Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before becoming a professional backing vocalist for

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

. In 1994, Cox relocated to the United States and was signed to

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertain ...

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 19 ...

, releasing her self-titled debut album the following year. Her second studio album, '' One Wish'' (1998), was certified platinum in the United States. It was marked by the commercial success of the pop crossover single " Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", which would become her most successful entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number two and remaining there for eight consecutive weeks. Cox signed with

J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...

for her third studio album '' The Morning After'' (2002), which saw moderate commercial success. Cox ventured into acting in the 2000s, making her film debut in the Canadian drama film '' Love Come Down'' (2000) and her stage debut in 2004, in the title role in the Broadway musical ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 Decemb ...

''. She has since appeared in smaller films and several musical productions, including the horror-drama '' Jekyll & Hyde'', the biographical musical ''Josephine'' and the musical adaptation of ''

The Bodyguard A bodyguard is an individual who protects another from harm or threats. Bodyguard may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * The Bodyguard (1944 film), ''The Bodyguard'' (1944 film), a Tom and Jerry short * Bodyguard (1948 film), ...

''. Cox's most recent studio albums, '' Destination Moon'' (2007) and '' The Promise'' (2008), have been released through her own independent record label, Deco Recording Group. In 2017, her single "Let the World Be Ours Tonight" became her 13th number-one hit on ''Billboard''s

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as ...

over the span of three consecutive decades. In 2016, ''Billboard'' listed Cox at 23rd on its list of the Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists. An eight-time

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...

nominee, she has won four awards and is often cited as Canada's top R&B artist. Cox was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2022.

Early life

Deborah Cox was born in Toronto to parents of Guyanese descent, grew up in

Scarborough, Toronto Scarborough (; 2021 Census 629,941) is a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated atop the Scarborough Bluffs in the eastern part of the city. Its borders are Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north, Roug ...

, was raised

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

, and attended John XXIII Catholic Elementary School and

Earl Haig Secondary School Earl Haig Secondary School (EHSS), formerly Earl Haig Collegiate Institute is a public high school with 2,048 students in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition to being a public secondary school, the school is also host to the Claude Watson Art ...

. She began singing on TV commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows including an appearance on ''

Tiny Talent Time ''Tiny Talent Time'' is a Canadian children's television series, which has aired in various formats on CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ontario, and in other markets via syndication, since 1957."Tiny Talent Time returning to Hamilton channel CHCH"
. Canada.com, June 11, 2013. She performed in

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s as a teenager, and began to write music around the same time. Cox entered the music industry in the early 1990s, performing as a backup vocalist for

for six months.Fair not over till it's over, Cox insists
JAM! Music. Accessed on March 9, 2009. In 1992, she also appeared on

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

's LP titled ''It's My Nature'' on the track "That's A Friend." After receiving many rejection letters from Canadian record labels that claimed their "quota" had been reached, Cox moved to Los Angeles in 1994 with producer and songwriting partner, Lascelles Stephens.

Career

1995–1999: Debut and ''One Wish''

In 1995, label executive

signed Cox to

. Featuring production from

Dallas Austin Dallas L. Austin (born December 29, 1970) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. Biography Early life During a 2019 interview with DJ Vlad, Dallas Austin detailed previously unknown or unconfirmed events in ...

Keith Crouch Keith Edward Crouch is an American songwriter and music producer. Crouch began his career as a songwriter at the age of fifteen and landed his first gig at seventeen. From 1993 to 1994, Crouch produced six songs for Brandy's self-titled debut al ...

, Tim & Bob, and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, she released her self-titled debut album the same year. A middling commercial and critical success, the album peaked at number 102 on US ''Billboard'' 200 but emerged as a steady seller, eventually receiving a gold certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA), while going platinum in Canada. Lead single " Sentimental" entered the top five on the US

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 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 ...

, while follow-up "

Who Do U Love "Who Do U Love" is a song performed by Canadian singer Deborah Cox. It was written and produced by Larry "Rock" Campbell and Vassal Benford for her self-titled debut studio album (1995). Arista Records issued the song as the second album's s ...

