Anita Baker
Anita Baker (* 26. January 1958 in Toledo . Ohio ) is an American jazz - and soul - singer .
Life
Anita Baker began her singing career in a gospel choir at the age of twelve. Her role models at the time were Ella Fitzgerald , Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson , who still clearly influenced their singing style today. In 1975 she started in Detroit in the band 8 Chapter sing and took with it for record Ariola on. After she left the band in 1979, she worked as a singer in Detroit from one underpaid job to the next. In the early 80s she went to Los Angeles and was able to release her first solo album in 1983, but without much success.
Her breakthrough came in 1986 after she signed with Elektra Records in 1985 . Her first LP, Rapture , won a Grammy Award in 1987 for best female R&B performance and the record went five times platinum. There were several pop hits on this album, which is characterized by light jazz-influenced soul ballads. Caught up in the rapture and Sweet Love are probably the most famous songs on this album.
Her other albums were then influenced by jazz far more, and Anita Baker changed from the pop ballad singer on Rapture to a respected jazz singer of the younger generation. Also Giving You the Best That I Got , the title track contained therein, and Compositions were each awarded a Grammy for best R & B performance, so that they in a row (1989-1991) again, got that music award three years. With I apologize she had another hit in 1994, which was also awarded a Grammy.
After a ten-year hiatus, she released another album in 2004 with My Everything .
As of 2017, Baker has won a total of eight Grammy Awards , four American Music Awards, and seven Soul Train Music Awards . In 2018 she won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards . In 2013 she was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame . In 1994 she got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (7021 Hollywood Blvd.).
She was married and has two sons, one of whom is studying at Berklee College of Music .
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 AT
|
 CH
|
 UK
|
 US
|
|||
| 1983 | The songstress | - | - | - | - |
US139 (11 weeks) US |
First published: May 31, 1983
|
| 1987 | Rapture |
DE50 (7 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK13  (47 weeks)UK |
US11 × 5
(157 weeks)US |
First published: March 20, 1987
|
| 1988 | Giving You the Best That I Got | - | - | - |
UK9  (20 weeks)UK |
US1 × 3
(42 weeks)US |
First published: October 18, 1988
|
| 1990 | Compositions |
DE36 (11 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK7th (9 weeks)UK |
US5 (40 weeks)US |
First published: June 12, 1990
|
| 1994 | Rhythm of Love | - | - | - |
UK14 (6 weeks) UK |
US3 × 2
(38 weeks)US |
First published: September 13, 1994
|
| 2004 | My everything | - | - | - | - |
US4th (20 weeks)US |
First published: September 7, 2004
|
More albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 2002 | The best of | - | - | - |
UK49 (2 weeks) UK |
US118 (16 weeks)US |
First published: June 18, 2002
compilation |
| 2005 | Christmas fantasy | - | - | - | - |
US120 (5 weeks) US |
First release: October 4th, 2005
Christmas album |
more publishments
- 2004: A Night of Rapture Live
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1986 | Sweet Love Rapture |
- | - | - |
UK13 (12 weeks) UK |
US8 (22 weeks) US |
First published: August 1986
|
| Caught Up in the Rapture Rapture |
- | - | - |
UK51 (5 weeks) UK |
US37 (18 weeks) US |
First published: November 1986
|
|
| 1987 | Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year) Rapture |
- | - | - |
UK100 (1 week) UK |
US44 (14 weeks) US |
First published: March 1987
|
| No One in the World Rapture |
- | - | - | - |
US44 (17 weeks) US |
First published: August 1987
|
|
| 1988 | Giving You the Best That I Got Giving You the Best That I Got |
- | - | - |
UK55 (3 weeks) UK |
US3 (22 weeks) US |
First published: September 1988
|
| Just Because Giving You the Best That I Got |
- | - | - |
UK93 (1 week) UK |
US14 (16 weeks) US |
First published: December 1988
|
|
| 1990 | Talk to Me Compositions |
- | - | - |
UK68 (2 weeks) UK |
US44 (13 weeks) US |
First published: May 1990
|
| Soul Inspiration Compositions |
- | - | - | - |
US72 (7 weeks) US |
First published: September 1990
|
|
| 1994 | Body and Soul Rhythm of Love |
- | - | - |
UK48 (2 weeks) UK |
US36 (20 weeks) US |
First published: August 1994
|
| I Apologize Rhythm of Love |
- | - | - |
UK80 (1 week) UK |
US74 (12 weeks) US |
First published: November 1994
|
|
| 2004 | You're My Everything, My Everything |
- | - | - | - |
US74 (20 weeks) US |
First published: August 2004
|
More singles
- 1983: Angel
- 1983: No More Tears
- 1983: You're the Best Thing Yet
- 1984: Feel the Need
- 1986: Watch Your Step
- 1987: Ain't No Need to Worry (with The Winans)
- 1989: Lead Me Into Love
- 1990: Fairy Tales
- 1995: It's Been You
- 1995: When You Love Someone (with James Ingram )
- 2004: How Does It Feel
- 2005: Serious
- 2012: Lately
Video albums
- 1989: One Night Of Rapture (US:platinum)
literature
- Jessie Carney Smith, Shirelle Phelps (Eds.): Notable Black American Women, Vol. 3 . Gale Cengage Press, New York, 2002, ISBN 0-7876-6494-4 .
swell
Web links
- Anita Baker at Allmusic (English)
- Discography at Discogs (English)
- Complete discography (including cover and all collaborations)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Baker, Anita |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 26, 1958 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Toledo , Ohio |