Sharon Redd
Encyclopedia
Sharon Redd was an American
singer
from New York
. She was the half sister of R&B
singer Pennye Ford.
, and her stepfather performed with Benny Goodman
's orchestra. Her brother Gene Redd Jr. was a songwriter
and producer
for Kool & the Gang
and BMP
. Her sister Pennye Ford is also a singer with two albums to her credit.
She began her recording career with four singles in 1968 for the United Artists
label, three written and all four produced by songwriter
and record producer
Bobby Susser
. Susser chose the Hank Williams song "Half As Much
" to be Redd's first single. Redd's vocals, against Susser's heavy-bass track, made her presence very quickly known to R&B radio stations.
Redd, as a budding actress, got a major break when she starred in an Australian production of the rock musical
Hair
. She was among a troupe of young African-American imports to the Sydney
production, a group which notably included Marcia Hines
. Redd appeared in the production from its June 6, 1969 premiere through 1971.
As Redd was becoming famous in Australia, she was interviewed by Barry Sloane
on a 1971 episode of "GTK
". Her popular adverts for Amoco
led to her own television special. Redd and Hair co-star Teddy Williams were asked to leave Australia by the Immigration Department in April 1971 for reasons they believed were race-motivated. Aside from Hair, Redd also appeared in Ti-Jean and His Brothers and, in 1974, traveled to London to star in an American production of The Wedding of Iphigenia. In 1977 Redd played the role of Sherrye in the U.S. television sitcom "Rhoda
". 1978 also saw Redd feature as a guest in the musical Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
.
In the mid-1970s, Bette Midler
was looking to replace Merle Miller
and Gail Kantor, both of whom had left after Midler's 1973 tour to pursue their own interests. Midler auditioned over 70 performers, but Redd landed the job, becoming one of Bette's Harlettes
. Aside from performing as a Harlette, Redd also provided backing vocals
for Carol Douglas
("Burnin'" and "Night Fever") and Norman Connors
("You Are My Starship"). Having ended their association with Midler, Redd, Charlotte Crossley, & Ula Hedwig released an LP, Formerly of the Harlettes, in late 1977.
In 1979, Redd recorded the disco hit "Love Insurance," released by Panorama Records under the name Front Page, her own vocals going uncredited. But she soon signed a recording contract
with Prelude Records
, and Redd became the label's most successful artist. Her first album, 1980's self-titled Sharon Redd, was closely followed by two more—Redd Hott (1982) and Love How You Feel (1983). Redd placed several songs on the Hot Dance Club Play
chart
, including "Beat the Street," "In the Name of Love," and "Love How You Feel."
After these releases, Sharon Redd returned to her successful career as a background vocalist, most notably with the group Soirée, which also included among its members Luther Vandross
and Jocelyn Brown
. Then in 1991 she released a single entitled "All the Way to Love." This was to be her last solo recording.
In the midst of mounting a comeback in the early 1990s, Redd died of pneumonia
on May 1, 1992. Dance Music Report
magazine reported that her death was AIDS
-related.
In 1993, Pennye Ford dropped the 'e' from her name and released the album Penny Ford, which featured a duet
with her sister
entitled "Under Pressure
."
† DNA
featuring Sharon Redd
‡ Denotes tracks from US Dance-charting LP Redd Hot which included all cuts.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
from New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She was the half sister of R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer Pennye Ford.
Biography and career
Sharon Redd was born in Norfolk, Virginia to Gene Redd and Katherine Redd. Gene Redd was a producer and musical director at King RecordsKing Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a...
, and her stepfather performed with Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
's orchestra. Her brother Gene Redd Jr. was a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
and BMP
BMP
-In computing:* BMP file format, the file name extension for the Bitmap image file format.* Basic Multilingual Plane, related to the Unicode character set.* Beep Media Player, a multimedia player.-Biology:...
. Her sister Pennye Ford is also a singer with two albums to her credit.
She began her recording career with four singles in 1968 for the United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
label, three written and all four produced by songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Bobby Susser
Bobby Susser
Bobby Susser , and also known as Bob Susser, is a multi-award winning, American songwriter, record producer, and performer, best known for his young children's music...
. Susser chose the Hank Williams song "Half As Much
Half as Much
"Half as Much" is an American pop standard written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was first recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached #2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. The same year, Rosemary Clooney recorded a hit version for Top 40 markets and Alma Cogan in the...
" to be Redd's first single. Redd's vocals, against Susser's heavy-bass track, made her presence very quickly known to R&B radio stations.
Redd, as a budding actress, got a major break when she starred in an Australian production of the rock musical
Rock musical
A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept albums become rock musicals...
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...
. She was among a troupe of young African-American imports to the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
production, a group which notably included Marcia Hines
Marcia Hines
Marcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar...
. Redd appeared in the production from its June 6, 1969 premiere through 1971.
As Redd was becoming famous in Australia, she was interviewed by Barry Sloane
Barry Sloane
Barry Paul Sloane is an English actor. He trained as a musician and actor before landing his first professional acting role in the film In his Life: The John Lennon Story. He has appeared in numerous TV shows, notably the BAFTA award-winning dramas Pleasureland and The Mark of Cain...
on a 1971 episode of "GTK
GTK (TV show)
GTK was an Australian popular music TV series produced and broadcast by ABC Television.-History:The series title was an abbreviation of the phrase "Get To Know"...
". Her popular adverts for Amoco
Amoco
Amoco Corporation, originally Standard Oil Company , was a global chemical and oil company, founded in 1889 around a refinery located in Whiting, Indiana, United States....
led to her own television special. Redd and Hair co-star Teddy Williams were asked to leave Australia by the Immigration Department in April 1971 for reasons they believed were race-motivated. Aside from Hair, Redd also appeared in Ti-Jean and His Brothers and, in 1974, traveled to London to star in an American production of The Wedding of Iphigenia. In 1977 Redd played the role of Sherrye in the U.S. television sitcom "Rhoda
Rhoda
Rhoda is an American television sitcom, starring Valerie Harper, which ran for five seasons, from 1974 to 1978 airing in 109 episodes. The show was a spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which Harper between the years 1970 and 1974 had played the role of Rhoda Morgenstern, a spunky,...
". 1978 also saw Redd feature as a guest in the musical Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a 1978 American musical film. Its soundtrack, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, features new versions of songs originally written and performed by The Beatles. The film draws primarily from two of their albums, 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club...
.
In the mid-1970s, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
was looking to replace Merle Miller
Merle Miller
Merle Miller was an American novelist best known for his biographies of Presidents Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson. Three years before his best-selling book Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S...
and Gail Kantor, both of whom had left after Midler's 1973 tour to pursue their own interests. Midler auditioned over 70 performers, but Redd landed the job, becoming one of Bette's Harlettes
Harlettes
The Harlettes, aka The Staggering Harlettes, is a trio of backup singers who support Bette Midler during her live musical performances. The Harlettes' line-up has changed many times since their inception.-History:...
. Aside from performing as a Harlette, Redd also provided backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for Carol Douglas
Carol Douglas
Carol Douglas is an American singer whose hit "Doctor's Orders" was a pioneer track in the disco genre.-Early life and acting career:...
("Burnin'" and "Night Fever") and Norman Connors
Norman Connors
Norman Connors is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and headliner, who has led some influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads.-Biography:...
("You Are My Starship"). Having ended their association with Midler, Redd, Charlotte Crossley, & Ula Hedwig released an LP, Formerly of the Harlettes, in late 1977.
In 1979, Redd recorded the disco hit "Love Insurance," released by Panorama Records under the name Front Page, her own vocals going uncredited. But she soon signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Prelude Records
Prelude Records (record label)
Prelude Records was a New York-based dance independent record label, active from 1976 to 1986. At one time, François Kevorkian held an A&R position at Prelude. The label owner was Marvin Schlachter.-History:...
, and Redd became the label's most successful artist. Her first album, 1980's self-titled Sharon Redd, was closely followed by two more—Redd Hott (1982) and Love How You Feel (1983). Redd placed several songs on the Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, including "Beat the Street," "In the Name of Love," and "Love How You Feel."
After these releases, Sharon Redd returned to her successful career as a background vocalist, most notably with the group Soirée, which also included among its members 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...
and Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn Lorette Brown is an American R&B and dance music singer...
. Then in 1991 she released a single entitled "All the Way to Love." This was to be her last solo recording.
In the midst of mounting a comeback in the early 1990s, Redd died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on May 1, 1992. Dance Music Report
Dance Music Report
Dance Music Report, initially Disco News and later DMR, was a biweekly U.S. trade magazine oriented toward nightclub and radio DJs in the dance music industry...
magazine reported that her death was AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-related.
In 1993, Pennye Ford dropped the 'e' from her name and released the album Penny Ford, which featured a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with her sister
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
entitled "Under Pressure
Under Pressure
"Under Pressure" is a 1981 song recorded by Queen and David Bowie. It marked Bowie's first released collaboration with another recording artist as a performer, and is featured on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also number 31 on VH1's 100 Greatest...
."
Albums
- 1980: Sharon Redd - PreludePrelude RecordsPrelude Records is a classical music specialist CD shop, located in Norwich, England.Staffed by musicians, the shop has been in business since 1985....
- 1982: Redd Hot - (#1 - Hot Dance Club Play - LP All Cuts, UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#59) - 1983: Love How You Feel - Prelude
- 1989: Beat the Street: The Best of Sharon Redd - UnidiscUnidisc Music Inc.Unidisc Music Inc, is one of Canada’s largest independent record labels. The company has been expanding in growth and productivity since the late 1970s...
- 1994: Deep Beats: Essential Dancefloor Artists Vol. 3: Sharon Redd - 1994 - Deep Beats
Singles
- 1967: "Half As MuchHalf as Much"Half as Much" is an American pop standard written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was first recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached #2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. The same year, Rosemary Clooney recorded a hit version for Top 40 markets and Alma Cogan in the...
" (Veep V-1263, May 1967) - 1968: "Do You Want Me?" (United Artists, 1968)
- 1968: "I've Got A Feeling" (United Artists, 1968)
- 1968: "Since I Lost You" (United Artists, 1968)
- 1969: "Easy To Be HardHair (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...
" (1969, AUARIA ChartsThe ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
#32) - 1971: "Where The Mind Can Breathe" with Groove Myers (AmocoAmocoAmoco Corporation, originally Standard Oil Company , was a global chemical and oil company, founded in 1889 around a refinery located in Whiting, Indiana, United States....
) - 1979: "Love Insurance"
- 1980: "Can You Handle It" (1981) - (UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#31, US R&BHot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
#57) - 1980: "You Got My Love"
- 1982: "Beat The Street" (US DanceHot Dance Club PlayThe Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
#1, US R&BHot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
#41) ‡ - 1982: "Never Give You Up" (US DanceHot Dance Club PlayThe Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
#1, UK #20) ‡ - 1982: "In The Name Of Love" (US DanceHot Dance Club PlayThe Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
#1, UK #31, NLDutch Top 40The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
#11) ‡ - 1983: "You're a Winner"
- 1983: "Love How You Feel" (UK #39)
- 1984: "Undercover Girl"
- 1984: "Liar On The Wire" (US Dance #33)
- 1984: "Undercover Girl" (Prelude)
- 1988: "Second to None" (Payne Records)
- 1992: "Can You Handle It" with DNAThe DNA DisciplesDNA was the pseudonym taken by two British dance music producers Nick Batt and Neal Slateford, best known for issuing a remix of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" in 1990....
(re-recording, 1992) (UK #17, NLDutch Top 40The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
#62, NZRecording Industry Association of New ZealandThe Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
#41) †
† DNA
The DNA Disciples
DNA was the pseudonym taken by two British dance music producers Nick Batt and Neal Slateford, best known for issuing a remix of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" in 1990....
featuring Sharon Redd
‡ Denotes tracks from US Dance-charting LP Redd Hot which included all cuts.
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart