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Biography
BLP sources|date=August 2010Infobox musical artist| name = Miki Howard| image =| caption = Miki Howard performance in January 2010| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Alicia Michelle Howard| alias =| birth_date = Birth date and age|1960|9|30| origin = Chicago, Illinois , United States | death_date =| genre = Rhythm and blues|R& B , Soul music|soul , Jazz | occupation = Singing|Singer , Songwriter , Actress , Music Producer|Producer | years_active = 1979& ndash;present| label = Atlantic Records|Atlantic Giant Records (Warner)|Giant Warlock Records Hush Records|Hush Peak Records|Peak Shanachie Records|Shanachie Branicka Records |associated_acts = Side Effect , Levert Gerald Levert , Levert|Marc Gordon Al Jarreau , Chuckii Booker Joy Ride ,Disambiguation needed|date=July 2011Roy Ayers | website = http://www.mikihowardmedia.com Mikihowardmedia.comAlicia Michelle " Miki " Howard (born September 30, 1960) is an United States|American R& B/jazz singing|singer and actress who had a string of Top 40|Top 10 hit record|hit songs in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Howard's string of hits also included Baby, Be Mine (Miki Howard song)|Baby,Be Mine ", " Come Share My Love (song)|Come Share My Love " and " Love Under New Management ". And hits, " Ain't Nobody Like You " and " Ain't Nuthin' in the World " both peaked at number one on US Billboard's Top R& B Singles chart.
Early life
Howard was born in Chicago, IL, both of her parents were gospel singers. She is the daughter of gospel music|gospel singer Josephine Howardcite web|url= http://www.1800gospel.com/2010/11/video-miki-howards-gospel-music-connection/ |title=Miki Howard Unsung reveals Gospel music roots |publisher=1800gospel.com |date=2010-11-04 |accessdate=2012-04-13 of The Caravans , and Clay Graham of Peacock Records|The Pilgrim Jubilees .cite web|url= http://www.malaco.com/Catalog/Gospel/The-Pilgrim-Jubilees/list.php |title=Gospel |publisher=Malaco |date= |accessdate=2012-04-13cite web|url= http://www.gospelflava.com/reviews/pilgrimjubileesyear.html |title=Reviews - The Pilgrim Jubilees (The Year of Jubilee) |publisher=GospelFlava.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-13 Howard's mother being acquainted with various entertainers, she would take Miki to the homes of various stars such as Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples. After staying in Chicago until the age of 9, Howard and her family moved to Los Angeles to be close to Caravans arranger James Cleveland . As a child, Howard would sing often in the family home. She was fortunate to be around music greats visiting the family home from Albertina Walker, Shirley Caesar , Billy Preston , and Fats Domino . Howard being born from parents, who were singers' she inherited their singing talent. Miki was also influenced by jazz greats, Billie Holiday , Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson . As a teenager, Miki often visit Club Maverick in Los Angeles, a spot music acts played from Rufus and Chaka Khan to Earth Wind & Fire , were influential in her pursuit for a professional singing career.
Music career
1980-85: Side Effect
At the age of 16, she performed in a teen pageant. After the show, she met singer Augie Johnson, http://www.soulinterviews.com/interviews-archive/451-augies-side-effect-fon.html dead link|date=April 2012 leader and member of Rhythm and blues|R& B group Side Effect ,cite web|url= http://mog.com/artists/bio/mn30082/side-effect |title=Side Effect Biography |publisher=Mog.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-13 who happened to be in the audience and began working with Howard on music. Johnson charmed Miki and later chose her, After a period of time, Howard became a Side Effect member in 1979 -- replacing the departure of Sylvia St. James. Howard's tenure with the group lasted a few years. With Miki as new female vocalist, Side Effect's After The Rain(album)|After The Rain was released in 1980. The album did not do well on the charts as well as the next two Elektra Records|Elektra albums " Portraits (Side Effect album)|Portraits and All Aboard (Side Effect album)|All Aboard ". As a member of Side Effect, the group's best remembered ''"I Can't Play"'' and a cover of Toto (band)|Toto 's " Georgy Porgy (song)|Georgy Porgy " were minor R& B hits. During this time, she also had one child by Johnson. In addition to singing with Side Effect, she did background vocals for Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, Stanley Turrentine, and several other artists. By 1985, Howard decided she was ready to begin a solo (music)|solo career, and left the group. She put together a demo (music)|demo that landed her a recording contract with Atlantic Records .
