Lisa Coleman (born August 17, 1960) is an American musician. She primarily plays

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

and

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

. She was a member of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

's backing band The Revolution from 1979 to 1986. Coleman is one half of the musical duo

Wendy & Lisa Wendy & Lisa (briefly known as Girl Bros.) are a music duo consisting of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman. They began working with Prince in the early 1980s and were part of his band the Revolution, before branching out on their own and releasin ...

, formed with

Wendy Melvoin Wendy Ann Melvoin (born January 26, 1964) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Prince as part of his backing band The Revolution, and for her collaboration with Lisa Coleman as one half of the duo Wendy ...

in 1986.

Early life

Coleman was born the middle of three children in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Her mother was Mexican-American visual artist Marylou Ynda-Ciletti (April 4, 1936 – November 17, 2013). Coleman's father, Gary L. Coleman (born 1936), is an Anglo-American

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

, who in the 1960s and 1970s was part of the collective The Wrecking Crew and befriended fellow musician

Mike Melvoin Mike Melvoin (May 10, 1937February 22, 2012) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He served as chairman and president of The Recording Academy and worked as a prolific studio musician, recording with Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, ...

. Their families became close with each other and often played and recorded music together. Lisa formed a close relationship with Melvoin's daughter

Wendy Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

, saying once "we've been familiar with one another since we were in diapers".

Career

At age 12, Coleman got her professional start as a keyboardist in the

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...

band Waldorf Salad. The band, which also featured her siblings and

Jonathan Melvoin Jonathan David Melvoin (December 6, 1961 – July 12, 1996) was an American musician, active in the 1980s and 1990s. Early life He was the son of Constance (née Ives) and Mike Melvoin, keyboardist for The Wrecking Crew, and brother of ...

, was signed to

A&M records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

in 1973. In 1975, Coleman played a small role as a high school pianist in the

Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. She played Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for an Academy Award. The film ...

made-for-TV A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

film ''

Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic ''Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic'' is a 1975 American psychological drama television film directed by Richard Donner and written by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The film stars Linda Blair as the title character. It also stars Larry ...

''. Coleman was 18–19 years of age right out of high school when one of her good friends, Niki Yoergler, who was working as a secretary for Prince's personal manager, Steve Fargnoli, brought her to the attention of Prince. After some convincing on both ends, Yoergler got Coleman an audition and she was hired as part of

's backing group in 1980 for his ''

Dirty Mind ''Dirty Mind'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was released on October 8, 1980, by Warner Bros. Records and produced entirely by Prince at his home studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota ...

'' album and tour. Before being so recruited, she had been working as a shipping clerk and teaching piano. She replaced keyboardist Gayle Chapman. Coleman played keyboards for Prince on his ''

Controversy Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

'' and ''

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

'' albums and the three albums as a member of The Revolution, which were '' Purple Rain'', ''

Around the World in a Day ''Around the World in a Day'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the second release where his backing band The Revolution is billed. It was released on April 22, 1985, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. R ...

'' and ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

'', and she was also a session player for recordings by The Time and

Vanity 6 Vanity 6 was a short lived American female vocal trio that gained popularity in the early 1980s. They were protégés of musician Prince (musician), Prince. Led by singer Vanity (singer), Vanity, they are known for their song "Nasty Girl (Vanity ...

, two side projects of Prince. Coleman was in a long-term relationship with her musician friend

, with whom she collaborated frequently (see

for more details). In an interview Coleman states that in 1983, one night when guitarist

Dez Dickerson Desmond D'andrea Dickerson (born August 7, 1955) is an American guitarist and singer who was a member of Prince's band, the Revolution. Life and career Dickerson was born in 1955 as Desmond D'andrea Dickerson, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A v ...

did not show up at soundcheck, Prince asked Melvoin to play his guitar; that same night, Prince invited Melvoin to join the band. Coleman and Melvoin became members of the newly designated The Revolution. Shortly after the completion of Prince and The Revolution's ''

'' project, Coleman and Melvoin started their own musical duo, which they called the Wendy & Lisa partnership. The Wendy & Lisa musical partnership released five full-length albums for various labels, including Columbia/Sony and Virgin, as well as their own independent imprint. Coleman and Melvoin continued to work together as film and television composers, and they provided the musical scores for television shows including ''

Crossing Jordan ''Crossing Jordan'' is an American crime drama television series created by Tim Kring, that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001, to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in ...

