[4/4/2012
Steppers Song Of The Day] Baby This Love I Have by
Minnie Riperton #stepperssongoftheday The
tragic 1979 death of 31-year-old Minnie Riperton silenced one of
soul music's most unique and unforgettable voices - blessed with an
angelic five-octave vocal range, she scored her greatest commercial
success with the chart-topping pop ballad "Lovin' You."
Riperton was born in Chicago on November 8, 1947; as a
youth she studied music, drama, and dance at the city's Lincoln Center
and later contemplated a career in opera. Her pop career began in 1961
when she joined the local girl group called the Gems, signing to
the famed Chess label to release a handful of singles as well as lend
backing vocals to acts including Fontella Bass, the Dells, and
Etta James. After graduating high school, Riperton went to work at
Chess as a receptionist; following the Gems' dissolution, she also
signed with the label as a solo act, releasing a single, "Lonely
Girl," under the alias Andrea Davis.
In 1968, Riperton was installed as the lead vocalist of the psychedelic
soul band the Rotary Connection, which debuted that year with a
self-titled LP on Cadet Concepts; the singles "Amen" and "Lady
Jane" found a home on underground FM radio, but the group failed to
make much of an impression on mainstream outlets.
While still a member of the Connection, Riperton mounted a
solo career; teaming with producer/arranger Charles Stepney and her
husband/composer Richard Rudolph, she issued her brilliant debut,
Come to My Garden, in 1970, but again commercial success eluded her
grasp. After the Rotary Connection dissolved in the wake of 1971's
Hey Love, she and Rudolph took a two-year sabbatical in Florida
before relocating to Los Angeles, where she sang on Stevie Wonder's
Fulfillingness' First Finale and toured as a member of his
backing unit Wonderlove. More Below
Wonder agreed to co-produce Riperton's 1974 album Perfect Angel,
which contained the international blockbuster "Lovin' You"; the
record made her a household name, although subsequent LPs like 1975's
Adventures in Paradise and 1977's Stay in Love failed to
repeat its success.
By this time, however, commercial woes were the least of Riperton's
concerns diagnosed with breast cancer, she underwent a mastectomy in
1976, later becoming a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society and
earning a Society Courage Award from then-President Jimmy Carter.
Riperton continued performing despite her declining condition, with
1979's Minnie the final record completed during her lifetime she died in
L.A. on July 12 of that year. Unreleased vocal tracks with new
instrumental backing comprised 1980's posthumous collection Love
Lives Forever.
Minnie Riperton - Baby This Love I Have
Minnie Riperton - Back Down Memory Lane
Minnie Riperton - Can You Feel What I'm Saying
Minnie Riperton - Here We Go
Minnie Riperton - Inside My Love
Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel
Minnie Riperton - Reasons
Minnie Riperton - Simple Things
Minnie Riperton - The Edge Of A Dream
Minnie Riperton - L.T.D. [Love Togetherness & Devotion] Will Love Grow
Sources: Steppers Music Group, Freebase (Jason Ankeny), Wikipedia
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