Jody Watley

Jody Watley
Jody Watley in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Jody Vanessa Watley
Born	January 30, 1959 (1959-01-30) (age 50) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, record producer, pianist
Years active	1977–1984(Groups) 1984-present (Solo)
Labels	SOLAR, MCA, Atlantic, Avitone Recordings
Associated acts	Shalamar, Babyface, 4Hero, Destiny's Child, Band Aid, George Michael,
Website	jodywatley.net

Jody Vanessa Watley (born January 30, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois) is an Award-winning American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul.^[1][2][3]

In 1987, she won the Grammy Award for "Best New Artist."^[4] Along with Janet Jackson and Madonna, she ranks as one of MTV Video Music Awards most nominated female artists ever, with 7 nominations for her 'Real Love' video.

To date, she is best known for her role in setting trends and standards for style, music and video in the late '80s.^[5][6][7] Early in her solo career she was also noted for her commercial dance pop stylings with a funky edge.^[8] Jody Watley is also noted as being one of the first Pop/R&B singers to include a rapper on the specialized verse/bridge with their collaboration on "Friends" featuring Eric B. & Rakim, which would become a popular formula in commercial Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop.^[9][10]

Watley has sold over twenty million albums and singles worldwide.^[11] In 2008, she was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Magazine, and was also prominently featured^[12] in the historic black issue of Vogue Italia in 2008.

Her early music influences are Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, The Carpenters, Roberta Flack, Prince, Grace Jones and various jazz artists including Nancy Wilson.^[13]

Early career: Soul Train and Shalamar (1977–1984)

Influenced by Diana Ross,^[14] Watley made her first stage appearance at 8 years old with family friend and godfather Jackie Wilson.^[15] She got her start on the TV show Soul Train at the age of 14. Documented by Ebony magazine in 1977 as a part of "The New Generation," Jody Watley was one of the most popular on the show and recognized as a trendsetter for her style and dance moves.^[16]

From 1977 to 1984, she was an original member of the R&B group Shalamar .^[17] Shalamar released a platinum-selling album, Friends, and the #1 R&B single The Second Time Around. After several reported conflicts in the group and disagreement with Solar Records, Watley abruptly quit the group in 1984.^[18]

Post-Shalamar, Jody recorded a guest vocal with British Jamaican roots reggae child pop stars Musical Youth^[19] for their Different Style album. She also recorded demos with Gary Langan, Anne Dudley and J.J Jeczalik (who later became Art of Noise). A brief stint with Phonogram Records yielded two of the demo's as 12" promo recordings, Where the Boys Are and Girls Night Out'.

Most notably during this era, and after departing the group, she took part in Bob Geldof's historic Band Aid recording of Do They Know It's Christmas, alongside Bono, Sting, and George Michael and other prominent UK artists.

Jody Watley (1987 - 1988)

Jody Watley in Paris, France on location for 'Still a Thrill' Video from solo debut.

Free from the confines and conflicts of Shalamar, Watley was signed to MCA Records with a focus and desire to establish her own identity away from the group.^[20] In late 1986, MCA released the first single, "Looking for a New Love", from her self titled debut album.^[21] In an interview with Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone Magazine she would say that she wanted to showcase her voice against "really funky hard dance tracks."^[20] Co-writing the single including 6 of the album's 9 songs, Jody Watley, which was released in March 1987 on MCA Records. "Looking for a New Love" with its popular sardonic signature line "hasta la vista, baby", stayed at #2 on the Billboard's Hot 100 Single chart for four weeks and sold over 750,000 copies in the U.S.^[22] The album peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200, and topped the Billboard Hot R&B Albums Chart at #1.^[23] The album, which also included a duet with George Michael, produced four more multi-format hits in R&B and Dance^[24] in addition to these peaks on the Billboard Hot 100: "Don't You Want Me" (#6), "Some Kind of Lover" (#10) "Still a Thrill" (#56), and "Most of All" (#60).

Jody Watley had the honor of performing a duet with one of her musical influences, Stevie Wonder, for his MTV Special Characters Gathering.^[25]

At the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, Watley was named Best New Artist and was nominated for Grammy Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. That same year (1988), she was also nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards and three Soul Train Awards, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year.

Shortly after winning the Grammy Award, Watley would also be featured in Harper's Bazaar Magazine photographed by Francesco Scavullo.^[26]

Larger than Life (1989)

Jody Watley 1989.

Moving away from the image of her debut toward a blend of high fashion with street wear,^[27] in the spring of 1989, Watley released her second album, Larger than Life. She would co-write 11 of the album's 12 songs. The album sold over four million copies worldwide, reaching #16 on the Billboard 200 and Top 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in America.^[28] The first single release, "Real Love", reached #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, the Single Sales chart, and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, while reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single went gold, selling over 500,000 copies. The album contained two more Top 10 Pop, Dance and R&B hits: "Friends" (featuring Eric B. & Rakim), peaking at #4 on the Hot 100, #3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, and peaking at #11 on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Friends" is notable for being one of the first to include the formula of Pop/R&B singer with a rapper with the 16-bar verse bridge concept.^[9][10] The album's final single, "Precious Love", became a moderate hit, peaking at #51 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and #87 on the Billboard Hot 100.

During the summer of 1989, Watley's "Real Love" video, directed by David Fincher, was nominated for seven MTV Video Music Awards including Breakthrough Video, Best Art Direction, Best Dance Video, and Best Female Video at the 1989 award show. That record was held until Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson's video "Scream" received 11 VMA nominations in 1995. The next year, she was nominated for two Soul Train Awards, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist, and a Narm Award for Best Selling R&B Female Album. While riding high on her Larger Than Life World Tour, a remix album, You Wanna Dance with Me?, was released in October 1989 and achieved gold status in America.

1989 also saw Watley featured in Harper's Bazaar "Ten Most Beautiful Women" issue, photographed by Matthew Rolston.^[27] That same year Jody Watley appeared on the cover of the Japanese high fashion magazine SPUR for its debut issue.^[29]

Music and fashion (1990s and beyond)

Jody Watley as featured in Italian Vogue.

In 1990, Watley would continue to be involved with fashion. On her second album, she was photographed by fashion photographer Steven Meisel, where she continued to make her own style statements.^[27] In the videos for "Real Love", Watley would introduce a higher fashion aesthetic blending vintage and custom designs.^[27] "Friends" mixed couture by Jean-Paul Gaultier, with an urban sensibility. She released a million-selling home video, Dance To Fitness. She was featured in the first celebrity ad campaign for Gap^[30] and in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Vogue Italia, Rolling Stone, Essence, and Vanity Fair.^[31] She was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People of 1990 in People Magazine.^[32]

In the same year, she contributed a jazzy rendition of "After You, Who?" the compilation album Red, Hot, & Blue, an AIDS-awareness charity recording of songs by Cole Porter. The following year, Jody quietly married long time producer André Cymone.

Watley was photographed by famous photographer, Victor Skrebneski, for the popular Saks Fifth Avenue Defining Style Fall Catalog, where she appeared in a 15 page high fashion layout in 1996.^[33]

In 2006, Watley would walk the runway with designer Kevan Hall for LA Fashion Week.^[34]

She is also noted as an influence on contemporary designer Malan Breton of Project Runway.

Affairs of the Heart (1991)

Watley would state that she was eager to change her musical range and image.^[35] She was inspired toward a more introspective approach for 'Affairs Of The Heart", wanting to address social concerns.^[36]

In December 1991, Watley released her third album, Affairs of the Heart, described by Justin Kantor in Guide to Soul as an overlooked standout of her 80's and 90's output.^[37] The album peaked at #21 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, #124 on The Billboard 200), and sold less than 400,000 copies in the U.S. The lead single, "I Want You," peaked at #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Hot R&B Singles chart, and reached #61 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The second single, "I'm The One You Need" fared better, peaking at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Produced by David Morales, it was Watley's first foray into house music; a remix by Morales, the "Dead Zone mix," was released on DJ John Digweed's Choice Classics compilation.

The final single was the inspirational pop ballad "It All Begins With You". The performance earned Watley a special invitation by President George H. W. Bush in 1992 to perform the song at the White House.^[38] Watley used the opportunity to encourage the government to provide more support and funding for public schools.^[38] "It All Begins With You" peaked at #80 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Hot R&B Singles chart.

During this time Watley recorded "It's All There" for the movie "Switch" with legendary composer Henry Mancini.^[39]

Intimacy (1993)

Apparently undeterred by disappointing sales, Watley would say she was more concerned with broadening her creative boundaries and issuing lasting messages of substance than in having record breaking sales.^[40] In November 1993 MCA released Jody's fourth solo album, the introspective relationship themed Intimacy. Noting that the New Jack Swing was all the rage in R&B at the time, Amy Linden wrote in People Magazine that Intimacy continued the process of Watley's move toward more refreshingly adult themes and that Watley was deserving of serious attention.^[41] Watley herself acknowledged that the songs she wrote were always personal statements.^[42]

Intimacy with its songs of "romance and angst"^[42] reached #38 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #164 on The Billboard 200. The first single was "Your Love Keeps Working On Me", peaking at #26 R&B and #2 Dance. Watley added video director to her resume, for the spoken word/hip-hop tune "When a Man Loves a Woman".^[43] The BBG Remix of "When a Man Loves a Man" also topped the dance charts in the UK. It also contained the song "Ecstasy", produced by David Morales, which became an underground hit and later appeared on her Greatest Hits collection.

Affection (1995)

After having parted ways with MCA Records, Watley took an independent and entrepreneurial path releasing her fifth solo album, Affection, in July 1995 through her own Avitone Records label.^[44] She aligned Avitone with independent Bellmark Records as distributor. According to Jose Promis of Allmusic, the release lacked the urgency and immediency of her dance-era hits, but was an engaging collection of slow burners, mid tempo and jazzy R&B.^[45] The album's title track, "Affection", became a modest R&B hit, peaking at #28 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart^[46]

Greatest Hits (1996)

Jody Watley on Broadway in New York as Rizzo in Grease.

In 1996, Watley made history as the first African-American to play Rizzo in the musical Grease at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

Watley was photographed by famous photographer, Victor Skrebneski, for the popular Saks Fifth Avenue Defining Style Fall Catalog, where she appeared in a 15 page high fashion layout.

That fall, Watley scored a platinum-selling single as a guest vocalist on Babyface's "This Is For The Lover In You". The single, which also featured vocals from LL Cool J and Watley's former Shalamar bandmates Howard Hewett and Jeffrey Daniel, was a remake of Shalamar's Top 10 hit by the same name. Babyface's version peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and #2 on the R&B Singles Chart. The song's video received heavy rotation on MTV and BET. As the year wound to a close, taking a slight detour from her Avitone label, Watley signed with Big Beat/Atlantic Records. The same year MCA released a Greatest Hits package with Watley's recordings for the label.

The late 1990s

Flower (1997-1998)

After spending most of 1997 in the recording studio crafting her sixth studio album, Flower, Watley was back in early 1998 with its lead singles "Off The Hook" and "If I'm Not In Love." "Off The Hook" peaked at #23 on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart and #73 Billboard Hot 100 but fared much better on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Propelled by remixes from Masters At Work and Soul Solution(Dance act), the track reached #1 on the dance chart, making it her first #1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play hit in nine years. Later the same year, a single of "If I'm Not In Love" was released, with promo mixes by Sal Dano (credited as BK Dano) and Lenny Bertoldo, and that song reached #2 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

Big Beat Records was absorbed into its parent label, Atlantic Records, which then shelved the album from a U.S. release, and left Watley in legal limbo for two years.^[47] Flower was, however, released in Canada, Great Britain, and Japan. The critically-acclaimed release was championed by many UK magazines, including Blues and Soul and Echoes among others.

The Saturday Night Experience (1999)

Jody Watley during Saturday Night Experience era.

It was during the time she was unable to record, that Watley says she was inspired by 4Hero whose 1998 album Two Pages exposed her to the underground electronic dance music out side of the mainstream; she credits this inspiration for not retiring after the disappointment of how Flower was handled.^[47] The Saturday Night Experience Vol. 1, as Watley told music historian David Nathan.

In November 1999, Jody reactivated her independent label, Avitone, and released her seventh studio album via Universal Japan The Saturday Night Experience featuring Jody Watley Vol. 1, a collection of organic club music tracks, inspired by her newfound love of electronic music. It was released exclusively in Japan along with a single, "Another Chapter," with remixes by DJ Soma. Also included on the project was the drum and bass title song "Saturday Night Experience." As Watley told music historian David Nathan, "The Saturday Night Experience" was intended to be a concept album, aimed at people looking for something different.^[47] The Saturday Night Experience , as told to music historian David Nathan, Watley stated she had no desire to release the project in the U.S.^[48]

The title song of the same name was licensed to Giant Step and included on their compilation "Giant Sessions, Volume 1 Mixed by Ron Trent".^[49]

The following year, MCA released 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Jody Watley.

2000s

Midnight Lounge (2001-2005)

Jody Watley meeting Queen of Malaysia in 2005.

In 2001, Jody released her eighth studio album, Midnight Lounge in Europe and Japan. In an interview with Billboard Magazine Watley would say, "An artist should always explore new frontiers."^[50]

"Midnight Lounge" was a collection of tracks that combined a blend of soul, jazz, R&B, and electronic club music.^[51][52]

After achieving moderate success in its original release, Watley arranged for it to be released in the U.S. through her Avitone imprint in a short-term license deal with Shanachie Records on March 11, 2003. Midnight Lounge was Watley's first studio album released in the U.S. in eight years, reaching Top 20 status on Billboard Top Electronic Albums chart. Roy Ayers appeared on the Masters At Work produced, "I Love to Love", Junior Vasquez and several other producers contributed remixes to the single release of "Whenever", bringing the track to #19 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Chart. One of the album's other singles, "Photographs", became notable in the underground club scene with mixes by Phil Asher and East West Connection. The music and growth of Watley would achieve critical acclaim for the project and Watley, noting she had successfully updated her sound over the years and evolved successfully into a soulful chantese.^{[52][53][54][55]}

In 2005, Watley made history on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart when she re-released her 1987 hit "Looking For a New Love." The 2005 remix reached #1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play chart, making her the first artist ever to take the same song to #1 in two different decades. Jody Watley now has the distinction of being among the few artists who have been to #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in all of the past three decades (the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s).

The same year, Watley was invited to participate in the Force of Nature Relief Concert^[56] to aid the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.^[57] During the trip Watley and others (including The Black Eyed Peas, Lauryn Hill, and Jackie Chan) were invited to the Royal Palace to meet The King and Queen of Malaysia for a special Tea reception in showing their gratitude for all involved with Force of Nature.^[58]

The Makeover (2006-2009)

Jody Watley promoting 'The Makeover' in-store.

The Makeover would bring Watley together with 4Hero and King Britt among others in a chilled electronic out musical style.^[59][60] Understanding the shifting paradigms in the music industry and the changing business models,^[61][62] Watley's Avitone Recordings arranged for The Makeover to be released exclusively to the Virgin Megastore chain in its first ever CD exclusive.^[63] It debuted at #1 for the retailer, and was accompanied by a Virgin mini-tour where she performed for customers and signed copies of the CD.^[64][65] The first single was a cover of Madonna's "Borderline". The single reached #2 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in January 2007. The second single, a cover of Chic's "I Want Your Love," reached #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play in June 2007.^[66]

In 2007, Watley was listed as #5 in the Year End Billboard Dance Play Artists. Her single "I Want Your Love" was #15 and "Borderline" #19 according to Billboard Year End Chart Review for 2007.^[67][68] In January 2008, "I Want Your Love" topped the U.K. Dance Charts in January, giving her her her first U.K. mainstream dance hit in two decades.^[69]

In 2008, she launched an online music store,^[70] while scoring another Top Five Billboard Dance Single, "A Beautiful Life,"^[71] bringing the total of Top Five Singles for The Makeover to three.

In May 2009, Watley's Avitone signed a distribution deal with London based Alternative Distribution Alliance Global.^[72]

In October 2009, an "International" version of "The Makeover' was released in the U.K. to positive reviews. Pete Lewis from Blues and Soul noted her evolution as an artist and performer as being showcased on the album. Further stating Watley being hailed by some, as exemplifying the 21st century recording artist continuing to exercise her own creative path. ^[73]

Distinguishable from the original release, The Makeover "International Edition" featured new cover art and track listing. New inclusions featured the bossa-soul rendering of Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain", a sparsely arranged version of Carole King's 60's ballad "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", Erasure's anthem "A Little Respect", and a reworking of the Diana Ross dance classic "Love Hangover". Replacing the downtempo ambient version found on the 2006 "The Makeover" , Watley recorded the new arrangement originally suggested by songwriter Pam Sawyer, for Ross. ^{[74] [75]} Reg Dancy from Basic Soul would write that Watley was able to handpick songs and make them seem as if they had been written for her. ^[76] Added to the line-up of producers which included King Britt, Mark de-Clive Lowe, 4Hero, DJ Spinna, and longtime co-collaborator Rodney Lee, are remixer/producers Marco Zappala from Brazil and Craig C. from the UK.

Discography

Awards and nominations

Personal life

Watley's father was a minister/disc jockey. Jody's brother John was her tour manager in 1996, and now operates a vocal training and production company in Japan.^[77] She has two children, Lauren and Arie, and was married to producer André Cymone.^[78] She is also said to be the older sister of former adult star Midori.^[79]

See also

• List of best-selling music artists
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jody Watley

• Jody Watley's official site
• Jody Watley at Allmusic
• Jody Watley at the Internet Movie Database