'' and ''

Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

'', both created and produced by

Tim Kring Richard Timothy Kring (born July 9, 1957) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his creation of the drama series '' Strange World'', ''Crossing Jordan'', '' Heroes'', and ''Touch''. Early life Kring was born in El D ...

under his Tailwind Productions banner; ''

Nurse Jackie ''Nurse Jackie'' is an American medical comedy-drama television series. It premiered on Showtime on June 8, 2009, and its seventh and final season premiered on April 12, 2015. The series finale aired on June 28, 2015. The show stars Edie Falco ...

'', which won them an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Theme; ''Prime Suspect''; ''No Tomorrow''; ''Witches of East End''; and ''

Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch (haptic perception), as well as temperature (thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It is ...

'' for which they received an Emmy nomination. They currently compose the music for NBC's ''Shades of Blue''. In 2009, Coleman played

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

on the

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...

' song " Black Gives Way to Blue", from the album of the same name. In 2019, Coleman self-released her first solo instrumental album titled, Collage.

Discography

With

(1980) *

(1981) *

(1982) *

Sign O' the Times ''Sign o' the Times'' (often stylized as ''Sign "☮︎" the Times'') is the ninth studio album by American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was first released on March 30, 1987 as a double album by Paisley Park ...

(1987) *

Planet Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surface ...

(2007) * Piano & A Microphone 1983 (as composer) (2018) With Prince & The Revolution * Purple Rain (1984) *

Around The World In A Day ''Around the World in a Day'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the second release where his backing band The Revolution is billed. It was released on April 22, 1985, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. R ...

(1985) *

(1986) Prince Camp/Associated * The Time, The Time (Album) (1981) *

Apollonia 6 Apollonia 6 was a 1980s American female singing trio. Origin Apollonia 6 was created by recording artist Prince, who had also created the group Vanity 6 one year prior in 1982, but the groups did not exist simultaneously. After a number of disp ...

Apollonia 6 (Album) ''Apollonia 6'' is the only studio album by R&B vocal trio and Prince protégées Apollonia 6. The album was initially to be the second release by the Prince-formed group Vanity 6, but when lead singer Vanity departed Prince's camp, the musician ...

(1984) *

André Cymone André Cymone (born Andre Simon Anderson; June 27, 1958) is an American bassist, songwriter and record producer. Cymone was a bass guitarist for Prince's touring band, pre-Revolution. Cymone began a solo career in 1981. His song, "The Dance El ...

, A.C. (1985) *

Jill Jones Jill Jones (born July 11, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress, who performed as a backing vocalist for Teena Marie and Prince in the 1980s. Overview Jones was born in Lebanon, Ohio on July 11, 1962. Her mother, a fashion model, ...

Jill Jones (Album) ''Jill Jones'' is the self-titled debut solo album from the artist of the same name; Jill Jones. The album was released in 1987 on Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Jones and Prince. Her debut was warmly received in Europe ...

(1987) With

Wendy and Lisa Wendy & Lisa (briefly known as Girl Bros.) are a music duo consisting of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman. They began working with Prince in the early 1980s and were part of his band the Revolution, before branching out on their own and releasin ...

(1987) * Fruit at the Bottom (1989) * Eroica (1990) * Girl Bros. (as Girl Bros.) (1998) * White Flags of Winter Chimneys (2008) * Snapshots (EP) (2011) Soundtracks *

Toys A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...

