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Melba Moore has shot to super-stardom in the early 1970s with her debut album ("I Got Love"), that garnered her a 1971 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, the following year, she also scored with a variety television show that co-starred Clifton Davis. Despite the show's being a modern success, the real-life couple fell victim through an ongoing self-destruction, hence, it was canceled. She was also in a crisis, when her career was put to an end, before it took a few years for her to comeback.
A four-time Grammy nominee and one-time Tony Award winner, prior to being a singer/actress, Melba Moore also made guest appearances on nearly all of the following shows: The David Frost Show ;(1969), Soul Train ;(1971), The Mike Douglas Show ;(1961), Dinah! ;(1974), The Dick Cavett Show ;(1968), 13 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ;(1962), Captain Kangaroo ;(1955), The Tim Conway Show ;(1980), Solid Gold ;(1980), among many others.
Born Melba Hill in New York City, New York, to a very popular musical family, for the time being, she was raised in Harlem, New York, and until aged 9, despite of her parents divorce, her mother remarried Clement Moorman, who introduced her to several agents, while she was growing up, in Newark, New Jersey, where she had been raised, where she attended school, there. Prior to Melba's birth, her mother penned the #1 song "Don't Stop Now". Although her biological father encouraged her to pursue a career in music, it was actually her stepfather/saxophonist, Teddy Hill, who insisted on young Melba to do it, which successfully he did, which gave her a four decade career on the map. In her early years, she even learned how to play the piano. In 1967, after graduation from college, she won the original role of Dionne (when, unfortunately Donna Summer lost the role to her) in the musical, "Hair" with Ronnie Dyson and Diane Keaton, whom Moore replaced her in the role of Sheila. In 1970, she won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Purlie, which she portrayed Lutiebelle.
After her successful, short-lived series The Melba Moore-Clifton Davis Show ;(1972), she went on sabbatical, then, formed Hush Productions, her own production company. This was 1 year after, when in 1974, she signed with Buddah Records, before Epic Records, which allowed her to make some records over the next decade, and had some chart topping hits with "This Is It," which reached #2 on the U.S. dance charts, which was also popular in the UK, a country that was used for that song. Other chart toppers that Melba scored over the years of the Disco-R&B era were, "Lean On Me," "Make Me Believe In You," "You Stepped Into My Life," "Let's Stand Together," and "Take My Love." Unlike fellow singer Donna Summer, Moore struggled to garner some disco hits of the 1970s.
The 1980s saw Moore made a remarkable turn in her career, as she signed with Capitol Records, in 1982, and scored such hits as "Love's Comin' At Ya," which was a major song in the UK and in Europe. She also scored such songs with "Keepin' My Love Satisfied," "Love Me Right," "Read My Lips," (which she was nominated for her fourth Grammy) and "When You Love Me Like This." She also starred in her own series Melba ;(1986), for CBS, a show that was canceled unexpectedly. The following year, Moore also had a recurring role on the long-running Falcon Crest ;(1981), opposite Oscar Award-winner Jane Wyman. At the end of the decade, Moore also garnered some songs with, "Do You Really (Want My Love)," and "Lift Every Voice and Sing".
In the mid-1990s, Moore traveled with Gospel Play called, "Mama I'm Sorry" aside Gospel's sisterly duo of Erica and Tina Atkins that was Written and Produced by Michael Matthews.
With a total of 11 U.S. Top 10 Hits (singles and albums) on the Billboard Pop/R&B,Disco/Dance, Album charts combined, over a period of 40 years, Melba Moore is one of the most enduring artists of the 21st century.
By the late 1990s, Melba Moore was back where she felt she belonged, reaching out and entertaining America through her acting, her singing and her comedy.
In 2003, Moore was featured in the film, The Fighting Temptations ;(2003), which starred Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles. In 2007, she landed a role in the Broadway revival of Ain't Misbehavin'. In 2009, independent label, Breaking Records released the EP Book of Dreams, in which Moore was featured. That same year Moore told her life story on TV-One's Unsung and later that year released her first R&B album in nearly 20 years, a duet release with Phil Perry called, The Gift of Love.
