Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress.

Biography

Early life and education

Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) in New York City to Gertrude Melba Smith (1920–1976), who was a singer professionally known as Bonnie Davis and

Teddy Hill Teddy Hill (December 7, 1909 in Birmingham, Alabama – May 19, 1978 in Cleveland, Ohio) was an American big band leader and the manager of Minton's Playhouse, a seminal jazz club in Harlem. He played a variety of instruments, including dru ...

(1909–1978), a big band leader. Moore grew up in the

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

section of New York until age 9 when her mother remarried jazz pianist Clement Leroy Moorman and the family relocated to

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Newark Arts High School Newark Arts High School is a four-year magnet public high school, serving students in Ninth through twelfth grades in Newark, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. The school is located in ...

, graduating in 1958. In 1970, she graduated from

Montclair State College Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public university in New ...

with a BA in music.

Early career

Moore began her recording career in 1967, cutting the track "Magic Touch" which was left unreleased until 1986. In later years it became an enormous track on the Northern Soul Scene, eventually leading to Moore performing it live in 2009 at the

Baltic Soul Weekender The Baltic Soul Weekender is an annual music festival with a maximum attendance of 4,700 visitors held for the first time in 2007. The Baltic Soul Weekender offers a musical journey through the past decades of music: soul, funk, soulful house and ...

3 in Germany north of Hamburg. In 1967 she began her performing career as Dionne in the original cast of the musical ''

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 ...

'' along with

Ronnie Dyson Ronald Dyson (June 5, 1950 – November 10, 1990) was an American soul and R&B singer and actor. Early career Born in Washington, D.C., Dyson grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he sang in church choirs. At 18 years of age, he won a lead role ...

Paul Jabara Paul Jabara, also known as Paul Frederick Jabara, (January 31, 1948 – September 29, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter of Lebanese ancestry, born in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning " Last Dance" from ...

and

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (''née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Glo ...

. Moore replaced Keaton in the role of Sheila. In 1970, she won a

Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical has been presented since 1950. The award was not given at the first three Tony Award ceremonies. Nominees were not announced publicly until 1956. Winners and nominees 1950s ...

for her portrayal of Lutiebelle in ''

Purlie ''Purlie'' is a musical with a book by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose, and Peter Udell, lyrics by Udell and music by Gary Geld. It is based on Davis's 1961 play ''Purlie Victorious'', which was later made into the 1963 film '' Gone Are the Days!'' and ...

''. She would not return to Broadway until 1978 when she appeared (as Marsinah) with

Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...

in ''

Timbuktu! ''Timbuktu!'' is a musical, with lyrics by George Forrest and Robert Wright, set to music by Borodin, Forrest and Wright. The book is by Luther Davis. It is a resetting of Forrest and Wright's musical '' Kismet''. The musical is set in 1361 in ...

'' but left the show after a few weeks and was replaced by Vanessa Shaw. Following the success of ''Purlie'', Moore landed two big-screen film roles, released two successful albums, 1970's ''I Got Love'' and ''Look What You're Doing to the Man'', and co-starred with actor

Clifton Davis Clifton Duncan Davis (born October 4, 1945) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, minister, and author. Davis wrote The Jackson 5's No. 2 hit " Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1971. He appeared on Broadway in the musicals '' Two Gentlemen of Vero ...

in the then-couple's own successful

variety television Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp ...

series in 1972. Both Moore and Davis revealed that the show was canceled after its brief run when their relationship ended. When Moore's managers and accountants left her in 1973, she returned to Newark and began singing in benefit concerts. Her career picked up after she met record manager and business promoter Charles Huggins after a performance at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a not ...

in 1974.

Music career

In 1975 Moore signed with

Buddah Records Buddah Records (later known as Buddha Records) was an American record label founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's foundin ...

and released the critically successful R&B album, ''Peach Melba'', which included the minor hit, "I Am His Lady". The following year she scored her first significant hit with the

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approximat ...