(1992) * Dangerous Minds (1995) * Crossing Jordan (2003) * Carnivàle (2004) * Music of Heroes (2008) * Heroes: Original Score (2008) Solo work * Collage (2019) Session work * Joni Mitchell,

Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm ''Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm'' is the 13th studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1988. It was her third for Geffen Records. The album features various duets with guest artists such as Peter Gabriel on "My Secr ...

(1989) * Michael Penn,

March March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...

(1989) * Seal, Seal II (1994) * Nona Gaye, Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye (1995) * Doyle Bramhall II,

Doyle Bramhall II (Album) ''Doyle Bramhall II'' is the first solo studio album by the artist of the same name. It was released September 9, 1996 to mixed reviews. Track listing #"Song from the Grave" (Malford Milligan, Stu Blank) #"Ain't Goin' Down Slow" #"What You Gon ...

(1996) * Me'Shell NdegéOcello,

Peace Beyond Passion ''Peace Beyond Passion'' is the second studio album by American musician Meshell Ndegeocello, Me'shell Ndegeocello, released on June 25, 1996, on Maverick Records. The album peaked at No. 63 on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart and ...

(1996) * k.d. lang, Drag (1997) * Victoria Williams, Musings of a Creek Dipper (1997) * Tricky, Broken Homes / Money Greedy (1998) * Seal,

Human Being Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedality, bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex Human brain, brain. This has enabled the development of ad ...

(1998) * Latin Playboys, Dose (1999) * Doyle Bramhall II, Jellycream (1999) * Me'Shell NdegéOcello,

Bitter Bitter may refer to: Common uses * Resentment, negative emotion or attitude, similar to being jaded, cynical or otherwise negatively affected by experience * Bitter (taste), one of the five basic tastes Books * '' Bitter (novel)'', a 2022 nove ...

(1999) * Los Lobos, El Cancionero: Mas y Mas (2000) * Neil Finn, Hole In The Ice (2001) * Neil Finn,

One Nil ''One Nil'', released in 2001, is the second solo album by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Neil Finn. When released in the United States the following year, the album had a slightly different track listing and was issued under the name ''One All ...

(2001) * Neil Finn, One All (2002) * Hugh Harris, Flowers (2002) * Gwen Stefani, Love.Angel.Music.Baby. (2004) * Bettye LaVette, I've Got My Own Hell To Raise (2005) * Shenkar, Open The Door (2007) * Alice In Chains, Black Gives Way To Blue (2009) * Carrie Underwood, Play On (2009) * Carmen Rizzo, Looking Through Leaves (2010) * fDeluxe, Gaslight (2011) * Grace Jones,

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

(2011) * Joe Satriani,

Shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, Magic (paranormal), sorcery, Incantation, ...

(2020)

Personal life

In April 2009, Coleman gave an interview with '' Out'' magazine, where she spoke openly about her past romantic relationship with

. Coleman has been married since 2004 to Renata Kanclerz. The couple has one child.

Awards and recognition

Coleman and Melvoin were awarded with an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Original Main Title in 2010 for their theme to ''

''. Coleman (and Melvoin) also share the honor of winners of a Grammy and Oscar for being part of The Revolution, as ''Purple Rain'' won two Grammys, and the Oscar for Best Original Score. Coleman (along with Melvoin) received the inaugural ASCAP Shirley Walker Award in 2014. The Shirley Walker Award honors those whose achievements have contributed to the diversity of film and television music.

References

External links

Official Wendy and Lisa siteOfficial Lisa Coleman site

Official Lisa Coleman Composer site
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Lisa 1960 births 21st-century American keyboardists American women singers American women songwriters Songwriters from California American funk keyboardists American musicians of Mexican descent American pop keyboardists American rhythm and blues keyboardists American rock keyboardists American soul keyboardists Grammy Award winners Hispanic and Latino American musicians American lesbian musicians LGBT composers LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people LGBT people from California LGBT singers from the United States LGBT songwriters Living people The Revolution (band) members Waldorf school alumni 20th-century American keyboardists La-La Land Records artists 21st-century American women 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people