Brenda Russell
Encyclopedia
Brenda Russell is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter
and keyboardist
. Known for her eclectic musical style, her recordings have encompassed several different genres, including pop
, soul
, dance
, jazz
and adult contemporary. As well as composing and recording her own material, Russell's songwriting and vocal talents are often in demand by many other artists who, over the years, have included Stevie Wonder
, Aretha Franklin
, Earth, Wind & Fire
, Joni Mitchell
, Donna Summer
, and Sting.
), she spent her formative years in Canada after moving to Hamilton, Ontario
, age 12. As a teenager she began performing in local bands and in her late teens joined the Toronto production of Hair
, during which time she had begun to play the piano. In the early 1970s she married musician Bryan Russell
and (as Brian & Brenda) they released two albums on Elton John
's Rocket label, Word Called Love (1976) and Supersonic Lover (1977). The Russells also performed on two tracks from Robert Palmer's breakout soul-pop album Double Fun
. The couple had divorced by the late 1970s, and Brenda, now living in Los Angeles, had set out on a solo career. Their daughter, Lindsay, was born in 1977.
After Russell was signed to Tommy LiPuma
's Horizon Records
(a subsidiary of A&M Records
), her debut single, "So Good, So Right", became a Top 30 hit in 1979. After it disestablished the Horizon imprint in 1979, A&M released Russell's self-titled debut album
. The album included the hit "So Good, So Right" as well as the tracks "In The Thick Of It" and "If Only For One Night" (which was later a hit for Luther Vandross
). Her second album, Love Life, followed in 1981, though commercial success eluded her. Moving to Warner Bros. Records
, she released her third album, Two Eyes
, in 1983. After this, Russell relocated to Sweden
and began writing songs for her next album.
Returning to A&M Records, Russell's fourth album, Get Here
, was released in 1988. It became her greatest commercial success, spawning her biggest hit "Piano in the Dark
" (a US Top 10 hit which featured Joe Esposito
) and garnered three Grammy Award
nominations. The title track went on to become a worldwide hit in 1991 when it was covered by Oleta Adams
. After releasing her next album, Kiss Me with the Wind (1990), Russell's contract with A&M concluded with the release of her Greatest Hits album in 1992. Russell then signed with EMI
and released the album Soul Talkin in 1993. After this, Russell took some time off from recording her own music and during this period she composed songs for other artists and wrote the score for the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back
. She also appeared in the 1999 film Liberty Heights
, in which she performed two songs written especially for the movie.
Russell resumed her solo career in 2000 with the album Paris Rain, released on Hidden Beach Records. The album (which includes collaborations with Carole King
, Dave Koz
and Sheila E.
) saw Russell move away from the pop market toward a more adult-oriented sound. In 2003, she signed to the new UK label Dome Records and released the compilation album So Good, So Right: The Best of Brenda Russell. Her eighth studio album, Between the Sun and the Moon, was released by Dome in 2004.
2005 saw a Broadway
musical version of Alice Walker
's The Color Purple
. Produced by Oprah Winfrey
, the show's score is written by Russell and lyricists-composers Allee Willis
and Stephen Bray
. Russell and her co-writers were nominated for a Tony Award
(for Best Score) and a Grammy Award
(in the Best Musical Show Album category).
In November 2009, three tracks from Russell's ninth studio album, This Is Real Life, were made available via her official site though a release date for the album is yet to be announced.
Ultimate Collection
So Good So Right: The Best Of Brenda Russell
In the Thick of It: The Best of Brenda Russell
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
. Known for her eclectic musical style, her recordings have encompassed several different genres, including pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and adult contemporary. As well as composing and recording her own material, Russell's songwriting and vocal talents are often in demand by many other artists who, over the years, have included Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, and Sting.
Biography
Born to musical parents (her father Gus was a one-time member of The Ink SpotsThe Ink Spots
The Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
), she spent her formative years in Canada after moving to Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, age 12. As a teenager she began performing in local bands and in her late teens joined the Toronto production of Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
, during which time she had begun to play the piano. In the early 1970s she married musician Bryan Russell
Bryan Russell
Bryan Russell is an American record producer. His credits include artists such as Straylight Run, Envy on the Coast, The Academy Is, and Anterrabae, and has also worked on records with Coldplay, Dream Theater, Paul Simon, Blue Wolf and Steely Dan. He is currently living and working out of New...
and (as Brian & Brenda) they released two albums on Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's Rocket label, Word Called Love (1976) and Supersonic Lover (1977). The Russells also performed on two tracks from Robert Palmer's breakout soul-pop album Double Fun
Double Fun
Double Fun is Robert Palmer's fourth solo album, released in 1978. Self-produced, this pop album is influenced by multiple genres including blue-eyed soul, disco and heavy rock but maintains an overall consistency of production which holds it all together...
. The couple had divorced by the late 1970s, and Brenda, now living in Los Angeles, had set out on a solo career. Their daughter, Lindsay, was born in 1977.
After Russell was signed to Tommy LiPuma
Tommy LiPuma
Tommy LiPuma is an American music producer. In his long career, he has worked with many musicians, including Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Claudine Longet, Dave Mason, the Yellowjackets, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, and The Story...
's Horizon Records
Horizon Records
Horizon Records was started as a folk and blues record label by Dave Hubert in 1960.It was originally distributed by World Pacific Records. When Vee-Jay Records acquired World Pacific in 1963, it also took over the distribution of Horizon....
(a subsidiary of A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
), her debut single, "So Good, So Right", became a Top 30 hit in 1979. After it disestablished the Horizon imprint in 1979, A&M released Russell's self-titled debut album
Brenda Russell (album)
Brenda Russell is the eponymous debut album by the American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell, released in 1979.After working for several years with her then-husband Bryan Russell as session musicians and by themselves as the duo Brian & Brenda in the mid 1970s, the couple divorced and Brenda...
. The album included the hit "So Good, So Right" as well as the tracks "In The Thick Of It" and "If Only For One Night" (which was later a hit for Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
). Her second album, Love Life, followed in 1981, though commercial success eluded her. Moving to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, she released her third album, Two Eyes
Two Eyes (Brenda Russell album)
Two Eyes is the third studio album by the American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell, released in 1983.-Album History:The track "Hello People" was co-written and performed with Michael McDonald, whereas the track "Look Down, Young Soldier" featured a whole chorus of star names including Rita...
, in 1983. After this, Russell relocated to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and began writing songs for her next album.
Returning to A&M Records, Russell's fourth album, Get Here
Get Here
"Get Here" is a pop ballad written by American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell which became an international hit via a 1990 recording by Oleta Adams, reaching #4 in the UK and #5 in the US....
, was released in 1988. It became her greatest commercial success, spawning her biggest hit "Piano in the Dark
Piano in the Dark
"Piano In The Dark" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Brenda Russell . It was the first single to be taken from Russell's 1988 album, Get Here.-Song Information:...
" (a US Top 10 hit which featured Joe Esposito
Joe Esposito
Joe Esposito or Joseph Esposito may refer to:*Joe Esposito , Italian-American organized crime figure known as "Diamond Joe"; Sicilian Mafia member active in Prohibition-era Chicago; associate of Al Capone; Republican elected leader of 19th Ward; assassinated*Joe Esposito , American rock concert...
) and garnered three Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations. The title track went on to become a worldwide hit in 1991 when it was covered by Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.-Biography:Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.Before gaining her opportunity to perform,...
. After releasing her next album, Kiss Me with the Wind (1990), Russell's contract with A&M concluded with the release of her Greatest Hits album in 1992. Russell then signed with EMI
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
and released the album Soul Talkin in 1993. After this, Russell took some time off from recording her own music and during this period she composed songs for other artists and wrote the score for the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 romance film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and Regina King. This film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel by the same title...
. She also appeared in the 1999 film Liberty Heights
Liberty Heights
Liberty Heights is a 1999 comedy-drama film by writer-director Barry Levinson. It is a semi-autobiographical account of his childhood growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s. It marked the last appearance of Ralph Tabakin, who appeared in cameo roles in every Levinson movie since his first, Diner , a...
, in which she performed two songs written especially for the movie.
Russell resumed her solo career in 2000 with the album Paris Rain, released on Hidden Beach Records. The album (which includes collaborations with Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
, Dave Koz
Dave Koz
Dave Koz is an American smooth jazz saxophonist.- Life and career :Dave Koz was born on March 27, 1963 in Encino, California....
and Sheila E.
Sheila E.