" attained worldwide success, becoming a top twenty success in Australia, New Zealand and the US, also reaching the top of ''Billboard''s

. In 1996, ''Deborah Cox'' won Cox a

for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the annual award ceremony and earned her a Best Soul/R&B New Artist nomination at the

1996 American Music Awards The 23rd Annual American Music Awards were held on January 29, 1996, at the Shrine Auditorium, in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from the year 1995. The ceremony was remembered by country sin ...

. Cox contributed the non-album song "Things Just Ain't The Same" to the soundtrack to the 1997 film '' Money Talks''. A dance remix of the song, produced by Hex Hector, became her second number-one hit on ''Billboard''s Dance Club Songs chart and was included on her second album, 1998's '' One Wish''. As with her self-titled debut album, her sophomore effort was once again executive-produced by Davis, but featured more uptempo, contemporary R&B, and a slew of new producers and personnel to incorporate dance and club music, including Montell Jordan, Anthony "Shep" Crawford, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and

DJ Quik David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, K ...

. ''One Wish'' peaked at number 72 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and earned a

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

certification from the RIAA, while reaching gold status in Canada. The album capitalized on the crossover success of lead single " Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" which became Cox's most successful entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number two, and remaining there for eight consecutive weeks, making it one of the longest stays at number two in chart history. The song also reached number one on the

, spending a then record-breaking 14 weeks at number one, while the third single " We Can't Be Friends," a duet with R. L. Huggar, reached the top ten, with "It's Over Now" and "I Never Knew" become chart-toppers on the

chart.

2000–2005: ''The Morning After'' and acting career

After ''One Wish'', Cox collaborated with singer

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

on her single " Same Script, Different Cast" from the compilation album '' Whitney: The Greatest Hits''. Incorporating a backing track of

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

's " Für Elise" during the intro, it was released as a radio-only promo single and became a minor hit on ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 70 while reaching number 14 on

. In 2000, Cox made her acting debut when she starred in Clement Virgo's Canadian drama film '' Love Come Down'', playing a

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance ma ...

. The film garnered eight nominations at the

21st Genie Awards The 21st Genie Awards were held in 2001 to honour films released in 2000. The ceremony was hosted by Brian Linehan. Nominees and winners The Genie Award winner in each category is shown in bold along with nominees. References {{Canadian Scree ...

, including two Best Original Song nominations for Cox's songs "29" and "Our Love". In 2001, Cox then recorded "

Absolutely Not "Absolutely Not" is a song by the Canadian singer Deborah Cox. It was written by Cox, Eric Johnson, D. Christopher Jennings, Ahmad Russel, Tiffany Palmer, Eric Jones, and James Glasco and produced by Johnson and Jennings for the soundtrack to the ...

", for the soundtrack to '' Dr. Dolittle 2'' which became her sixth number one hit on ''Billboard''s

. Cox's third album '' The Morning After'' was released in November 2002 on

following a frustratingly long departure from Arista. It marked the Cox's first record under

's label, with Davis, once more serving as executive producer. Keen to build on the success of her previous album ''One Wish'', he enlisted the help of producers such as

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Shep Crawford as well as up-and-coming producers Warryn Campbell, Johntá Austin and Alex Richbourg to work with Cox. A blend of urban R&B and adult contemporary songs with additional dance/house tracks, it became her highest-charting album on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and ''Billboard''s

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine that ranks contemporary R&B, R&B and hip hop music, hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. Th ...

yet, debuting and peaking at number 38 and number seven, respectively. Commercially, the album was less successful than her previous album, however, though it produced two singles on the US

chart, including "Mr. Lonely" and "Play Your Part". In February 2004, Cox made her Broadway debut in the

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...

musical ''

'' when she replaced singer Michelle Williams in her role of the Nubian princess. Her four-month engagement earned largely positive reviews. The same year, she recorded and released a dance remix of the musical's theme song "Easy As Life" as a promotional single. In 2005, Cox starred in the films ''Blood of a Champion'' and ''Love on Layaway''. Also that year, her voice was featured in the movie ''

Hotel Rwanda ''Hotel Rwanda'' is a 2004 drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay co-written by George and Keir Pearson, and stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. Based on th ...

