Miki Howard
Miki Howard
Person from United States
Genres: contemporary r&b, pop soul, quiet storm, smooth soul, funk, contemporary R&B, rnb, soul
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About Miki Howard
Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard (born September 30, 1960) is an American R&B singer known for her top 10 hits in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, including "Baby, Be Mine" (1987), "Come Share My Love" (1986), and "Love Under New Management" (1990). "Ain't Nobody Like You" (1992) and "Ain't Nuthin' in the World" (1989) both reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B Singles chart. Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, to gospel singers Josephine Howard of The Caravans and Clay Graham of The Pilgrim Jubilees. She moved to Los Angeles at age nine, where her mother sang in a choir led by James Cleveland. Howard was exposed to performers such as Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples, Albertina Walker, Shirley Caesar, Billy Preston, and Fats Domino, and was influenced by jazz singers including Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Nancy Wilson. As a teenager, she frequented the nightclub Maverick's Flat, where she encountered acts like Rufus, Chaka Khan, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Howard began her professional career with the R&B group Side Effect, joining in 1979 and replacing Sylvia St. James. She contributed to the albums "After the Rain" (1980), "Portraits", and "All Aboard". During this time, the songs "I Can't Play" and a cover of Toto's "Georgy Porgy" became minor R&B hits in 1983 and 1984. Howard also provided background vocals for artists such as Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, and Stanley Turrentine. By 1985, she left Side Effect to pursue a solo career and secured a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Her debut solo album, "Come Share My Love" (1986), produced by LeMel Humes, reached number 19 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The singles "Come Share My Love" and "Imagination" peaked at numbers five and 13 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. Howard toured as an opening act for Cameo. Her second album, "Love Confessions" (1987), produced singles including "Baby, Be Mine" and "That's What Love Is", both reaching the top five on the R&B chart. She won a Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist in 1988. Her third album, "Miki Howard" (1989), became her most successful release on Atlantic Records, peaking at number four on the R&B Albums chart. Singles included "Ain't Nuthin' in the World", which reached number one, "Love Under New Management" at number two, and a cover of "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" at number three. Howard collaborated closely with Gerald Levert during this period. In 1992, she signed with Giant Records and released "Femme Fatale", which reached number seven on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The single "Ain't Nobody Like You" became her second R&B chart-topper. Howard portrayed Billie Holiday in Spike Lee's film "Malcolm X" (1992) and appeared in John Singleton's "Poetic Justice" (1993). She released "Miki Sings Billie" (1993), a tribute album to Holiday, and "Can't Count Me Out" (1997), which included duets and covers of songs by Stevie Wonder and Janis Ian. Howard continued her career with "Three Wishes" (2001) on Peak Records, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album. She released "Pillow Talk" (2006) on Shanachie Records, featuring covers of R&B classics, and "Private Collection" (2008) on her own label Branicka Records, combining original songs and jazz standards. In 2015, Howard released the EP "I Choose to Be Happy", including the single "Panther" featuring rapper Too Short, as well as the live album "Miki Howard: Live in Concert", featuring performances of her hits and covers such as "My Man", "Pillow Talk", "This Bitter Earth", and Marvin Gaye's "Soon I'll Be Loving You Again". She has continued to tour in the U.S. and internationally. Studio albums Come Share My Love (1986) Love Confessions (1987) Miki Howard (1989) Femme Fatale (1992) Miki Sings Billie (1993) Can't Count Me Out (1997) Three Wishes (2001) Pillow Talk (2006) Private Collection (2008) I Choose to Be Happy (2015)
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