-penned " This Is It", which reached the Billboard Hot 100, the top-20 position on the R&B chart, and top-10 in the UK, becoming her biggest success in that country. 'This is It' also became the number 1 disco track in the UK for that year. It would be 18 years later that Australian singer

Dannii Minogue Danielle Jane Minogue () is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She initially gained recognition for her appearances on the television show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on th ...

will cover this song and make it to number 10 on the ARIA charts. In 1976 she scored her third Grammy nomination with the R&B ballad "Lean on Me", which had been recorded originally by Vivian Reed and later by Moore's idol

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

who recorded the song as a B-side to her 1971 hit "

Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...

". The song is most notable for Moore's extended long note at the end. In 1983 she re-recorded the song as a tribute to McCoy, who had died four years earlier. Throughout the rest of the 1970s, Moore struggled to match the success of "This Is It" with minor R&B/dance hits. However, her hit 'Pick Me Up, I'll Dance' released in May 1979 produced by McFadden & Whitehead and released on

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

did have considerable UK disco success, reaching UK chart position 48, along with a further hit that same year, also produced by McFadden & Whitehead with a cover version of the Bee Gees' hit " You Stepped into My Life", which reached the top 20 on the R&B charts and 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1982 Moore signed with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

and reached the top 5 on the R&B charts with the

dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

single "Love's Comin' at Ya", which also hit the top 20 in the UK (on EMI America EA 146) and became a sizable hit in some European countries for its

post-disco Post-disco (also called boogie, synth-funk, or electro-funk) is a term to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1985, imprecisely beginning with an unprecedented backlash against disco music in the United States, leading to c ...

sound and followed by "Mind Up Tonight", which was another top 40 hit in the UK reaching position number 22. A string of R&B hits followed, including 1983's "Keepin' My Lover Satisfied" and "Love Me Right", 1984's "Livin' For Your Love", 1985's "Read My Lips"—which later won Moore a third Grammy nomination (for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance), making her just the third black artist after

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...

and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

to be nominated in the rock category—and 1985's "When You Love Me Like This". In 1986, she scored two number 1 R&B hits, including the duet "

A Little Bit More "A Little Bit More" is a song written and performed by Bobby Gosh, released on his 1973 album ''Sitting in the Quiet''. The first hit version was recorded by the band Dr. Hook; their version was released as a single in 1976. It charted at numbe ...

" with Freddie Jackson and "

Falling Falling or fallin' may refer to: *Falling (physics), movement due to gravity *Falling (accident) *Falling (execution) *Falling (sensation) People * Christine Falling (born 1963), American serial killer who murdered six children Books * ''Fall ...

". She scored other popular R&B hits including " Love the One I'm With (A Lot of Love)" and "It's Been So Long". In 1986, Moore also headlined the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

television sitcom '' Melba''; its debut aired the same night as the

Challenger explosion On January 28, 1986, the broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:39a.m. EST (16:39 UTC). It wa ...

and the show was abruptly cancelled, though five episodes aired that summer. Her success began to wane as the decade closed, although she managed two further Top 10 R&B hits, "Do You Really (Want My Love)" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing". Moore had a starring role in the 1990 horror film ''

Def by Temptation ''Def by Temptation'' is a 1990 American horror film that was written, produced, and directed by James Bond III; and stars Cynthia Bond, Kadeem Hardison, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bill Nunn. The film takes place in New York City in 1990. Plot Th ...

''.

Later career

Moore returned to Broadway in 1995 landing a part in ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

''. A year later, she started her long-running one-woman show, ''Sweet Songs of the Soul'', later renamed ''I'm Still Standing''. In 2003, Moore was featured in the film, ''

The Fighting Temptations ''The Fighting Temptations'' is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by Elizabeth Hunter and Saladin K. Patterson, and distributed by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. The main plot revolves around Darrin Hill (C ...

'', which starred Cuba Gooding, Jr. and

Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

. In 2007, she landed a role in a production of '' Ain't Misbehavin'''. In 2009 independent label Breaking Records released the EP ''Book of Dreams'', in which Moore was featured. That same year Moore told her life story on TV-One's ''Unsung'' and later that year released her first R&B album in nearly 20 years, a duet with

Phil Perry Philip Eugene Perry (born January 12, 1952) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, musician and a former member of the soul group, The Montclairs, from 1971 to 1975. He was also known for performing the opening song to Disney’s sitcom, '' Goof ...

called ''The Gift of Love''. Her song "Love Is" debuted on the R&B charts in 2011 at number 87. In 2016, Moore released the album ''Forever Moore''. Moore has continued to tour and perform since then releasing her album ''The Day I Turned To You'' on December 13, 2019 – an album of R&B-inflected gospel music. In 2021 Moore collaborated with Stone Foundation on the song "Now That You Want Me Back". In 2022, Moore performed in Washington DC in "Roll On", a gospel musical that originally opened with her in 2006.

