Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard (born September 30, 1960) is an American
singer
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
and actress who had a string of
top 10 hit song
A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...
s in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, including "
Baby, Be Mine" (1987), "
Come Share My Love" (1986) and "
Love Under New Management
Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the lov ...
" (1990). "
Ain't Nobody Like You" (1992) and "
Ain't Nuthin' in the World
The word "ain't" is a contraction for ''am not'', ''is not'', ''are not'', ''has not'', ''have not'' in the common English language vernacular. In some dialects ''ain't'' is also used as a contraction of ''do not'', ''does not'' and ''did not''. ...
" (1989) both peaked at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard''
Top R&B Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart.
Early life
Howard was born in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Illinois. She is the daughter of
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
singers Josephine Howard (1937-1978) of
The Caravans
The Caravans were an American gospel music group that was started in 1947 by Robert Anderson. It reached its peak popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, launching the careers of a number of artists, including: Delores Washington, Albertina Wa ...
and Clay Graham (1936-2018) of
The Pilgrim Jubilees. Howard's mother took her to the homes of various stars such as
Aretha Franklin and
Mavis Staples. At the age of nine, Howard and her family moved to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
where Howard's mother sang in a choir led by Caravans member and arranger
James Cleveland. Among those who visited Howard's Los Angeles residence were
Albertina Walker
Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian.
Early years
Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and ...
,
Shirley Caesar,
Billy Preston and
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...
. Howard was also influenced by jazz greats,
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...
,
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...
and
Nancy Wilson. As a teenager, she often visited Maverick's Flat, a popular night club in Los Angeles and a venue for music acts such as
Rufus
Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin '' rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include:
Given name
Politicians
* Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician
* Rufus ...
and Chaka Khan and
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...
, who were influential in her pursuit of a professional singing career.
Music career
1980–1985: Side Effect
At the age of 16, she performed in a teen pageant. After the show, she met singer Augie Johnson, leader and member of
R&B group
Side Effect
In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequence ...
, who happened to be in the audience and began working with Howard on music. Johnson charmed Howard and later chose her as the vocalist for the group. After a period of time, Howard became a Side Effect member in 1979—replacing the departure of Sylvia St. James. Howard's tenure with the group lasted a few years. With Miki as new female vocalist, Side Effect's ''
After the Rain'' was released in 1980. The album did not do well on the charts as well as the next two
Elektra albums ''
Portraits
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this r ...
'' and ''
All Aboard''. As a member of Side Effect, the group's best remembered "I Can't Play" and a cover of
Toto's "
Georgy Porgy" were minor R&B hits in 1983/84. During this time, she also had one child by Johnson. In addition to singing with Side Effect, she did background vocals for Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, Stanley Turrentine, and several other artists. By 1985, Howard decided she was ready to begin a
solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
career, and left the group. She put together a
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
that landed her a recording contract with
Atlantic Records.
1986–1990: ''Come Share My Love'', ''Love Confessions'' and ''Miki Howard''
Howard begin recording songs for her debut album, ''
Come Share My Love'' released in 1986. The album was produced by
LeMel Humes, would peak to number 19 on the ''Billboard''
Top R&B Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Ja ...
. The first single, "
Come Share My Love" would become her first U.S. hit single. The song peaked to number five on the ''Billboard''
R&B Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. By the fall, the follow up single was a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of
Glenn Miller's 1940's tune "
Imagination", peaked to number 13 on the R&B Singles and would become Howard's first video. With two hit singles from the album, she embarked on her first concert tour in 1987, opening for funk band
Cameo. The final single, "
Come Back to Me Lover" was released charting to number 33, on the R&B singles chart.
In November 1987, Howard released her second album, ''
Love Confessions''. LeMel Humes produced several tracks and became a close friend, working with Howard on future albums throughout her career. Her success continued with two more Top 10 R&B singles from the album,
Nick Martinelli
Nicholas J. Martinelli (born 5 July 1952) is an American R&B and pop record producer. During the 1980s he worked with many R&B and pop music artists, some of them based in the UK. Acts he has worked with include Loose Ends, Phyllis Hyman, Fiv ...
produced, soul ballad "
Baby, Be Mine" climbed to number five on the R&B Singles chart. The second single "
That's What Love Is", a
duet with hit-making R&B
crooner
Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...
