| Introduction: After some 25 years, singer and | | | | Howard's third solo album, Miki Howard, was |
| actress Miki Howard continues to resonate | | | | released in 1989 and proved her most |
| passion and soul into music. With many years | | | | commercially successful to date. The single |
| in the entertainment business, Miki's latest | | | | "Aren't Nothing in the World" became Howard's |
| CD, Private Collection makes the listener | | | | first number-one hit on the R&B charts, and |
| think of her and the CD content as similar to | | | | another song, "Love under New Management," |
| a collection of fine, developing wine. Aside | | | | followed it to number two. Although it was |
| from a string of Billboard R&B top rated | | | | not her biggest hit, "Management" became one |
| singles, and success with nominations from | | | | of Howard's signature tunes. |
| Grammies, American Music Awards, Soul Train | | | | |
| Music Awards and others, how many singers and | | | | 1990s: Howard continued her successful solo |
| actresses could pull off portraying the | | | | career after switching to Giant Records in |
| legendary Billy Holliday? Outside of Diana | | | | 1991. Her first single under her new |
| Ross, Miki Howard did to rave reviews in | | | | contract, "Aren't Nobody like You," became |
| Spikes Lee's highly acclaimed, Academy Award | | | | Howard's second number-one R&B hit. The |
| nominated 1990 masterpiece, Malcolm X. | | | | subsequent album, 1992's Femme Fatale, |
| | | | featured Howard's renditions of classic |
| Unlike the current 'Soul Revival' coming to | | | | tracks originally performed by Dinah |
| the forefront from such new artists like, Amy | | | | Washington ("This Bitter Earth") and Billie |
| Warehouse, Donnie, Rahassan Paterson, The | | | | Holiday ("Good Morning Heartache"). |
| Brand New Heavies, Gordon Chambers, Anthony | | | | |
| Hamilton and others, Miki Howard not only | | | | A casting director saw Miki perform some |
| brings a soul element to her vocal depth, but | | | | Billie Holiday tunes at a New York City |
| she also embodies jazz, blues and the best of | | | | concert at Radio City Music Hall, and offered |
| today's R&B, including the music coming | | | | her the above referenced role of Holiday in |
| singers likes of Alicia Keys and Fantasia, to | | | | the nightclub scene of director Spike Lee's |
| name a few. This all stems from Miki's early | | | | 1992 epic film Malcolm X. The following year, |
| roots. | | | | Howard recorded an entire album of Holiday |
| | | | songs, titled Miki Sings Billie, including |
| 1960s: Born Alicia Michelle Howard in | | | | her favorite Billie tune, "Don't Explain." |
| Chicago, Illinois, she is the daughter of | | | | Outside of her acclaimed portrayal of Billie |
| gospel singer Josephine Howard of the | | | | Holiday, other film credits have included |
| legendary, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, | | | | working with such directors as John Singleton |
| The Caravans, and Clay Graham of the Pilgrim | | | | in his 1993 movie Poetic Justice with pop |
| Jubilees. During her childhood in Chicago and | | | | icon Janet Jackson. |
| Detroit, Howard met some of the best singers | | | | |
| of the day when they visited her family. "It | | | | After Miki's relationship with Leveret ended, |
| was nothing for me to see James Cleveland, | | | | Miki had a brief marriage that produced |
| Billy Preston, and Fats Domino in my house," | | | | another child. By 1993, the singer had |
| she said. "I was surrounded by music every | | | | finally extricated herself from that |
| day, so I knew I wanted to sing | | | | marriage, a disastrous marriage that had a |
| professionally someday." Among Howard's | | | | damaging effect on her career. As she |
| earliest influences were family friends Dinah | | | | explained "I don't want to go into details, |
| Washington--to whom she would later be | | | | but let's just say events that occurred |
| compared--and Aretha Franklin. Howard also | | | | during that relationship left me with |
| counted Nina Simone, Shirley Basely, Lena | | | | challenges in the industry. For instance, I |
| Horne, and Judy Garland among her favorite | | | | remember I was about to sign with RCA Records |
| vocalists. | | | | and the deal fell through. That was a |
| | | | crushing blow. With all that was going on in |
| 1970s: Miki's family moved to Los Angeles | | | | my life at the time, I decided to 'retire' |
| while she was in her early teens. Already | | | | for a while to get myself together." |
| aiming at a career in music, the 15-year-old | | | | |
| Howard received her first break when she | | | | During this period, Howard moved to Atlanta |
| participated in a teen beauty contest. Augie | | | | with her three children, where friends Chaka |
| Johnson, leader of the group Side Effect, | | | | Khan, Cherelle, and Patti LaBelle comforted |
| happened to be in the audience; impressed | | | | her in the aftermath of the divorce. Miki |
| with Howard's singing talent, he introduced | | | | released Live Plus in 1996, and a comeback |
| her to Wayne Henderson, who signed the | | | | album of original material, Can't Count Me |
| teenager to a contract with his At Home | | | | Out, in 1997. She also toured in the road |
| Productions. Howard also joined the lineup of | | | | company of the Broadway musical Dream girls, |
| Side Effect in 1978. For the next couple of | | | | playing the role of lead Dream, Deena. |
| years, Howard continued to sing with the | | | | |
| group and performed backup vocals as a studio | | | | By 1999, Howard was ready to revive her |
| singer for jazz great Stanley Turpentine, | | | | recording career in earnest. Miki says she |
| Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, Grover | | | | simply contacted her managers and said, "I |
| Washington, Jr., and Philip Bailey. Howard | | | | need to make a record." "One of my |
| and Johnson also began a personal | | | | co-managers at the time had started Peak |
| relationship that produced two children | | | | Records so it was uncanny." Howard continued, |
| | | | "I got a deal pretty quickly with the new |
| 1980s: Already in demand as a session | | | | label! Lots of my friends started coming out |
| vocalist, Howard also performed with Side | | | | of the woodwork to give me songs and before |
| Effect on comic deejay Rick Dees' singles in | | | | we knew it, we had ten ready to go." |
| the early 1980s, which she credits as the | | | | |
| catalyst for her solo career. "It was my | | | | 2000s: Howard's first album of original |
| experience with Rick that made me want to go | | | | material in four years, Three Wishes, was |
| solo," she recounted on the Peak Records | | | | released in 2001 to excellent reviews. The |
| website. "We performed at the L.A. | | | | album earned a Grammy Award nomination for |
| Amphitheater and I saw the dressing room | | | | Best Traditional R&B Recording; although she |
| marked 'Star' and I was jealous and wanted my | | | | lost out to Gladys Knight in that category, |
| own room." | | | | the nomination itself represented an artistic |
| | | | comeback for Howard. After 25 years in the |
| As with so many other solo artist confined to | | | | music business, the singer was comfortable |
| the limitations of being in a group | | | | with her place in the industry and resigned |
| environment, Howard sought a solo recording | | | | to the compromises it demanded. In 2001 The |
| contract, and around 1985, famed label | | | | Very Best of Miki Howard, including her top |
| Atlantic Records gave Miki Howard a life | | | | R&B hits from the late 1980s and early 1990s, |
| changing opportunity. She recorded her first | | | | was released on Rhino Records. An album on |
| solo album with Atlantic in 1986, Come Share | | | | the Shanachie label, Pillow Talk: Miki Sings |
| My Love. Her first hit for Atlantic was the | | | | the Classics was released in 2006. |
| album title track, Billboard R&B top ten | | | | |
| single "Come Share My Love, " which peaked at | | | | Discography: Miki Howard, a kid from the |
| number five. Miki followed that with her | | | | 1960's, is a woman that has survived the |
| second hit, a remake of Glenn Miller's 1940 | | | | 70's, 80's, and 90's. She is an artist with a |
| tune "Imagination," which she had to fight to | | | | persistent fan base, consistently awaiting |
| include in her first album. | | | | new releases. The Discography that created |
| | | | her following includes a long list of hits: |
| Howard's second solo album, 1988's Love | | | | Come Share My Love 1986, Love Confessions |
| Confessions, offered two R&B chart hits, the | | | | 1987, Miki Howard 1989, Femme Fatale 1992, |
| top-five hit "Baby Be Mine," and the top-ten | | | | Miki Sings Billie 1994, Live Plus 1996, Can't |
| hit, "That's What Love Is." The latter was a | | | | Count Me Out 1997, Three Wishes 2001, The |
| duet with Gerald Leveret that reflected a | | | | Very Best Of Miki Howard 2001, Pillow Talk: |
| real-life romance between the two singers | | | | Miki Sings The Classics 2006, and now Private |
| that lasted until 1990. | | | | Collection 2008. |
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