'' in the song "Nobody Cares". To sustain demand for Cox's club appearances, while focused on her family and new album projects, she released a dance single titled "House Is Not a Home" on

Nervous Records Nervous Records is a UK rockabilly music independent record label. It was formed in 1979 by Roy Williams, a DJ on the UK rock'n'roll scene. Nervous Records is credited by many as the leading record label behind the emergence of the British neo- ...

in January 2006. Later in the year, her song "Definition of Love" was used in the movie '' Akeelah and the Bee'', but was not released as a single.

2006–2009: ''Destination Moon'' and ''The Promise''

Between 2005 and 2006 Deborah recorded her fourth album, called '' Destination Moon'', arranged and produced by

Rob Mounsey Rob Mounsey (born December 2, 1952) is an American musician, composer, and arranger. Music career Mounsey was born in Berea, Ohio, and grew up in Seattle, Washington, spending a few years each in Findlay and Granville, Ohio. At the age of 17, ...

. A tribute album to

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

singer Dinah Washington, Cox noted it a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. So ...

that she had in mind for years. Most of the album was recorded live with a forty-piece orchestra with Rob Mounsey arranging. Eventually released by

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...

in June 2017, ''Destination Moon'' peaked at number three on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Top Jazz Albums. The same year, Cox co-starred alongside

Golden Brooks Golden Brooks is an American actress. She began her career with starring role in the Showtime comedy series, ''Linc's'' (1998–2000), and later has appeared in films ''Timecode'' (2000) and ''Impostor'' (2001). From 2000 to 2008, Brooks st ...

and Darius McCrary in Leslie Small's film ''A Good Man is Hard to Find''. Based on the musical stage play of the same name, the comedy depicts the story of three women who each undergo romantic crises that challenge their personal and spiritual relationships. In 2008, Cox performed the Canadian national anthem at the

NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Meet the Browns'', directed by

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmak ...

, and served as a supporting act on

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album '' She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to ach ...

's True Colors Tour 2008. Also that year, Cox finished work on her sixth studio album '' The Promise'', released on November 11, 2008, through Deco Recording Group, Cox's own independent label, with distribution handled by

Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...

. A breakaway from her previous album, it marked her return to R&B music and saw her working with a wider number of songwriters and producers on the album, including The Avila Brothers,

, Devo Springsteen, Big Jim, and Shep Crawford. ''The Promise'' debuted at number 106 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, number 14 on the

, and number 95 on the

Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Monday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen SoundScan, and published every Tuesday by ''Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding ...

. Earning generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics, it was nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the

2009 Juno Awards The Juno Awards of 2009 honoured music industry achievements in Canada in the latter part of 2007 and in most of 2008. These ceremonies were held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada during the weekend ending 29 March 2009. Loverboy was inducte ...

. It second single "Beautiful U R" marked her biggest hit since " Nobody's Supposed to Be Here," becoming a top ten hit in Canada, where it was certified platinum by

Music Canada Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...

, as well as her tenth chart-topper on the ''Billboard''

. In support of the album, Cox joined forces with American R&B singer

Kenny Lattimore Kenny Lattimore (born April 10, 1970) is an American R&B singer. Early life Lattimore first developed his interest for music in the high school band program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. He often acknowledges D ...

for the joint Timeless Promise Tour in July 2009. Also in 2009, she was featured on the single "Leave the World Behind", a house track produced by four DJs Axwell,

Steve Angello Steven Patrik Josefsson Fragogiannis ( el, Στέφεν Πάτρικ Γιόζεφσον Φραγκόγιαννης; born 22 November 1982), better known by his stage name Steve Angello, is a Greek-Swedish DJ, record producer, remixer and record ...