Sheila Escovedo , known by her stage name Sheila E., is an American drummer and percussionist, perhaps best known for her work with Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr.-Early life and Prince period:...
) saw Russell move away from the pop market toward a more adult-oriented sound. In 2003, she signed to the new UK label Dome Records and released the compilation album So Good, So Right: The Best of Brenda Russell. Her eighth studio album, Between the Sun and the Moon, was released by Dome in 2004.
2005 saw a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical version of Alice Walker
Alice Walker
Alice Malsenior Walker is an American author, poet, and activist. She has written both fiction and essays about race and gender...
's The Color Purple
The Color Purple
The Color Purple is an acclaimed 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker. It received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction...
. Produced by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, the show's score is written by Russell and lyricists-composers Allee Willis
Allee Willis
Allee Willis is an American songwriter, artist, set designer, multimedia artist, writer, collector and director.-Overview:...
and Stephen Bray
Stephen Bray
Stephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
. Russell and her co-writers were nominated for a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
(for Best Score) and a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
(in the Best Musical Show Album category).
In November 2009, three tracks from Russell's ninth studio album, This Is Real Life, were made available via her official site though a release date for the album is yet to be announced.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B | Singles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Brenda Russell Brenda Russell (album) Brenda Russell is the eponymous debut album by the American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell, released in 1979.After working for several years with her then-husband Bryan Russell as session musicians and by themselves as the duo Brian & Brenda in the mid 1970s, the couple divorced and Brenda... (A&M Records) |
65 | 26 | "So Good, So Right", "In The Thick Of It" (UK double A-side) "Way Back When" |
| 1981 | Love Life (A&M Records) |
– | – | "If You Love (The One You Lose)" |
| 1983 | Two Eyes Two Eyes (Brenda Russell album) Two Eyes is the third studio album by the American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell, released in 1983.-Album History:The track "Hello People" was co-written and performed with Michael McDonald, whereas the track "Look Down, Young Soldier" featured a whole chorus of star names including Rita... (Warner Bros. Records) |
– | – | "I Want Love To Find Me", "Two Eyes" |
| 1988 | Get Here Get Here (Brenda Russell album) Get Here is the fourth studio album by the American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell. Released in 1988, it is Russell's most successful album to date and includes her hit single "Piano in the Dark".-Album History:... (A&M Records) |
49 | 20 | "Piano in the Dark Piano in the Dark "Piano In The Dark" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Brenda Russell . It was the first single to be taken from Russell's 1988 album, Get Here.-Song Information:... ", "Get Here", "Gravity", "Le Restaurant", "Just A Believer" |
| 1990 | Kiss Me with the Wind (A&M Records) |
– | 65 | "Kiss Me With The Wind", "Stop Running Away" |
| 1993 | Soul Talkin' (EMI Records) |
– | – | "In Over My Heart" |
| 2000 | Paris Rain (Hidden Beach Records) |
– | – | "Catch On", "Walkin' In New York", "You Can't Hide Your Heart From Me", "Something About Your Love" |
| 2004 | Between the Sun and the Moon (Dome Records/Narada Jazz) |
– | 96 | "Make You Smile", "I Know You By Heart" |
- Get Here also peaked at #77 on the UK Album Chart.
Compilations
Greatest Hits- Released: 1992
- Label: A&M Records
- Chart Peak: N/A
Ultimate Collection
- Released: 2001
- Label: Hip-O Records
- Chart Peak: N/A
So Good So Right: The Best Of Brenda Russell
- Released: 2003 (UK)
- Label: Dome Records
- Chart Peak: N/A
In the Thick of It: The Best of Brenda Russell
- Released: 2009 (UK)
- Label: Dome Records
- Chart Peak: N/A
Filmography
Russell features as a singer in the following films:- American Hot WaxAmerican Hot WaxAmerican Hot Wax is a 1978 biopic film directed by Floyd Mutrux and written by John Kaye telling the story of Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who was instrumental in introducing and popularizing rock 'n' roll in the 1950s...
(1978) - Liberty HeightsLiberty HeightsLiberty Heights is a 1999 comedy-drama film by writer-director Barry Levinson. It is a semi-autobiographical account of his childhood growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s. It marked the last appearance of Ralph Tabakin, who appeared in cameo roles in every Levinson movie since his first, Diner , a...
(1999)