June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-American Artists
June 29 Black Music Month Artist Anita Baker
My June 29 selection is Anita Baker.
Black Music Month Heat Factor "Why's this artist hot?": From 1986-1990, 1994-1995 and 2004, Anita Baker had songs on the Billboard 200 Albums of the Year charts. In 1986 and 1989, she made the Billboard Hot 100 Songs. With eight Grammys, I can't say Anita Baker is underrated, but she surely isn't seen as much as I'd like her to. Billboard.com says she listened to Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald growing up so that explains her sensual jazz sound mixed with R&B. As an accidental jazz fan, I've always been exposed to it but never considered myself a jazz fan until a couple of years ago. But even when I wasn't a self-proclaimed jazz lover, I can't recall a time I ever passed up listening to an Anita Baker song if I was flipping through the radio stations. Even her sad songs like "I Apologize" were so beautiful that even if I wanted to be in an upbeat mood, I couldn't pass up listening to her voice. And who wouldn't want to hear her crooning about "Sweet Love"?
First Memory, Most Personal Memory of the Artist: I'm always comfortable with whatever age I am, and I barely ever think "I wish I was a kid again" or "I wish I was older." But something about Anita Baker's music makes me want to sit in my old bedroom with my pink carpet and Barbie Doll mansion and just chill out. I've always thought she had a beautiful voice. When I was a kid, I worked from time to time at D'PUC Credit Union (still do, on a sporadic basis as their Web Editor) as an office assistant, and the managers there would have V103 (WVAZ) playing. That radio station was never shy about playing an Anita Baker song, and since I already enjoyed oldies R&B, I would listen. I like more male R&B singers than female R&B singers, but Anita Baker was one of those singers who warmed my heart. Her voice is soothing in an "Everything is going to be all right" kind of way. Even now when I hear her music, it makes me remember my pre-teenage days at D'PUC and hanging around my childhood home with my parents while they played "quiet storm" music.
Accomplishments from the Artist: The people at Arista record label clearly needed their ears cleaned when Anita Baker first came along because they didn't care for her voice and dropped her from the label, according to Billboard.com. Two albums later with a new contract from Elektra, and Anita Baker was a Grammy-winning artist of her 1986 album "Rapture" due to two singles, "Sweet Love" and "Caught Up in the Rapture." She also won a Grammy for "Ain't Got No Need to Worry," and "Giving You the Best That I Got" won her two more Grammys for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song. Her chart-topping singles included "Giving You the Best That I Got" (22 weeks), "You're My Everything" (20 weeks), "Caught Up in the Rapture" (18 weeks), "Just Because" (16 weeks), "Talk to Me" (13 weeks), "I Apologize" (12 weeks) and "Soul Inspiration" (7 weeks).
Other Black Music Month Selections:
Published by Shamontiel
Shamontiel is the author of Round Trip and Change for a Twenty, and in mid-October became the Chicago Tribune s Digital News Editor. She works on National Travel, Health and occasionally Breaking News, and w... View profile
June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-Amer...Black Music Month starts June 1. Each day of June, I'll be highlighting 30 of my favorite African-American artists, telling you why they're winners and informing you of their ac...
June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-Amer...Black Music Month starts June 1. Each day of June, I'll be highlighting 30 of my favorite African-American artists, telling you why they're winners and informing you of their ac...
June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-Amer...Black Music Month starts June 1. Each day of June, I'll be highlighting 30 of my favorite African-American artists, telling you why they're winners and informing you of their ac...
June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-Amer...Black Music Month starts June 1. Each day of June, I'll be highlighting 30 of my favorite African-American artists, telling you why they're winners and informing you of their ac...
June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-Amer...Black Music Month starts June 1. Each day of June, I'll be highlighting 30 of my favorite African-American artists, telling you why they're winners and informing you of their ac...
- The Beautiful Voice of Sarah Vaughan
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- June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-American Artists
- June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-American Artists
- June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-American Artists
- June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-American Artists
- June is Black Music Month, Countdown of Shamontiel's Top 30 African-American Artists
- Anita Baker won eight Grammys.
- Arista dropped Anita Baker from its record label because they didn't like her voice.
- "My Everything," released in 2003, was her first album in 10 years.
3 Comments
Post a CommentThanks, Lee. I watched her performance of the "Star Spangled Banner" at the NBA Finals, and I don't get what all the hype was about. I thought she was cool. The song isn't one you can really snap out on anyway, but I thought she did a decent job. People are saying she sounded like a "dying cat." I completely disagree.
You bought me back down memory lane. Good job
My apologies. There is a correction that needs to be made. Anita Baker is an eight-time Grammy award winning artist, not a four-time Grammy award winning artist. I calculated the awards mentioned on Billboard.com, but I see there were additional ones now. "Rapture" won Best R&B Vocal Performance, R&B; "Sweet Love" won Best Rhythm & Blues song; "Ain't No Need to Worry" won Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus; "Giving You the Best That I Got" won Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in (1989-1991) and Best Rhythm & Blues song, and "I Apologize" for Best Female Vocal Performance.