Monday, March 18, 2024

Anita Baker Signals That She’s Retiring from Music

*Good Lord! Say it isn’t so. OK, we’ll say it isn’t so. Unfortunately that doesn’t make it NOT make it so. Alright, alright, enough babel.

Here’s the deal. Legendary Detroit bred songstress Anita Baker is saying it’s time to close the curtain on her singing career. Yes, she’s retiring. Say it isn’t so!

Baker started giving notice that something was up on January 12 via a tweet that said “Lotta rumours out there. No Tour. No CD. #Retired #BeachBum #ThankYouJesus.”

A follow up tweet said: “January 26th will celebrate my 59th BDay (Lord willing) retirement was 1 of many goals/dreams #SuchaBlessing

Then came this: “I still love 2 write and record music…its part of my DNA. But I’m on a different road. #BeachBum

The latest Tweet from Ms. Baker said: “Oh no regrets…Music has been/is very good 2 us. God Gifted in every possible way. We just stay ‘humble’ about #2GBTG”

Dang, all we can say is we hope she’s not through. If so, she and her talent will be sorely missed. Baker and her career is worth reviewing, so via Wikipedia, here’s some background info on the singer with the smoky voice.

Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. Starting her career in the late 1970s with the funk band Chapter 8, Baker eventually released her first solo album, The Songstress, in 1983. In 1986, she rose to stardom following the release of her platinum-selling second album, Rapture, which included the Grammy-winning single “Sweet Love”. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards and has five platinum albums and one gold album to her credit. Baker’s vocal range is contralto.

When she was two, her mother abandoned her and Baker was raised by a foster family in Detroit, Michigan. When Baker was 12, her foster parents died and her foster sister raised her afterwards. By the time Baker was 16, she began singing R&B at Detroit nightclubs. After one performance, she was discovered by bandleader David Washington, who gave her a card to audition for the funk band, Chapter 8.

Baker joined the group in 1975 and the group toured until securing a deal with Ariola Records in 1979. The group’s first album, Chapter 8, was released that year and featured the singles “Ready for Your Love,” a duet between Baker and bandmate Gerald Lyles, and the Baker-led “I Just Want to Be Your Girl.” After Ariola was bought out by Arista Records in 1979, Chapter 8 was dropped by the label who were convinced that Baker, as the group’s lead singer, didn’t have “star potential.”

Baker returned to Detroit and became a waitress and a receptionist for a law firm. Otis Smith, a former associate of Ariola, called Baker up in 1982 and convinced her to start a solo career under his Beverly Glen label. Baker eventually signed with the company, releasing her debut solo album, The Songstress, in 1983.[1] The album produced four singles: “No More Tears” and its B-side, “Will You Be Mine”, “Angel” and “You’re the Best Thing Yet”. “Angel” became Baker’s first top ten single, reaching number five on the R&B charts in late 1983. “You’re the Best Thing Yet” followed it in the R&B top 40 early the following year. Despite this early success, Baker later complained that she hadn’t received any royalties from the work. In addition, the label delayed work on Baker’s follow-up of The Songstress. By 1984, after two years, Baker sought to leave the label but was sued by Smith for breach of contract in 1985. After months in court debating the matter, it was concluded that Baker should be allowed to record for other labels, winning the case against Smith.

As you can see, along with the talent, Baker has had to deal with a lot of drama in her life. You can read/learn MORE about her at Wikipedia and/or Soul Tracks.


 

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