, Sebastian Ingrosso and

Laidback Luke Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen (born 22 October 1976), better known under his stage name Laidback Luke, is a Dutch DJ and music producer. He notably remixed the Robin S. song, " Show Me Love" which charted at No. 11 on the UK charts in 2009. ...

2010–2017: The Queen Project, dance music and Broadway

In 2010, it was announced that Cox would be joining fellow R&B singers

Kelly Price Kelly Cherelle Price (born April 4, 1973) is an American R&B and gospel singer. She started her singing career in 1992. Price originally garnered attention by singing backing vocals for Mariah Carey on multiple songs, including her ''Billboar ...

and

Tamia Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development dea ...

to form a supergroup. While the trio recorded several tracks together, their joint album ''The Queen Project'' eventually failed to materialize due timing issues and label politics. In 2011, Cox released the dance-heavy single "If It Wasn't for Love" through Deco Entertainment. It became her eleventh chart topper on ''Billboard''s

and was to precede a new studio album which remained unreleased. In September 2012, Cox gave her inaugural performance as the female lead Lucy in a revival of the musical '' Jekyll & Hyde'' which toured North America for twenty-five weeks. While the show enjoyed a limited Broadway run only, Cox received positive reviews for her performance. Also in 2012, she collaborated with rapper

Akon Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles ...

on the song "No Labels", the official anthem of the same-titled American bipartisan political organization. The following year, Cox collaborated with DJ Paige on the non-album single "Higher". Released through Electronic Kingdom Records, it became her twelfth number-one hit on the US Dance Club Songs chart. In 2014, Cox was one of the performers at the opening ceremonies of WorldPride in Toronto, alongside

Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and its lead ...

Tom Robinson Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits " Glad to Be Gay", " 2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robins ...

and Steve Grand. In 2015, she provided vocals for the made for television biographical film '' Whitney'', directed by Angela Bassett based on American recording artist

. Cox performed all of Houston's vocals in the film, including " I Will Always Love You", " I'm Your Baby Tonight", and " The Greatest Love of All." The same year, she released the

deep house Deep house is a subgenre of house music that originated in the 1980s, initially fusing elements of Chicago house with the lush chords of 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. Its origins are attributed to the early recordings of Larry Heard ...

-influenced "Kinda Miss You", as well as the ballad "More Than I Knew" as singles. Both were set to appear on her sixth album ''Work of Art'', initially announced for an August 2015 release through Deco and Primary Wave Music. However, after several delays, the album remained unreleased. In 2016, Cox played the lead role of

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

in the Broadway-bound musical ''Josephine'', which chronicled the singer's life between the years of 1939 and 1945, and starred as Rachel Marron in the North American Tour of the musical ''

'' based on the 1992 film of the same name. In support of the musical, Cox released the EP ''I Will Always Love You'' on Deco and

Broadway Records Broadway Records has been the name of three otherwise unrelated American record labels: * Broadway Records (1920s), founded in the early 1920s in Bridgeport, Connecticut * Broadway Records (1947), founded in 1947 in Los Angeles * Broadway Records ( ...

, containing cover versions of seven Whitney Houston originals as well as Houston's cover of

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

's " I Will Always Love You." In June 2017, she released an uptempo dance single "

Let the World Be Ours Tonight "Let the World Be Ours Tonight" is a song recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Deborah Cox. The song was written by Cox, Jenna Mary Donnelly, Jurgen Kordulestch, and Warren David Meyers, and produced by Soulshaker. It was released as a single o ...

" during

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...

pride season on Radikal Records and Galactic Media. It marked her 13th single to top ''Billboard''s Dance Club Songs.

2018–present: Seventh studio album and television films

In June 2019, Cox performed at Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1969

Stonewall riots The Stonewall riots (also known as the Stonewall uprising, Stonewall rebellion, or simply Stonewall) were a series of spontaneous protests by members of the LGBT community#Terminology, gay community in response to a police raid that began in t ...

. In November 2019, she released the

Rico Love Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...