Gerald Levert
Gerald Edward Levert (July 13, 1966 – November 10, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and producer. Levert was best known for singing with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon of the vocal group LeVert. Levert was also a ...
(lead singer of R&B group
Levert
LeVert was an American R&B vocal group from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Formed in 1983, LeVert was composed of Sean and Gerald Levert (sons of Eddie Levert, founder and lead singer of R&B/Soul vocal group O'Jays) and Marc Gordon.Wells, ...
), peaked to number five on the
R&B Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. Levert produced the duet and final single "
Crazy", which peaked at number 38 on the R&B singles. Howard and Gerald's group
LeVert
LeVert was an American R&B vocal group from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Formed in 1983, LeVert was composed of Sean and Gerald Levert (sons of Eddie Levert, founder and lead singer of R&B/Soul vocal group O'Jays) and Marc Gordon.Wells, ...
, embarked on a U.S. tour in support of their album's. The pair was also romantically involved and that romance would spawn one of Howard's biggest hits from her third album. On March 30, 1988, Howard won a
Soul Train Music Award
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...
for
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
.
In November 1989, Howard released her third album, the self-titled ''
Miki Howard
Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard (born September 30, 1960) is an American singing, singer and actress who had a string of Top 40, top 10 hit songs in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, including "Baby, Be Mine (Miki Howard song), Baby, Be Mine" (1987) ...
'', which would become her final album on
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
. Following the release, the album became a hit, charting at number four on the ''Billboard''
Top R&B Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Ja ...
chart. The album would become Howard's most successful to date. During recording, Howard and Gerald Levert's romantic relationship, spawned the song's "I'll Be Your Shoulder", "Mister" and "Just The Way You Want Me To"; written-produced by Levert. Howard secured her first chart-topper, the first single, "
Ain't Nuthin' in the World
The word "ain't" is a contraction for ''am not'', ''is not'', ''are not'', ''has not'', ''have not'' in the common English language vernacular. In some dialects ''ain't'' is also used as a contraction of ''do not'', ''does not'' and ''did not''. ...
", peaked at number-one on the
R&B Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
. Howard scored two more Top 5 R&B hits from the album. The songs "
Love Under New Management
Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the lov ...
, penned during her affair with Gerald Levert, peaked to number two and a cover of "
Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appe ...
", at number three on the R&B singles chart.
1992–1997: ''Femme Fatale'', ''Miki Sings Billie'' and ''Can't Count Me Out''
By 1992, Howard was no longer a recording artist with
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
, she was now signed as an artist with
Giant Records. On September 15, Howard's fourth
studio album, ''
Femme Fatale'' was released. The album peaked at number seven on the ''Billboard''
Top R&B Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Ja ...
chart.
Producer/songwriter LeMel Humes produced the majority of the album, including the first single, "
Ain't Nobody Like You". The song peaked at number one on the
R&B Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart, Howard's second R&B chart-topper and number 64 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. A second single and music video for "
Release Me", was released, the song received modest radio airplay and peaked at number 43 on the R&B singles chart and also peaked at number 35 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts. More singles were released as 'promotional, radio-only', the
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
produced, "Shining Through" and "But I Love You", produced by LeMel Humes.
In director
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
's 1992 bio-pic film ''
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...
'', Howard portrayed jazz singer
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...
, performing Holiday's "
I Cover the Waterfront
''I Cover the Waterfront'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code romantic drama film directed by James Cruze and starring Ben Lyon, Claudette Colbert, Ernest Torrence, and Hobart Cavanaugh.
Based on the book, by Max Miller, a reporter for the San Die ...
". She had always been strongly influenced by Holiday's vocal technique and music. In the fall of 1992, Miki decided to pay tribute to Billie by recording covers of her favorite classic songs by Holiday. During recording, she also landed a role in
John Singleton
John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing '' Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for ...
's 1993 film ''
Poetic Justice
Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, henc ...
'' starring pop singer
Janet Jackson and hip-hop artist/actor
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
. In December 1993, Miki's fifth studio album, ''
Miki Sings Billie'' was released under Giant Records, the album peaked at number 74 on the ''Billboard''
Top R&B Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Ja ...