1986: Come Share My Love
Howard begin recording songs for her debut album, Come Share My Love released in 1986. The album was produced by LeMel Humes, would peak to number 19 on Billboard's Top R& B Albums . The first single, " Come Share My Love (song)|Come Share My Love " would become her first U.S. hit single. The song peaked to number 5 on ''Billboard's'' Hot R& B/Hip-Hop Songs|R& B Singles chart. By the fall, the follow up single was a cover version of Glenn Miller 's 1940's tune " Imagination (Miki Howard)|Imagination ", peaked to #13 on the R& B Singles and would become Miki's first video. With two hit singles from the album, Miki embarked on her first concert tour in 1987, opening for funk band Cameo (band)|Cameo . The final single, " Come Back to Me Lover " was released charting to no. 33, on R& B singles chart.
1987-90: Love Confessions, Miki Howard
In November 1987 Howard released her second album, Love Confessions . LeMel Humes produced several tracks, and became a close friend, working with Miki on future albums throughout her career. Her success continued with two more Top 10 R& B singles from the album, Nick Martinelli produced, soul ballad " Baby, Be Mine (Miki Howard song)|Baby, Be Mine " climbed to number 5 on the R& B Singles chart. The second single " That's What Love Is ", a duet (music)|duet with hit-making R& B crooner Gerald Levert (lead singer of R& B group Levert ), peaked to no. 5 on R& B Singles chart. Gerald produced the duet and final single " Crazy (Miki Howard song)|Crazy ", which peaked at no. 38 on R& B singles. Howard and Gerald's group Levert , embarked on a U.S. tour in support of their album's. The pair was also romantically involved, and that romance would spawn one of Howard's biggest hits from her third album. On March 30, 1988, Miki won a Soul Train Music Award for Soul Train Music Awards of 1988|Best New Artist .
In November 1989 Howard released her third album, self-titled Miki Howard (Self Titled)|Miki Howard , which would become her final album on Atlantic|Atlantic Records . Following the release, the album became a hit, charting at no. 4 on Billboard's Top R& B Albums chart. The album would become Howard's most successful to date. During recording, Miki and Gerald Levert's romantic relationship, spawned the song's ''"I'll Be Your Shoulder" , "Mister" and "Just The Way You Want Me To"''; written-produced by Levert. Howard secured her first chart-topper, the first single, " Ain't Nuthin' in the World ", peaked at number-one on the R& B Singles . Howard scored 2 more Top 5 R& B hits from the album. The songs " Love Under New Management , penned during her affair with Gerald Levert, peaked to no. 2 and a cover of " Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) , at no. 3 on the R& B singles chart.
By 1992, Howard was no longer a recording artist with Atlantic Records|Atlantic , she was now signed on as an artist with Giant Records (Warner)|Giant Records . On September 15, Howard's forth studio album, Femme Fatale (Miki Howard album)|Femme Fatale was released. The album peaked to no. 7 on Billboard's Top R& B Albums chart. Record producer|Producer /songwriter LeMel Humes produced majority of the album, including the first single, " Ain't Nobody Like You ". The song peaked at no. 1, on R& B Singles chart, Howards second R& B chart-topper and no. 64 on Billboard's Hot 100 . A second single an music video for " Release Me (M. Howard song)|Release Me ", was released, the song received modest radio airplay and peaked at 43 on R& B singles chart. More singles were released as 'promotional, radio-only', the David Foster produced, "Shining Through" and "But I Love You", produced by LeMel Humes.
Miki, was offered a featured acting role by movie director Spike Lee , Lee directed/produced the 1992 bio-pic film Malcolm X (movie)|Malcolm X . Howard portrayed jazz singer Billie Holiday , performing Holiday's " I Cover the Waterfront ". Howard had always been strongly influenced by Holiday's vocal technique and music. In the fall of 1992, Miki decided to pay tribute to Billie by recording covers of her favorite classic songs by Holiday. During recording, she also landed a role in John Singleton 's 1993 film Poetic Justice (1993 film)|Poetic Justice starring pop singer Janet Jackson and hip-hop artist/actor Tupac Shakur . In December 1993, Miki's fifth studio album, Miki Sings Billie: A Tribute to Billie Holiday|Miki Sings Billie was released under Giant Records , the album peaked at #74 on Billboard's Top R& B Albums , her lowest charting album. David Foster and LeMel Humes produced the 'cover' tracks. Official singles were not released, only a radio promo of " Don't Explain (song)|Don't Explain " was played on R& B and jazz stations in the U.S.