D Train, an innovative post-disco duo that consisted of James "D-Train" Williams (vocals) and Hubert Eaves III (keyboards, bass, drums, arrangements, productions), recorded a clutch of electrified dance/R&B classics in the early '80s. From the release of their first single onward, Williams' voice was instantly recognizable for its power-packed, uplifting nature. Eaves' instrumental backing and production were extremely complementary to Williams' deliveries, punching out bold, intricate arrangements that were often livened up for the dancefloor by remixer extraordinaire Francois Kevorkian.
Williams and Eaves met in Brooklyn, New York. Shortly after the '70s gave way to the '80s -- long after the latter had established himself as a crucial jazz and R&B session musician, often as an associate of James Mtume -- they began recording together, using Williams' nickname (earned from his prowess on the football field) as their recording alias. They signed a contract with Prelude and released their first single, the brilliant "You're the One for Me," by the end of 1981. The song hit number one on the dance chart in early 1982 and kept that position for three weeks. Their somewhat spotty debut album followed later that year and included another spectacular track, the spirited "Keep On."
Music, D Train's second album, followed in 1983 and was supported with another batch of singles: "Keep Giving Me Love," "Are You Ready for Me," and Top 40 U.K. hit "Music" among them. Something's on Your Mind, the third and final album from the duo, spawned a Top Five R&B chart hit in the form of the title track. A couple of other singles from the album didn't do as well, but the group bowed out in fine fashion. They could've milked the sound of "You're the One for Me" for a long time, but they kept moving ahead and did the unexpected by incorporating elements inspired from other music forms. A list of covers they recorded -- Carole King's "So Far Away," Bacharach/David's "Walk On By," Mandel/Webster's "The Shadow of Your Smile" -- hardly indicate the scope.
Williams and Eaves quit recording as D Train in 1985. Eaves' accomplishments did not go unnoticed, as he continued working with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Luther Vandross. Williams continued as a solo artist and notched three R&B chart hits during the latter half of the '80s. He also lent background vocals to several records throughout the following decade.
Parrish J. Smith ;(born May 13, 1968), better known as PMD ;(Parrish Mic Doc), is an east coast rapper from Smithtown, Long Island and one-third of EPMD with Erick Sermon and DJ Scratch.PMD, who attended Brentwood High School,[1] has released three solo albums, 1994's Shade Business, 1996's Business Is Business and 2003's The Awakening. Also, in 2002, he released an album with Japanese hip hop luminary DJ Honda titled Underground Connection
A four-time Grammy nominee and one-time Tony Award winner, prior to being a singer/actress, Melba Moore also made guest appearances on nearly all of the following shows: The David Frost Show ;(1969), Soul Train ;(1971), The Mike Douglas Show ;(1961), Dinah! ;(1974), The Dick Cavett Show ;(1968), 13 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ;(1962), Captain Kangaroo ;(1955), The Tim Conway Show ;(1980), Solid Gold ;(1980), among many others.
Born Melba Hill in New York City, New York, to a very popular musical family, for the time being, she was raised in Harlem, New York, and until aged 9, despite of her parents divorce, her mother remarried Clement Moorman, who introduced her to several agents, while she was growing up, in Newark, New Jersey, where she had been raised, where she attended school, there. Prior to Melba's birth, her mother penned the #1 song "Don't Stop Now". Although her biological father encouraged her to pursue a career in music, it was actually her stepfather/saxophonist, Teddy Hill, who insisted on young Melba to do it, which successfully he did, which gave her a four decade career on the map. In her early years, she even learned how to play the piano. In 1967, after graduation from college, she won the original role of Dionne (when, unfortunately Donna Summer lost the role to her) in the musical, "Hair" with Ronnie Dyson and Diane Keaton, whom Moore replaced her in the role of Sheila. In 1970, she won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Purlie, which she portrayed Lutiebelle.
After her successful, short-lived series The Melba Moore-Clifton Davis Show ;(1972), she went on sabbatical, then, formed Hush Productions, her own production company. This was 1 year after, when in 1974, she signed with Buddah Records, before Epic Records, which allowed her to make some records over the next decade, and had some chart topping hits with "This Is It," which reached #2 on the U.S. dance charts, which was also popular in the UK, a country that was used for that song. Other chart toppers that Melba scored over the years of the Disco-R&B era were, "Lean On Me," "Make Me Believe In You," "You Stepped Into My Life," "Let's Stand Together," and "Take My Love." Unlike fellow singer Donna Summer, Moore struggled to garner some disco hits of the 1970s.