, her lowest charting album.
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
and LeMel Humes produced the cover tracks. Official singles were not released, only a radio promo of "
Don't Explain" was played on R&B and jazz stations in the U.S.
By 1997, Howard was no longer signed to Giant Records. Her sixth studio album and her first in four years, ''
Can't Count Me Out'', was released under a new label,
Hush
Hush may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young
* ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow
* ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi
* ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...
, in May. The album was her first to not chart on the
''Billboard'' 200 or the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
. The album includes duets, a cover of
Stevie Wonder's "I Love Every Little Thing About You" with singer
Terence Trent D'Arby
Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962), who started his career with the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, '' Introducing the Hardl ...
, "Can't Count Me Out" duet with father Clay Graham and a remake of
Janis Ian
Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit "Society's Child, Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" an ...
's "
At Seventeen". LeMel Humes produced most of the album, including a cover of the jazz standard "
You Don't Know What Love Is
"You Don't Know What Love Is" is a popular song of the Great American Songbook, written by Don Raye (lyrics) and Gene de Paul (music) for the Abbott and Costello film '' Keep 'Em Flying'' (1941), in which it was sung by Carol Bruce. The song was ...
" and "Sunshine" penned by singer
Brenda Russell.
2001–2008: ''Three Wishes'', ''Pillow Talk'' and ''Private Collection''
In March 2001, Howard released her seventh album, ''
Three Wishes'' under
Peak Records. Although no official singles were released, ''Nobody'' received radio airplay. The album peaked at number 60 on the ''Billboard''
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
and number 25 on the
Independent Albums chart. All the tracks were produced by new producers, except "Bring Your Loving Home" produced by Howard's close friend LeMel Humes. The album received a nomination for
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album at the
2002 Grammy Awards
The 44th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The main recipient was Alicia Keys, winning five Grammys, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for " Fallin'". U2 won four ...
. After five years had past since ''Three Wishes'', in September 2006 Howard was now signed with
Shanachie Records. Her eighth studio album, ''
Pillow Talk
Pillow talk is the relaxed, intimate conversation that often occurs between two sexual partners, sometimes after sexual activity, usually accompanied by cuddling, caresses, kissing, and other physical intimacy. It is associated with honesty, se ...
'' was released. The album peaked at number 60 on the ''Billboard''
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
Chart. All songs were cover tracks of her favorite R&B classic songs, of
Ann Peebles
Ann Lee Peebles (born April 27, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s for Hi Records. Two of her most popular songs are " I Can't Stand the Rain", which she wrote with her husband ...
,
George Benson
George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.
A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...
,
Nancy Wilson to
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...
,
The Main Ingredient and
Boz Scaggs. Howard contributed as the album's
producer, along with Kim Waters, Danny Weiss and Chris Davis.
Howard is currently working on regenerating her career after taking some time out to raise her children. She undertook a world tour with
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Po ...
and the Jazz Allstars. In June 2008, she released her ninth studio album, ''
Private Collection
A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individu ...
'' under her legally owned new independent label,
Branicka Records. The album contained ten tracks, with five new
smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s.
History
Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 19 ...
and
R&B songs co-written and co-produced with
Chuckii Booker
Eugene Allen Booker, Jr. (born December 19, 1962), known professionally as Chuckii Booker, is an American producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader.
Biography
Booker emerged in the late 1980s as a prominent urban conte ...
, and five
jazz standards co-produced with Brandon McCune. Besides Booker, composers included on the album included
Hoagy Carmichael
Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...
and
Johnny Mercer for "
Skylark
''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...
",
Sammy Fain and Paul-Francis Webster for "
Secret Love",
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...
and
Johnny Mercer for "
Days of Wine and Roses", Elisse Boyd and
Murray Grand
Murray Grand (August 27, 1919 – March 7, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, lyricist, and pianist best known for the song "Guess Who I Saw Today".
Born in Philadelphia, Grand played piano as a teenager. During World War II, he served a ...
for "
Guess Who I Saw Today
"Guess Who I Saw Today" is a popular jazz song written by Murray Grand with lyrics by Elisse Boyd. The song was originally composed for Leonard Sillman's Broadway musical revue, ''New Faces of 1952'', in which it was sung by June Carroll.Origi ...
", and
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.
Born in Imperial Russ ...
for "
Counting Your Blessings".
On November 1, 2010, ''Unsung: Miki Howard'' was televised on
TV One. In February 2011, TV One televised ''Way Black When'' which showcased African Americans' impact in entertainment through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Howard was featured during the 1980s segment, hosted by comedian
Niecy Nash
Carol Denise Betts (née Ensley; born February 23, 1970), known professionally as Niecy Nash-Betts (), is an American actress, comedian and television host, best known for her performances on television.
Nash hosted the Style Network show '' C ...
. Howard performed her number-one R&B hit, "
Ain't Nobody Like You". In March she embarked on a U.S. tour, Throwback Unplugged Tour. with
Dru Hill
Dru Hill is an American R&B group, whose repertoire included soul, hip hop soul and gospel music. The group was founded in Baltimore in 1992 and is still active. Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B number-one hits ...
,
K-Ci & JoJo
K-Ci & JoJo is an American R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born September 2, 1969) and Joel "JoJo" Hailey (born June 10, 1971). Natives of Monroe, North Carolina, they are also the lead singers of the chart-topping R&B ...
and
Bell Biv DeVoe
Bell Biv DeVoe, also known as BBD, is an American music group from Boston, Massachusetts, formed from members of New Edition, consisting of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe.
The band is best known for their debut album, the multi-p ...
.
2014-present: ''I Choose to Be Happy'' and touring
Howard will soon be releasing her brand new album, ''I Choose to Be Happy'' due out this summer. The original title, ''Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues'' was "too long", but is how Miki describes this project. The album includes four new songs, also the new single "Panther" which features rapper
Too Short
Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on ...
and some of her greatest hits re-recorded live. "I Choose to Be Happy" will also include a new song, the title track, "I Choose to be Happy" and a tribute to Marvin Gaye titled "
Soon I'll Be Loving You Again" which features son Brandon Howard and David Ruffin Jr. While recording her new album, Howard has been touring throughout the U.S. and overseas, performing the album's first single, "Panther" as well as her classic hit songs. On September 25, 2015, Howard released her second
live album titled ''Miki Howard: Live in Concert''. The release features her performance of hits throughout her music career, and cover versions of "
My Man", "Pillow Talk", "
This Bitter Earth", and Marvin Gaye's "Soon I'll Be Loving You Again".
Live in Concert: Miki Howard
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
Discography
Studio albums
* '' Come Share My Love'' (1986)
* '' Love Confessions'' (1987)
* ''Miki Howard
Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard (born September 30, 1960) is an American singing, singer and actress who had a string of Top 40, top 10 hit songs in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, including "Baby, Be Mine (Miki Howard song), Baby, Be Mine" (1987) ...
'' (1989)
* '' Femme Fatale'' (1992)
* '' Miki Sings Billie'' (1993)
* '' Can't Count Me Out'' (1997)
* '' Three Wishes'' (2001)
* ''Pillow Talk
Pillow talk is the relaxed, intimate conversation that often occurs between two sexual partners, sometimes after sexual activity, usually accompanied by cuddling, caresses, kissing, and other physical intimacy. It is associated with honesty, se ...
'' (2006)
* ''Private Collection
A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individu ...
'' (2008)
* '' I Choose to Be Happy'' (2015)
* ''Meha'' (2022)
Tours
*Cameo Tour (1987)
*Levert Tour (1988)
*Al Jarreau Tour (1990)
*Jazz AllStars Tour (2009)
*Throwback Unplugged Tour (2011)
Films
*''Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...
'' (1992)
*''Poetic Justice
Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, henc ...
'' (1993)
*''Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story'' (2016)
Awards and nominations
American Music Awards
Chicago Music Awards
Grammy Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Miki
1960 births
Living people
20th-century American actresses
20th-century American singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American singers
African-American feminists
20th-century African-American women singers
African-American record producers
African-American women writers
American women writers
American women pop singers
American gospel singers
American music arrangers
American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters
American soul singers
American women record producers
Feminist musicians
Singers from Chicago
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Record producers from Illinois
American contemporary R&B singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American women singers
Ballad musicians
African-American writers
21st-century African-American women singers
Singer-songwriters from Illinois