| Melba Moore |
|
| Born |
Melba Hill
October 29, 1945 (1945-10-29) (age 62)
New York, U.S. |
| Years active |
1970 - present |
| Spouse(s) |
Charles Huggins (1975–1991) |
| Link Official website] |
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Melba Moore (born Melba Hill, October 29, 1945, New York) is an American R&B singer and actress. She is the daughter of saxophonist Teddy Hill and R&B singer Bonnie Davis.
Biography
Born Melba Hill to Alabamian musicians, Moore attended Newark Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey.[1] She began her career in 1967 as a member of the original cast of the musical Hair along with Ronnie Dyson. In 1970, Moore won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Purlie (she portrayed Lutiebelle) making her the first black actress to do so.citation needed In 1978 she appeared (as Marsinah) with Eartha Kitt in Timbuktu!.
By the 1970s Moore started focusing on music with many hits in the late 1970s through to the mid 1980s. Her debut album, released in 1970 on Mercury Records, was I Am Love, followed by Look What You're Doing To The Man. She was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1971 for 'Best New Artist'. Her 1975 second album, Peach Melba, saw her get a Grammy nomination. In 1976, she earned another Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Female for the song "Lean On Me",[2] in which she held a 35 second note.citation needed Some of her other hits include "You Stepped Into My Life", "Love's Comin' At Ya" (UK #15), (GER #51) "This Is It", "The Greatest Feeling", "A Little Bit More" and "Read My Lips". Moore often collaborated with R&B crooner, Freddie Jackson.
Her 1990 recording of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was instrumental in having that song entered into the Congressional Record as the official African-American National Anthem.citation needed
More recently, Moore has been focusing on gospel recordings whilst still appearing in occasional Broadway shows. In 2003, she was featured in the film, The Fighting Temptations, which starred Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles.
In 2008 she went on tour with Meli'sa Morgan.
Discography
- I Got Love - (Mercury Records, 1970)
- Look What You're Doing to The Man - (Mercury Records, 1971)
- Live - (Mercury Records, 1972)
- Peach Melba - (Buddah Records, 1975)
- This Is It - (Buddah Records, 1976)
- Melba - (Buddah Records, 1976)
- A Portrait of Melba - (Buddah Records, 1977)
- Melba - (Epic Records, 1978)
- Burn - (Epic Records, 1979)
- The Other Side of the Rainbow - (Capitol Records, 1982)
- A Lot of Love - (Capitol Records, 1986)
- I'm in Love - (Capitol Records, 1988)
- Soul Exposed - (Capitol Records, 1990)
See also
References
External links
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