Charlotte Crossley, nicknamed "Charlo", is an American singer and actress, best known for her roles in the musical theatrical productions of ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

'', ''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.

'', ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

'', as a member of the Harlettes in Bette Midler's '' Clams On The Half-Shell Revue'', and for her appearance in ''

20 Feet from Stardom ''20 Feet from Stardom'' is a 2013 American documentary film directed by documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville and produced by Gil Friesen, a music industry executive whose curiosity to know more about the lives of background singers inspired the ...

''. She has been described as a comedienne. Crossley won the 2005

NAACP Theatre Award The NAACP Theatre Awards are a NAACP member voted awards started in 1991 and presented annually by the Beverly Hills-Hollywood branch of the NAACP to honor outstanding people of color in theater. The ceremonies usually take place in the Los Angele ...

for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the first national tour of ''Hairspray''.

Early life

Crossley grew up in Chicago, where she studied music and theatre.

Career

In the early '70's, Crossley auditioned for ''Jesus Christ, Superstar'' and was chosen to join the cast. She sang in the choir of the original Broadway cast album of ''Jesus Christ Superstar (a Decca Broadway Original Cast)''. In those years, she appeared in ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...

''. Crossley joined Bette Midler, "The Divine Miss M", in 1973. Crossley has performed as a featured artist in musicals and films including ''Hairspray'', taking over the role of Motormouth Maybelle on Broadway on September 2, 2008, ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', ''20 Feet From Stardom'', ''Sister Act'', ''Sister Act 2'', and supported Robin Williams' performance of "Blame Canada" on the Oscars, among others. As a session singer, Crossley has recorded feature and background vocals for Bette Midler, Luther Vandross, David Lasley, Boz Scaggs,

Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman (; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman. He wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the Broadw ...

, Kiss, Chaka Khan, Brenda Russell, Barry Manilow, and The Brecker Brothers, among others. She is a featured artist on The Dreamgirls Dance Project singing " And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and with Merry Clayton,

Scherrie Payne Scherrie Ann Payne (born November 4, 1944) is an American singer. Payne is best known as a member of the R&B/Soul vocal group The Supremes from 1973 until 1977. Because of her powerful voice and petite stature (5'2"), Payne is sometimes referred ...

and Pam Vincent singing "Dreamgirls".

The Harlettes

She was a member of the Harlettes performing on stage in Bette Midler tours and concerts including The Divine Miss M Tour, Clams On The Half-Shell Revue, The Depression Tour, Intimate Evening with Bette, and recording as The Harlettes and Formerly Of The Harlettes.

Full Swing

Crossley was a member of the group Full Swing, a trio of singers, alongside

Lorraine Feather Lorraine Feather (born Billie Jane Lee Lorraine Feather; September 10, 1948) is an American singer, lyricist, and songwriter. Early life A native of Manhattan, she was born to jazz writer Leonard Feather and his wife Jane, a former big band sin ...

and Steve March. She was cited by a journalist of the Los Angeles Times as "the group's strongest vocal personality, singing with a burry-edged sound that brought character..." The Springfield Leader wrote ""Full Swing" Lorraine Feather, Charlotte Crossley and Steve March recreate the vitality and romance of 'the swing era music with today's technology .. and style."

20 Feet From Stardom

Crossley appears in the Academy Award-winning documentary ''20 Feet From Stardom''.

Live appearances

Crossley makes live appearances in venues including

54 Below 54 Below is a cabaret and restaurant in the basement of Studio 54 in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Owned by Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, Marc Routh and Tom Viertel, 54 Below has hosted shows by such performers as Patt ...

and

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

, where she performed in a tribute Laura Nyro show in August 2012 along with Sarah Dash,

Nona Hendryx Nona Bernis Hendryx (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady ...

, Melba Moore, Desmond Child & Rouge, Felix Cavaliere, Toni Wine, Ula Hedwig, and others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crossley, Charlotte African-American women singers Harlettes members American musical theatre actresses Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American women