Please join the Albumism team in celebrating Minnie Riperton’s musical legacy and revisit audio & video highlights from her career below!
Born: November 8, 1947
Died: July 12, 1979. Biography: The t*ragic d*eath of 31-year-old Minnie Riperton in 1979 silenced one of soul music's most unique and unforgettable voices.
Blessed with an angelic five-octave vocal range, she scored her greatest commercial success with the chart-topping pop ballad "Lovin' You."
Riperton was born in Chicago on November 8, 1947; as a youth she studied music, drama, and dance at the city's Abraham Lincoln Center and later contemplated a career in opera. Her pop career began in 1961 when she joined a local girl group called the Gems, signing to the famed Chess label to release a handful of singles as well as lend backing vocals to acts including Fontella Bass, the Dells, and Etta James. After graduating high school, Riperton went to work at Chess as a receptionist; following the Gems' dissolution, she also signed with the label as a solo act, releasing a single, "Lonely Girl," under the alias Andrea Davis. {Read Ms. Riperton’s full bio via AllMusic]
Discography (Studio Albums):
Come to My Garden (1970)
Perfect Angel (1974)
Adventures in Paradise (1975)
Stay in Love (1977)
Minnie (1979)
Love Lives Forever (1980)
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