The 1980s saw Moore made a remarkable turn in her career, as she signed with Capitol Records, in 1982, and scored such hits as "Love's Comin' At Ya," which was a major song in the UK and in Europe. She also scored such songs with "Keepin' My Love Satisfied," "Love Me Right," "Read My Lips," (which she was nominated for her fourth Grammy) and "When You Love Me Like This." She also starred in her own series Melba ;(1986), for CBS, a show that was canceled unexpectedly. The following year, Moore also had a recurring role on the long-running Falcon Crest ;(1981), opposite Oscar Award-winner Jane Wyman. At the end of the decade, Moore also garnered some songs with, "Do You Really (Want My Love)," and "Lift Every Voice and Sing".
In the mid-1990s, Moore traveled with Gospel Play called, "Mama I'm Sorry" aside Gospel's sisterly duo of Erica and Tina Atkins that was Written and Produced by Michael Matthews.
With a total of 11 U.S. Top 10 Hits (singles and albums) on the Billboard Pop/R&B,Disco/Dance, Album charts combined, over a period of 40 years, Melba Moore is one of the most enduring artists of the 21st century.
By the late 1990s, Melba Moore was back where she felt she belonged, reaching out and entertaining America through her acting, her singing and her comedy.
In 2003, Moore was featured in the film, The Fighting Temptations ;(2003), which starred Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles. In 2007, she landed a role in the Broadway revival of Ain't Misbehavin'. In 2009, independent label, Breaking Records released the EP Book of Dreams, in which Moore was featured. That same year Moore told her life story on TV-One's Unsung and later that year released her first R&B album in nearly 20 years, a duet release with Phil Perry called, The Gift of Love.
D Train, an innovative post-disco duo that consisted of James "D-Train" Williams (vocals) and Hubert Eaves III (keyboards, bass, drums, arrangements, productions), recorded a clutch of electrified dance/R&B classics in the early '80s. From the release of their first single onward, Williams' voice was instantly recognizable for its power-packed, uplifting nature. Eaves' instrumental backing and production were extremely complementary to Williams' deliveries, punching out bold, intricate arrangements that were often livened up for the dancefloor by remixer extraordinaire Francois Kevorkian.
Williams and Eaves met in Brooklyn, New York. Shortly after the '70s gave way to the '80s -- long after the latter had established himself as a crucial jazz and R&B session musician, often as an associate of James Mtume -- they began recording together, using Williams' nickname (earned from his prowess on the football field) as their recording alias. They signed a contract with Prelude and released their first single, the brilliant "You're the One for Me," by the end of 1981. The song hit number one on the dance chart in early 1982 and kept that position for three weeks. Their somewhat spotty debut album followed later that year and included another spectacular track, the spirited "Keep On."
Music, D Train's second album, followed in 1983 and was supported with another batch of singles: "Keep Giving Me Love," "Are You Ready for Me," and Top 40 U.K. hit "Music" among them. Something's on Your Mind, the third and final album from the duo, spawned a Top Five R&B chart hit in the form of the title track. A couple of other singles from the album didn't do as well, but the group bowed out in fine fashion. They could've milked the sound of "You're the One for Me" for a long time, but they kept moving ahead and did the unexpected by incorporating elements inspired from other music forms. A list of covers they recorded -- Carole King's "So Far Away," Bacharach/David's "Walk On By," Mandel/Webster's "The Shadow of Your Smile" -- hardly indicate the scope.
Williams and Eaves quit recording as D Train in 1985. Eaves' accomplishments did not go unnoticed, as he continued working with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Luther Vandross. Williams continued as a solo artist and notched three R&B chart hits during the latter half of the '80s. He also lent background vocals to several records throughout the following decade.
Parrish J. Smith ;(born May 13, 1968), better known as PMD ;(Parrish Mic Doc), is an east coast rapper from Smithtown, Long Island and one-third of EPMD with Erick Sermon and DJ Scratch.PMD, who attended Brentwood High School,[1] has released three solo albums, 1994's Shade Business, 1996's Business Is Business and 2003's The Awakening. Also, in 2002, he released an album with Japanese hip hop luminary DJ Honda titled Underground Connection