Personal life

Moore has been married once and has a daughter. Moore was engaged in a four-year relationship with television star

during the early 1970s. Davis later admitted that the relationship failed due to his drug abuse and mistreatment of Moore. In September 1974, Moore married record manager and business promoter Charles Huggins. Moore and Huggins divorced after 17 years of marriage in 1991. In 1999, Huggins filed suit against Moore claiming that she had publicly defamed him by stating that he abused her economically. Moore has described herself as a "born-again Catholic".

Awards

In addition to her

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

, Moore's music career brought additional accolades. She was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1971 for 'Best New Artist'. In 1976, she earned another Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Female for the song "Lean on Me",. Moore was also nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1986 for "Read My Lips". Moore is also the 2012 Recipient of the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival Theatre Legend Award. Moore was inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame on October 4, 2015, in Detroit. Moore received the prestigious 2015 Sandy Hosey Lifetime Achievement Award during the Artists Music Guild's 2015 AMG Heritage Awards broadcast held on November 14, 2015, in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Stage work

* ''

'' (1967) * ''

'' (1970) * ''

'' (1978) * ''Inacent Black'' (1981) * ''Broadway at the Bowl'' (1988) * ''From the Mississippi Delta'' (1993, est) * ''

'' (1995) * ''

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

'' (2006) * ''Straight 2the Head'' (2013) * ''Great God A'Mighty'' (2013) * ''After Midnight'' (2018)

Filmography

* ''

Cotton Comes to Harlem ''Cotton Comes to Harlem'' is a 1970 American neo-noir action comedy thriller film co-written and directed by Ossie Davis and starring Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, and Redd Foxx. The film, later cited as an early example of the ...

'' (1970) – Singer at the Apollo Theater (uncredited) * ''

The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker ''The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker'' (stylized as ''Pigeons'') is a 1970 American comedy film directed by John Dexter and written by Ron Whyte. The film stars Jordan Christopher, Jill O'Hara, Robert Walden, Kate Reid, William Redfiel ...

'' (1970) – Model at Party * ''

Lost in the Stars ''Lost in the Stars'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' (1948) by Alan Paton. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1949; it was the composer's last work ...

'' (1974) - Irina * ''

Christmas with Flicka ''Christmas with Flicka'' is a 58-minute television concert film starring Frederica von Stade, Melba Moore, Rex Smith and Julius Rudel.''Christmas with Flicka'': Kultur DVD, D2986, 2005 It is an American-Austrian co-production, shot on location ...

'' (1987) - Herself * ''

All Dogs Go to Heaven ''All Dogs Go to Heaven'' is a 1989 animated musical fantasy adventure comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and co-directed by Gary Goldman (his directorial debut) and Dan Kuenster. It tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin (voiced by Burt Re ...

'' (1989) – Whippet Angel (named Annabelle in later installments) (voice) * ''

'' (2003) – Bessie Cooley

Discography

Albums

Compilation

Singles

* "Let's Stand Together" and "Take My Love" charted together on the US ''Billboard'' Dance chart, but charted separately elsewhere.

References

External links

Melba Moore's Official Myspace page
* *
Melba Moore @ soulandfunkmusic.comMelba Moore 2012 Audio Interview at Soulinterviews.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Melba 1945 births 20th-century African-American women singers African-American Christians American disco singers American gospel singers American soul singers Singers from New York City Musicians from Newark, New Jersey Newark Arts High School alumni Drama Desk Award winners Theatre World Award winners Tony Award winners Mercury Records artists Epic Records artists Capitol Records artists Living people Actresses from New York City Actresses from Newark, New Jersey African-American actresses American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses 21st-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers African-American Catholics