1997:''Can't Count Me Out
By 1997, Miki was no longer signed to Giant Records. Her sixth studio album and her first in four years, '' Can't Count Me Out '' was released under a new label, Hush Records|Hush in May. The album was her first, to not chart on Billboard 200 or Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums . The album includes duets, a cover of Stevie Wonder 's "I Love Every Little Thing About You" with singer Terence Trent D'Arby , "Can't Count Me Out" duet with father Clay Graham and a remake of Janis Ian's " At Seventeen ". LeMel Humes produced most of the album, including a cover of the jazz standard " You Don't Know What Love Is " and "Sunshine" penned by singer Brenda Russell .
2001-06: Three Wishes, Pillow Talk
In March 2001, Miki released her seventh album, Three Wishes (Miki Howard album)|Three Wishes under Peak Records|Peak . Although no official singles were released, Nobody received radio airplay. The album peaked at No. 60 on Billboard's Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 25 on Independent Albums chart. All the tracks were produced by new producers, except "Bring Your Loving Home" produced by Howard's close friend LeMel Humes. The album received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Traditional R& B Vocal Performance|Best Traditional R& B Vocal Album at the 44th Grammy Awards|2002 Grammy Awards .
After five years had past since Three Wishes, in September 2006 Howard was now signed with Shanachie|Shanachie Records . Her eighth studio album, Pillow Talk (album)|Pillow Talk was released. The album peaked at #60 on Billboard's Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. All songs were cover tracks of her favorite R& B classic songs, of Ann Peebles , George Benson , Nancy Wilson to Natalie Cole , The Main Ingredient (band)|The Main Ingredient and Boz Scaggs . Miki contributed as album music producer|producer , along with Kim Waters , Danny Weiss and Chris Davis.
2008-Present: Private Collection
Howard is currently working on regenerating her career after taking some time out to raise her children. She undertook a world tour with Roy Ayers and the Jazz Allstars. In June 2008, she released her ninth studio album, Private Collection (Miki Howard)|Private Collection cite web|url= http://www.soulexpress.net/mikihoward_privatecollection.htm |title=Miki Howard: Private Collection CD |publisher=Soulexpress.net |date=2008-07-30 |accessdate=2012-04-13 under her legally owned new independent label, Branicka Records .cite web|url= http://www.linkedin.com/pub/miki-howard/8/2b5/122 |title=Miki Howard |publisher=LinkedIn |date= |accessdate=2012-04-13 The album contained ten tracks, with five new smooth jazz and Rhythm and blues|R& B songs co-written and co-produced with Chuckii Booker , and five jazz standard s co-produced with Brandon McCune. Besides Booker, composers included on the album included Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer for " Skylark ", Sammy Fain and Paul-Francis Webster for " Secret Love (1953 song)|Secret Love ", Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer for " Days of Wine and Roses (song)|Days of Wine and Roses ", Elisse Boyd and Murray Grand for " Guess Who I Saw Today ", and Irving Berlin for " Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep|Counting Your Blessings ".
On November 1, 2010, "Unsung: Miki Howard" http://www.tvoneonline.com/shows/show.asp? sid=1192 dead link|date=April 2012 was televised on TV One (Radio One)|TV One . In February 2011, TV One televised "Way Black When" http://wayblackwhen.tvoneonline.com/tvone/ which showcased African Americans' impact in entertainment through the 1970s, 80's and 90's. Howard was featured during the 80's segment, hosted by comedian Niecy Nash . Howard performed her number-one R& B hit, " Ain't Nobody Like You ". In March she embarked on a U.S. tour "Throwback Unplugged Tour" cite web|url= http://www.songkick.com/artists/67479-miki-howard/gigography |title=Miki Howard Gigography, Tour History |publisher=Songkick |date= |accessdate=2012-04-13 with Dru Hill , K-Ci & JoJo and Bell Biv DeVoe .
Miki Howard Persondata | NAME =Howard, Miki | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1960-09-30 | PLACE OF BIRTH =Chicago, Illinois | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Miki Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:African American singers Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Chicago, Illinois
es:Miki Howard
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