We have been loving her voice for many years..Today we Celebrate the birthday of Deniece Williams!!! Here’s a brief bio:
Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer,songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s. Ms. Williams, whose music has been influenced by Soul andFunk, is known for her hits such as “Free”, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”, “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle”, and for her many vocal duets withJohnny Mathis…
Career
Born in Gary, Indiana, Deniece attended Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland in the hopes of becoming a registered nurse and an anesthetist. During that time she performed on the side.“I got a part-time job singing at a club, Casino Royal, and I liked it. It was a lot of fun.” During those years, she also worked at a telephone company and as a ward clerk in the Chicago Mercy Hospital. But soon she would trade in these pursuits for a life of music.
As Denise Chandler, She recorded for The Toddlin’ Town roup of labels and one of those early records, ‘I’m Walking Away’ released on Toddlin’ Town’s ‘Lock Records’ subsidiary in the late 60′s, is a favorite on England’s Northern Soul scene.
As her success grew, she found herself on the fast track. One thing led to another and Deniece became a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder as part of “Wonderlove.” in the early 1970s. It was an exciting time and she experienced many things on her journey.
In 1975, Deniece decided to venture forward, leaving Stevie Wonder and signing with Columbia Records. She then teamed up with two famed producers: Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, and his frequent collaborator, Charles Stepney. Her 1976 debut album entitled This Is Niecy was released. The single “Free” reached #2 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 also topped the dance charts with her disco single “I’ve Got the Next Dance”. Mathis and Williams also recorded the popular theme to the 1980s sitcom Family Ties, “Without Us”.