-produced single " Easy Way" through Deco Entertainment. The song was expected to lead her yet-unreleased seventh studio album, initially expected to be released in late 2020. It was followed by the Christmas single "Gimme Gimme Gimme Some Christmas" a month later. In February 2020, Cox starred opposite Roger Guenveur Smith in the

BET+ A bet is a gambling wager. Bet or BET may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Bet Lynch, a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' * Elizabeth "Bet" Yeager, protagonist of ''Rimrunners'', a science fiction n ...

television thriller ''Influence'', an adaption of Carl Weber's same-tited 2018 novel, portraying a big-name celebrity singer accused of killing her husband. Also in 2020, she appeared as a guest host in an episode of '' Canada's Drag Race'' and started a webseries titled ''COXtales with Deborah Cox'' during the global

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

. In fall 2020, Cox released further two Christmas singles, the original song "I Really Don't Want Much for Christmas" and a rendition of the

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 ...

song " Santa Baby." In 2021, Cox was added to the BET series '' First Wives Club'' during its second season, playing the role of musician Regina alongside Michelle Buteau and

Jill Scott Jill Scott may refer to: * Jill Scott (singer) (born 1972), American soul singer and songwriter. * Jill Scott (racing driver) (1902–1974), English racing driver * Jill Scott (media artist) (born 1952), Australian media artist * Jill Scott (footba ...

. The same year, she co-starred as Wendy in the

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netwo ...

post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction miniseries '' Station Eleven'', and appeared on "Summe of Love," another collaboration with Israeli producer

Offer Nissim Offer Nissim ( he, עופר ניסים) is an Israeli DJ, remixer, and record producer. He produced the winning entry of the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, "Diva", by Dana International. Besides his work with Dana International, Nissim has often ...

. In 2022, Cox was announced as an inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, becoming the first Black woman to be inducted.

Personal life

Cox currently lives in Miami, Florida. She is married to her high school sweetheart and manager, Lascelles Stephens. They have three children: a son, Isaiah (born July 1, 2003) and two daughters, Sumayah (born June 29, 2006), and Kaila Michelle (born February 23, 2009).

Discography

* '' Deborah Cox'' (1995) * '' One Wish'' (1998) * '' The Morning After'' (2002) * '' Destination Moon'' (2007) * '' The Promise'' (2008)

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

;1996 *Won:

for Best R&B/Soul Recording (''Deborah Cox''). *Nominated:

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...

for Favorite New Artist – Soul/Rhythm & Blues. ;1997 *Nominated: Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist. ;1998 *Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording ("Things Just Ain't the Same"). *Won:

Soul Train 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 R&B/Soul Single – Female ("Nobody's Supposed to Be Here"). ;1999 *Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording (''One Wish''). *Nominated: Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist. *Won: Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year ("Nobody's Supposed to Be Here"). ;2000 *Nominated:

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...

for Best Original Song ("Our Love" and "29" from '' Love Come Down''). *Nominated: Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo ("Same Script, Different Cast" feat.

). *Nominated: Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist ("We Can't Be Friends") ;2002 *Nominated: Juno Award for Best Dance Recording ("Absolutely Not"). ;2008 *Nominated: Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year (''Destination Moon''). *Nominated: Grammy Award Best Engineered Album, Non Classical ("Destination Moon"). *Received a star on walk of fame, in Toronto's Scarborough Town Centre. ;2009 *Nominated: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (''The Promise''). ;2022 *Inducted into Canadian Music Hall of Fame

References

External links

Official website
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Discography

Deborah Cox at Southern Decadence
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Deborah 1974 births 20th-century Black Canadian women singers 21st-century Black Canadian women singers Actresses from Miami Actresses from Toronto Arista Records artists Black Canadian actresses Canadian contemporary R&B singers Canadian dance musicians Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Canadian house musicians Canadian film actresses Canadian musical theatre actresses Canadian people of Guyanese descent Canadian soul singers Canadian television actresses Canadian women in electronic music Canadian women pop singers Canadian women singer-songwriters Dance-pop musicians Decca Records artists J Records artists Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year winners Living people Musicians from Miami Musicians from Toronto Singers from Florida Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees