Anita worked with Patrick Moten on an album that contains
soul, jazz and gospel in a way that only Anita Baker can express. Spring
1984, Anita has had 4 chart hits and was close to a gold record. Her new
followers screamed for a new album, and when asked Beverly Glenn, there
where no answer. Disputes lead to a contract with Elektra in 1986.
Being an executive
producer on her debut for Elektra (which was out of the ordinary) meant
that Anita had complete control on the project. Choosing her friend from
Chapter 8, Michael J. Powell as her Producer, they created a masterpiece
called "Rapture". The album
received US platinum in only 6 month and the success on the chart's meant
a total sale of over 6 million records worldwide. The following Grammy
awards gave her 2 Grammy's.
In November
1986 when she was returning to Detroit to receive the key of the city,
she got engage to Walter Bridgforth Jr. whom she had meet on a earlier
trip home in January. They got married on Christmas Eve 1988.
1987, Anita
worked on her follow-up album
Givin you the best that I got" in between a busy performance schedule.
Again she worked with M.J Powell, and although the album received Grammy's
later on, Anita wasn't comfortable with the final mix. As the perfectionist
she is, she believed that if she wasn't satisfied with her work, the fans
wouldn't be either, but later she has realized that the fans are with her
in good and bad times, and the album became a critical and commercial success.
On her third
project for Elektra, Anita wanted to be more involved in song writing and
wished to experiment with jazz. The album contains 7 songs written by Anita
and the album was mostly cut live, meaning that the rhythm section
was playing as Anita sang. On the album produced by Michael J. Powell,
there were musicians like Greg Philinganes, Nathan East, Paulinho da Costa,
Vernon Fails, Ricky Lawson and Stephen Ferrone. Anitas involvement in the
whole recording process gave the album a personal touch and for the effort
she received her 7th
Grammy
award.
The album is of course,
"Compositions
"
Anita now felt
it was time to relax a little and ended her partnership with Michael J.
Powell. She felt that on her next project she would like to be more in
charge on how the record should sound and be the ultimate creative force.
During her
break away from the industry and 2 miscarriages in 1989 and 1991, Anita
and Walter became parents in january 1993 to a son, Walter Baker Bridgforth.
Five months later Anita started working on her next project, "Rhythm of
love" and during the recording sessions she became pregnant again. Anita
produced most of the album, but famous producers like George Duke, Arif
Mardin, Barry Eastmond and Tommy Lipuma also contributed to the album.
"Rhythm
of love" was mainly recorded in Anita's home due to the pregnancy,
she wrote 5 out of 12 songs and beautyfully selected "My Funny Valentine"
to be the last song, a song that proves that Anita should do an all jazz
album in my opinion. After the birth of Edward Carlton Bridgforth in may
1994, "Rhythm of love" was
released in september 1994 and received her 8thGrammy
for "I apologize" in 1995.
After "Rhythm
of love" she has taking time of to spend with her family, until a tragedy
occurred, when she lost her birth mother in 1996 and her father in 1998
and at the same time struggling with the record company on disagreements,
naturally it has delayed a new cd for quite a while. But she has won the
case against Elektra and has signed with Atlantic
Records.
1998, 4 years
after "Rhythm of love", Anita is again in the studio, but only for 2 appearances
in jazz piano player Cyrus
Chestnut> self titled cd. The songs "My favorite things" and "Summertime"
is your second prove that Anita should make an all jazz album and as a
jazz lover, I encourage it.
This year 1999,
there has been little word on Anita's upcoming album, all I know is, that
she is in the studio creating another addition to a great line of albums
and do we get impatient Yes!, but I will wait as long as it takes, you
will to, right!.
Source
of information: David Nathan's book on "Soulful Divas"
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