- Meli'sa Morgan
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Meli'sa Morgan Genres R&B, house Labels Capitol, Pendulum, Orpheus Associated acts Shades of Love, High Fashion Website http://www.melisamorgan.com Meli'sa Morgan is an African American R&B singer born in Queens, New York who had a string of urban contemporary and house music hits in the 1980s and 1990s. She got her start in the music industry whilst singing with a church gospel choir called the Starlets of Corona. She cites Chaka Khan as a major influence.
Contents
Early successes
Her initial chart entry was as the lead singer of the dance group, Shades of Love. They had a single entry on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1982, the #26 "Body to Body (Keep in Touch)". This was re-popularized in 1994 by new remixes, "Body to Body (Keep in Touch)", and reached number 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
That same year, music entrepreneur Jacques Fred Petrus asked her to join his newly created studio group, High Fashion, that featured Morgan and two other New York vocalists, Eric McClinton and Alyson Williams. High Fashion's sole hit, "Feelin' Lucky Lately", reached #32 on the U.S. Black Singles chart. In 1983 Morgan left, and was replaced in the group by the jazz vocalist, Marcella Allen.
As a solo artist she topped the R&B chart with her cover version of Prince's "Do Me, Baby",[1] (the title track from her debut album) which also became her only Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at #46 in 1986. She had several solo hits on the U.S. dance chart as well, including "Still in Love With You," which hit #3 in 1992.
2005 to present
After a lengthy hiatus, Morgan released her fifth solo album, I Remember. The first single, "Back Together Again", a song originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, received moderate airplay on urban contemporary radio stations during early 2006 and peaked at number 46 on Billboard's R&B chart. The follow-up singles included "I Remember", "Will You?" and "High Maintenance" which was released in September 2006. New material by Meli'sa Morgan can be heard on a German release by Cool Million, which features Meli'sa Morgan on lead vocals on the opening track Sweet Baby. This proves she is still vocally on top condition.
Influence
A verse from Morgan's 1986 single "Fool's Paradise" was re-sung, with modified lyrics, by Mary J. Blige as the chorus to the 1996 Jay-Z single "Can't Knock the Hustle".
Discography
Studio albums
Year Album Chart positions[2] US
certificationsRecord label US US
R&BUK 1986 Do Me Baby 41 4 — — Capitol 1987 Good Love 108 11 — — 1990 The Lady in Me — — — — 1992 Still in Love with You — 38 — — Pendulum 2005 I Remember — 96 — — Lu Ann "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified Compilation albums
Year Album Chart positions US
certificationsRecord label US US
R&BUK 1996 Do You Still Love Me?: The Best of Meli'sa Morgan — — — — Razor & Tie "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified Singles
Year Single Chart positions[3] Album US US
R&BUS
DanceUK[4] 1985 "Do Me Baby" 46 1 — — Do Me Baby 1986 "Do You Still Love Me?" — 5 — — "Fool's Paradise" — 24 — 41 1987 "Deeper Love" — 74 — — The Golden Child "If You Can Do It: I Can Do It Too!!" — 2 27 86 Good Love "Love Changes" (with Kashif) — 2 — — 1988 "Here Comes the Night" — 17 — — "Good Love" — — — 59 1990 "Can You Give Me What I Want" — 33 — — The Lady in Me 1992 "Still in Love with You" — 9 3 — Still in Love with You "Through the Tears" — 18 — — "I'm Gonna Be Your Lover (Tonight)" — 68 — — 2000 "How" (with JT Taylor) — 82 — — A Brand New Me 2005 "Back Together Again" (with Freddie Jackson) — 46 — — I Remember 2006 "I Remember..." — 86 — — "—" denotes the single failed to chart See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
References
- ^ Wynn, Ron. "Biography: Meli'sa Morgan". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4956. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- ^ "Meli'sa Morgan US albums chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4956. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- ^ "Meli'sa Morgan US singles chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4956. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- ^ "Meli'sa Morgan UK singles chart history". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=4650. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
External links
Categories:- Living people
- American female singers
- American rhythm and blues musicians
- American soul musicians
- African American musicians
- American dance musicians
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