 With her classy, refined brand of romantic soul,
Anita Baker was one of the definitive quiet storm singers of the '80s.
Gifted with a strong, supple alto,
Anita Baker was influenced not only by R&B, but jazz, gospel, and traditional pop,
which gave her music a distinctly adult sophistication. Smooth and mellow, but
hardly lifeless, it made her one of the most popular romantic singers of her
time.
Anita Baker was born January 26, 1958, in Toledo, OH, and raised in nearby
Detroit, where she grew up listening to female jazz singers like
Sarah Vaughan,
Nancy Wilson, and
Ella Fitzgerald. At age 12, she began singing a gospel choir, and by age 16
she was performing with several local bands. In 1975, she successfully
auditioned for
Chapter 8, one of Detroit's most popular acts at the time; the group
eventually signed with Ariola and released an album in 1979, but were
immediately dropped when the label was acquired by Arista (which didn't care for
Anita Baker's vocals). Chastened,
Anita Baker worked low-paying jobs in Detroit and eventually found steady work as
a receptionist at a law firm. In 1982,
Otis Smith -- an executive who'd worked with
Chapter 8 -- contacted
Anita Baker about recording for his new label Beverly Glen. Happy with her
employment benefits and skittish over the experience with Arista,
Anita Baker was reluctant at first, but eventually flew out to the West Coast to
record her debut album, The Songstress, in 1983. Though it didn't gain quite
enough exposure to become a hit, it did help
Anita Baker build a strong fan base through word-of-mouth and she was signed by
Elektra in 1985.
Working with producer
Michael J. Powell (an old
Chapter 8 cohort),
Anita Baker released her major-label debut Rapture in 1986. It was a platinum,
Grammy winning smash, appealing to both urban and adult contemporary listeners
and producing two all-time quiet storm classics in "Caught Up in the Rapture"
and "Sweet Love."
Anita Baker toured the world in 1987 and her guest appearance on
the Winans track "Ain't Got No Need to Worry" won a Grammy. Her equally
stylish follow-up album, Giving You the Best That I Got, appeared in 1988,
spawning more staples in the title track and "Just Because." "Giving You the
Best That I Got" also won
Anita Baker two more Grammys, for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song. For her
third Elektra album,
Anita Baker decided to handle a greater share of the songwriting, hence the title
Compositions, which was released in 1990 and featured even stronger jazz
inflections than
Anita Baker's previous work (not to mention all live instruments).
Following Compositions,
Anita Baker took a break from recording and touring; after having her first son in
1993, she returned to the studio to craft Rhythm of Love, which was released in
1994. In the years that followed,
Anita Baker was mostly silent, despite her fans' clamoring for a jazz album;
instead, she raised her family and became embroiled in contract disputes with
Elektra, which eventually led her to move to Atlantic. She began working on a
new album in 2000, but had to start over from scratch due to defective recording
equipment that made the original tracks unsalvageable. In 2004 it was announced
that she had signed with Blue Note and still working on her new album. In the
meantime, the Atlantic imprint Rhino released Night of Rapture: Live, a 1987
concert originally available on video.
Anita Baker finally returned to the studio in 2003 and issued My Everything, her
first album in 10 years. Two years later she released her first holiday album,
Christmas Fantasy. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Anita Baker for your next corporate or private event.
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