Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. Since the 1970s, her songs have been played 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 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

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

Early life and career

Manchester was born on February 15, 1952, in

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

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

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind 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 virtuosity ...

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 (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

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

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

at the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

, 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. She studied songwriting at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

with

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

when she was 19. Manchester played the Manhattan club scene, where Barry Manilow, a friend and fellow singer of jingles, introduced her to

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

. In 1971, she became a member of the Harlettes, the back-up singers for Midler, which she co-created with Manilow. Manchester made a brief speaking appearance as "

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; 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 in Tokyo and moved to New York ...

" on the 1972 album '' National Lampoon Radio Dinner'', on the track titled "Magical Misery Tour", and as the singer in " Deteriorata".

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, also known as simply the 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), ...

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 1973. 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 Captain & Tennille, Rosemary Clooney,

Vic Damone Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop music, pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My ...

, 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 oth ...

, Cleo Laine,

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, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

, Carmen McRae, Jane Olivor,

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...

, Barbara Cook, Mel Torme, and

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

. 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 Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded with Jim Messina (musician), Jim Mess ...

to co-write Loggins' 1978 hit duet with

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, 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, releasing the album ...

, "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 ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show f ...

'' 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 variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...

''. 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 that was first recorded by Charlie Dore for her 1981 ''Listen!'' album. "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" was written by Dean Pitchford and Tom Snow. In 1982, Melissa Manchester took ...

", which won the 1983

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance, beating out

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

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British and Australian singer and actress. With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John was one of the List of best-selling music artists#100 million to 119 million record ...

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

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is 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 online ...

'' 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 Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

'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 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 created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

'' to sing the song for Robin Scorpio and her AIDS-afflicted boyfriend Stone Cates. 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'', and co-writing (with bookwriter-lyricist Jeffrey Sweet) 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 life Bernice Ruth Reuben was born in Splott, Cardiff, Wales, on 26 July ...

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.

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''. 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 Barry Manilow of the

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...

classic " You've Got a Friend" 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 '' When I Look Down That Road''. She subsequently launched an

Indiegogo Indiegogo is an American crowdfunding website founded in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, California. The site is one of the first sites to offer crowd funding. Indiegogo allows peo ...

campaign to raise funds to independently release the album. 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, includes a solo by

Keb' Mo' Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo', is an American blues musician. He is a singer, guitarist and songwriter, living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been described as "a living link to the seminal Delta blues that tra ...

. 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 songwriter. 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 ...

, along with an accompanying music video, was released for radio on June 15, 2015.Big Light"> In 2017, more than 25 years after Manchester 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 (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

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

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in 2020, Manchester kept busy working on her 24th album, ''Re:View'', a re-envisioned and reworked compilation of several of her previous hits. 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 Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music Revivalist artist, revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988, he won a Drama Desk Spec ...

, Manchester was surprised by Feinstein and Great American Songbook Foundation Executive Director Christopher Lewis with the Songbook Hall of Fame's New Standard Award. In 2023, she played Mrs. Brice in the US national tour of the Broadway musical ''Funny Girl''.

Awards and recognitions

* In 1979 and 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, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

: "

" (1982) (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). * Bronx Walk of Fame *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, but the term is gen ...

at the

USC Thornton School of Music The USC Thornton School of Music is a private music school in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1884 only four years after the University of Southern California, the Thornton School is the oldest continually operating arts institution in Los An ...

. *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 honored by

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.

Personal life

During the 1970s, Manchester was married to her manager, Larry Brezner. They later divorced. On May 1, 1982, Manchester married Kevin De Remer, who had been serving as her tour coordinator. They have two children, and divorced in 2014.Court docket https://trellis.law/case/bd564837/melissa-manchester-deremer-vs-kevin-michael-deremer, 12/2014

Discography

Studio albums

*1973: ''Home to Myself'' – US #156 *1974: ''Bright Eyes'' – US #159 *1975: '' Melissa'' – 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 Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been played by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage. Early li ...

'' – US #63, AUS #93 *1980: '' For the Working Girl'' – US #68 *1982: ''

Hey Ricky ''Hey Ricky'' is the title of the tenth album release by Melissa Manchester. It was issued on Arista Records in April 1982. During the interim between the release of ''Hey Ricky'' and that of the precedent '' For the Working Girl'' in September ...

'' – US #19, AUS #33 *1983: ''Emergency'' – US #135 *1985: ''

Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

'' – US #144 *1989: ''Tribute'' *1995: '' If My Heart Had Wings'' *1997: ''Joy'' *2004: '' When I Look Down That Road'' *2014: '' You Gotta Love the Life'' *2017: ''The Fellas'' *2024: ''Re:View'' Live albums * 2022: ''Live '77''

Misc. albums

1998: ''I Sent a Letter to My Love'', a musical recorded by L.A. Theatre Works

Compilation albums

*1983: '' Greatest Hits'' – 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'' 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'' (released as ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries and ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' during its 1992 re-release) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produced by W ...

'' *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 *1998: "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)" on ''The Colors of Christmas'' *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

* * * *
Facebook site (official)
{{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 songwriters Jewish women singers Living people Actresses from the Bronx 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 20th-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers