Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) 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 ...

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

and

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. Since the 1970s, her songs have been carried by

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage.

Early life and career

Manchester was born in

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

, a borough of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, into a musical family. Her father, David Manchester, was a

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuos ...

ist for the New York Metropolitan Opera for three decades. Her mother was one of the first women to design and found her own clothing firm, Ruth Manchester Ltd. The Manchesters are of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

origin. Manchester started a singing career at an early age. She learned the piano and

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

at the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in m ...

, began singing commercial jingles at age 15, and became a staff writer at age 17 for Chappell Music while attending Manhattan's

High School of Performing Arts The High School of Performing Arts (informally known as "PA") was a public alternative high school established in 1947 and located at 120 West 46th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, from 1948 to 1984. In 1961, the school was ...

. She studied songwriting at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

with

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

when she was 19. Manchester played the Manhattan club scene, where

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include " Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", " I Write the Songs", " C ...

, a friend and fellow jingles singer introduced her to

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;'' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden ...

. In 1971, she became a member of the

Harlettes The Harlettes, also known as The Staggering Harlettes, is a trio of backup singers who support Bette Midler during her live musical performances. The Harlettes' line-up has changed many times since their inception. History Bette Midler's stage ac ...

, the back-up singers for Midler, which she co-created with Manilow. Manchester made a brief speaking appearance as "

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

" on the 1972 album ''

National Lampoon Radio Dinner ''Radio Dinner'' is the debut album by the creators of the American satirical magazine '' National Lampoon''. It was released on Blue Thumb Records in 1972 after RCA Records had declined to issue the record. The humor on the album is steeped in th ...

'', on the track titled "Magical Misery Tour", and as the singer in "

Deteriorata "Deteriorata" is a comedy record released as a single in 1972. It is a parody of Les Crane's 1971 spoken word recording of "Desiderata", the early 20th-century poem by Max Ehrmann. ("Desiderata" is Latin for "desired things"; "deteriorata" is a p ...

Solo career

Manchester's debut album, ''Home to Myself'', was released in 1973; Manchester co-wrote many of its songs with Carole Bayer Sager. Two years later, her album ''Melissa'' produced her first top-ten hit, " Midnight Blue", which enjoyed 17 weeks on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online stream ...

charts. The song's peak position was #6 for the week of August 9, 1975. In 1974, she performed the songs "O Heaven" and "Home to Myself" on the pilot episode of ''Ms.'' magazine's television show, '' Woman Alive!'', a feminist program."Feminini-TV"
(June 1974). ''Texas Monthly''. She performed the song live on Burt Sugarman's television series '' Midnight Special'' in 1974. In 1976, Manchester released 'Come in From the Rain' on her 1976 ''Better Days & Happy Endings'' album. It has since been covered by several other artists including The Captain & Tennille,

Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song " Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as " Botch-a-Me", " Mambo Italiano" ...

, Vic Damone, Eydie Gorme,

Shirley Horn Shirley Valerie Horn (May 1, 1934 – October 20, 2005) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and othe ...

Cleo Laine Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

, Carmen McRae,

Jane Olivor Jane Olivor (born May 18, 1947) is an American singer. After releasing five albums from the late 1970s through the early 1980s, her stage fright, anxiety over her rapid success, and her husband's illness and death caused her to take a 10-year hia ...

, Barbara Cook, Mel Torme, and

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...

. Manchester appeared with Richie Havens, Melanie, and Frankie Valli as a contributor and performer in the 1977 NBC special documentary ''How the Beatles Changed the World''. Manchester collaborated with Kenny Loggins to co-write Loggins' 1978 hit duet with

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

, "Whenever I Call You 'Friend. She would later record this for her 1979 Melissa Manchester album. She guest-starred on the CBS-TV daytime soap opera '' Search for Tomorrow'' to teach a main character (played by Michael Nouri), who played a singer-songwriter, the essentials of the craft. In 1979, Manchester reached #10 with her version of Peter Allen's " Don't Cry Out Loud", for which she received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance. In 1979, she performed two nominated songs on the Academy Awards show: " I'll Never Say Goodbye" (from '' The Promise'') and " Through the Eyes of Love" (theme song from '' Ice Castles''). The winning song that year was "It Goes Like It Goes", from '' Norma Rae''. In 1980, she appeared on ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as ...

.'' In 1982, she released the smash "

You Should Hear How She Talks About You "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" is a song performed by American singer Melissa Manchester from her album '' Hey Ricky''. Overview First recorded by Charlie Dore for her 1981 ''Listen!'' album, "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" w ...

", which won the 1983

Grammy 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 ...

for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance, beating out

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one s ...

, Juice Newton, and Laura Branigan. The song itself reached #4 in ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' and #5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart as well as #10 Adult Contemporary. In 1985, she signed with MCA Records and released the album ''Ma+hematics''. Manchester continued to place singles on the Adult Contemporary charts throughout the 1980s. Another top-ten entry on the AC chart was a 1989 updating of

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles ch ...

's " Walk on By". The single was pulled from her Mika/Polygram album ''Tribute'', which honored some of the singers that influenced her style. In 1992 she sang the title song for the animated musical '' Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'', written by the

Sherman Brothers The Sherman Brothers were an American songwriting duo that specialized in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) and Richard M. Sherman (born June 12, 1928). Together they received various accolades i ...

and accompanied by the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

. In 1995, she released the album '' If My Heart Had Wings'' on Atlantic Records. She appeared as herself during a two-day guest appearance on the ABC-TV daytime drama ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...

'' to sing the song for Robin Scorpio and her AIDS-afflicted boyfriend

Stone Cates Stone Cates is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, ''General Hospital''. Michael Sutton portrayed him from 1993 to 1995 and returned for a guest appearance from September 28 through September 29, 2010 and on August 1, 2017. The character ...

. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Manchester alternated recording with acting, appearing with Bette Midler in the film '' For the Boys'', on the television series ''

Blossom In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as ...

'', and co-writing (with bookwriter-lyricist

Jeffrey Sweet Jeffrey Sweet (born May 3, 1950) is an American writer, journalist, songwriter and theatre historian. Personal life Sweet's father was James Sweet, a science writer for the University of Chicago who aided Supreme Court chief justice Earl Warre ...

) and starring in the musical ''I Sent a Letter to My Love'' based on the

Bernice Rubens Bernice Rubens (26 July 1923 – 13 October 2004) was a Welsh novelist.She became the first woman to win the Booker Prize in 1970, for '' The Elected Member''. Personal history Bernice Ruth Reuben was born in Splott, Cardiff on 26 July 192 ...

novel of the same name. In 1990, Manchester could be heard performing "I Wish I Knew", played over the opening credits of the CBS television drama '' The Trials of Rosie O'Neill''. In addition, she opened Game 6 of the 1991 World Series singing the

U.S. National Anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

Later career to present

Manchester composed and recorded the soundtrack to the direct-to-video '' Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure'' (2001). In 2004, Manchester returned with her first album in nine years, ''

When I Look Down That Road ''When I Look Down That Road'' is an album by Melissa Manchester, released in 2004. Track listing All songs written by Melissa Manchester, except where noted. # "I'll Know You By Your Heart" (Melissa Manchester, Sharon Vaughn) - 4:35 # "Angels ...

''. While touring to support the album, she was praised for her still "powerful voice" and for "reinventing erselfwhile staying true to what made erpopular." In April 2007, she returned to theater, starring in the Chicago production of ''HATS! The Musical'', a show to which she and Sharon Vaughn contributed two songs. Also in 2007, she recorded a duet cover with

of the

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...

classic "

You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, '' Tapestry'' (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor ...

" on Manilow's '' The Greatest Songs of the Seventies''. In 2008, Manchester released a new single, "The Power of Ribbons", to digital retailers. Proceeds from othe single benefit breast cancer research. In 2011 an independent film named '' Dirty Girl'' was released with many of Manchester's songs used throughout the film, five of which made it onto the soundtrack. Manchester made a non-speaking cameo appearance as the pianist who accompanies the lead character's rendition of " Don't Cry Out Loud". In 2013, Manchester announced that she was recording her 20th studio album, '' You Gotta Love the Life'', her first since ''

''. She subsequently launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to independently release the album.Melissa Manchester, You Gotta Love the Life
Indiegogo, August 19, 2013. In an interview with NPR, Manchester talks about the crowd-funding experience and relays the back-story behind the single, "Feelin' for You". A drunk in a juke joint approached Manchester and asked if she was married, to which she replied, "Yes, very happily." The drunk replied, "Too bad, cause I got a feelin' for you." "Feelin' for You", written by Manchester and

Sara Niemietz Sara Niemietz () (born June 7, 1992) is an American singer/songwriter and actress based in Los Angeles, California. She has performed on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall, and the Grand Ole Opry. A substantial portion of her YouTube offerings ...

, includes a solo by Keb' Mo'. The single was released on January 9, 2015, and premiered at #2 on the Smooth jazz charts. ''You Gotta Love the Life'' was released on February 10, 2015, and hit #17 on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart for the week of February 28, 2015. A second single, " Big Light", featuring a duet with

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...

, along with an accompanying music video, was released for radio on June 15, 2015.Big Light"> In 2017, more than 25 years after Melissa released ‘’Tribute’’, her 1989 album honoring the female singers who influenced her, she released ’’The Fellas’’, with covers of male influences including

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

and Mel Torme. This was Manchester's second independently produced studio album, which featured accompaniment by the Blue Note Orchestra from Citrus College in Glendora, CA, where she is artist-in-residence. There was only one duet on the album, 'For Me and My Gal', performed with Barry Manilow. During the pandemic of 2020, Melissa kept busy working on her 24th album, RE:VIEW, a re-envisioned and reworked compilation of several of her previous hits. She released just one song per month with its accompanying video, which addressed the political and social climates of the time. The complete album was planned for a Fall 2021 release via CD and streaming services. In 2021, she returned to playing club dates, though mainly telling stories and singing just a few songs of her catalog. During one such performance in which she shared the stage with Michael Feinstein, Melissa was surprised by Feinstein and Songbook Foundation Executive Director Christopher Lewis with the Songbook Hall of Fame's New Standard Award. While presenting her with the award, Feinstein said, "Among the awards we present each year is the New Standard Award, which is presented to a songwriter or performer who continues to write and perform music that will stand the test of time and become the pop standards of tomorrow. I can't think of anyone who fits that description more than Melissa Manchester. Her music has touched the lives of so many people over the years. Her songs – many of which we heard tonight – have become standards and are part of the fabric of our lives."

Awards and recognitions

* In 1980, "Through The Eyes of Love" (from the ''Ice Castles'' original soundtrack) and "I'll Never Say Goodbye" (from '' The Promise'') were nominated for Academy Awards (Manchester did not write the songs, and as such, was not an Academy Award nominee). *

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 pr ...

: "

" (1982) (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). *

Bronx Walk of Fame The Bronx Walk of Fame is a 23-block corridor along the Grand Concourse, one of the main boulevards in the Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City, with street signs honoring people who have lived in the borough and had worthy accomplis ...

*Manchester received the Governor's Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences for her contributions to the music & recording arts. *Her body of work to date as a singer/songwriter was a featured exhibit at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum. *Manchester is an

adjunct professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the genera ...

at the USC Thornton School of Music. *Manchester presented "The Sonic Thermal" at TEDxRiverside explaining her lifelong focus on both random and composed melodies and the back-story behind her first crowd-funded album. *Melissa was surprised by Feinstein and Songbook Foundation Executive Director Christopher Lewis with the Songbook Hall of Fame's New Standard Award for her contributions to The American Songbook and her timeless music on May 15, 2021.

Discography

Studio albums

*1973: ''Home to Myself'' – US #156 *1974: ''Bright Eyes'' – US #159 *1975: ''

Melissa Melissa is a female given name. The name comes from the Greek word μέλισσα (''mélissa''), "bee", which in turn comes from μέλι (''meli''), "honey". In Hittite, ''melit'' signifies "honey". ''Melissa'' also refers to the plant '' ...

'' – US #12 *1976: ''Better Days and Happy Endings'' – US #24 *1976: ''Help Is on the Way'' – US #60 *1977: '' Singin'...'' – US #60 *1978: '' Don't Cry Out Loud'' – US #33, AUS #75 *1979: '' Melissa Manchester'' – US #63, AUS #93 *1980: '' For the Working Girl'' – US #68 *1982: '' Hey Ricky'' – US #19, AUS #33 *1983: ''Emergency'' – US #135 *1985: ''

Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

'' – US #144 *1989: ''Tribute'' *1995: '' If My Heart Had Wings'' *1997: ''Joy'' *1998: ''The Colors of Christmas'' *1998: ''I Sent a Letter to My Love'', a musical recorded by L.A. Theatre Works *2004: ''

'' *2015: '' You Gotta Love the Life'' *2017: ''The Fellas'' *2022: '' M Re:View-Just You And I'' Live albums * 2022: ''Live '77''

Compilation albums

*1983: ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'' – US #43, AUS #98 *1984: ''The Many Moods of Melissa Manchester'' *1996: ''Best Selection'' (Japan release) *1997: ''The Essence of Melissa Manchester'' *2001: ''Midnight Blue: Encore Collection'' *2004: ''Platinum & Gold Collection'' *2013: ''Playlist: The Very Best of Melissa Manchester'' *2017: ''Through The Eyes Of Love: The Complete Arista 7" Singles – 2CD set''

Songs featured on soundtrack albums and various artist compilations

*1979: "I'll Never Say Goodbye", from the motion picture soundtrack for '' The Promise'' *1979: " Through the Eyes of Love", from the motion picture soundtrack for '' Ice Castles'' – US #179 *1984: "Your Place or Mine", from the motion picture soundtrack for '' A Little Sex'' *1984: "Thief of Hearts", from ''

Thief of Hearts ''Thief of Hearts'' is a 1984 American erotic drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It was written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart. It stars Steven Bauer, Barbara Williams, John Getz and David Caruso. Plot A burglar ...

'' soundtrack – US #179 *1986: "The Music of Goodbye" (duet with Al Jarreau), from '' Out of Africa'' soundtrack *1986: "Sittin' on a Dream" from '' The Money Pit'' soundtrack *1986: "Let Me Be Good to You", from Disney's ''

The Great Mouse Detective ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (also known as ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' for its 1992 theatrical re-release and ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produc ...

'' *1989: "Little Nemo", from '' Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'' (U.S. release 1992) *1989: "Slumberland", from '' Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'' (U.S. release 1992) *1996: "Stand in the Light", duet with Tats Yamashita on ''Tatsuro Yamashita-Cozy'' – Japan #15 *2003: "Treasure", from ''Once in a Lifetime-Mayo Okamoto'' *2007: "I Know Who I Am", sung by Leona Lewis on ''For Colored Girls'' & ''The Butler'' *2011: "Rainbird", original song from ''Dirty Girl''

Singles

Guest appearances

Filmography

Manchester appeared on the ''Blossom'' television series as Maddy Russo, from 1993 to 1995. She played Corrine in the feature film '' For the Boys'' (1991) and the piano teacher in ''Dirty Girl'' (2010). In addition to live performances as herself, Manchester composes and performs songs and has done character voice in animated works.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Manchester, Melissa 1951 births Arista Records artists Audiobook narrators Bell Records artists MNRK Music Group artists Grammy Award winners Jewish American actresses Jewish American musicians Jewish American songwriters Jewish women singers Living people People from the Bronx Actresses from New York City Singers from New York City Songwriters from New York (state) American contraltos American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Tisch School of the Arts alumni Manhattan School of Music alumni Harlettes members 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers