Syreeta

Syreeta Wright (born August 3, 1946 in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , † July 5, 2004 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American soul singer and songwriter who was best known for her records for the legendary Motown record company . Here she was under contract for a good 15 years and released several studio albums.

Career

Syreeta's first unsuccessful single for Motown sub-label Gordy was released in 1967: I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You . At that point she called herself Rita Wright. Several other recordings were made by 1970, but they were not published and remained in the archive for several decades. Meanwhile, I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You as an instrumental interpretation of the Jeff Beck Group on the album of the same name by the band around Jeff Beck from 1972 should receive more attention and become a classic by the guitarist. Variants sung by Diana Ross (1970) or Dusty Springfield were also quite successful.

According to the autobiography Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together by Mary Wilson , a member of the Supremes from 1959 to 1977 , Motown boss Berry Gordy wanted Syreeta to replace Diana Ross in the girl group in 1970 after she was aiming for a solo career. At this point, however, rehearsals had been going on for months with Jean Terrell , who was actually intended to be her successor. Wilson refused to accept another singer, so Gordy finally gave in and Syreeta could continue her solo career.

From 1970 to 1972 the singer was married to Stevie Wonder , who also produced her first two albums and wrote numerous songs with her ( Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours , 1970; Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer , 1971; Come Back As A Flower , 1979). Syreeta's first top 20 hit in the UK, Your Kiss Is Sweet (1975), was also written by both of them.

Syreeta's biggest hit, With You I'm Born Again , a duet with Billy Preston , was number two in the UK in 1979 and number four in the US. It was awarded a silver record in Great Britain . She recorded a total of six solo albums for the legendary Motown label, as well as others with duets (with Preston and GC Cameron ). After their last album for Motown in 1983, a production by Jermaine Jackson , things got quieter for Syreeta. She hardly recorded any of her own records, but continued to work as a background singer. For example, she can be heard on Quincy Jones ' album Back on the Block . In addition, two interesting duets were created: 1987 with Smokey Robinson , Love Brought Us Here Tonight , for his album One Heartbeat and 1992 with Jermaine Jackson, Stay with Love for the soundtrack of the mini-series The Jacksons - An American Dream .

Syreeta later retired into private life, rarely caring about her fading music career. In 2004 she died at the age of 57 after two years of cancer. She left four children.

Her sister Yvonne Lowrene Wright (1951-2016) was also a songwriter and also worked with Stevie Wonder.

Discography

• 1972: Syreeta (Motown)
• 1974: Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta (Motown)
• 1977: One To One (Motown)
• 1977: Rich Love, Poor Love (Motown, with GC Cameron)
• 1979: Fast Break (Motown, with Billy Preston)
• 1980: Syreeta (Motown)
• 1981: Set My Love in Motion (Motown)
• 1981: Billy Preston & Syreeta (Motown, with Billy Preston)
• 1983: The Spell (Motown)
• 1990: With You I'm Born Again (Nightmare)

Web links

• Syreeta at Allmusic (English)
• Syreeta at Discogs (English)
• Syreeta in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Works by and about Syreeta in the catalog of the German National Library
• Syreeta at Soulwalking

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Rita Wright. Retrieved December 3, 2019 . 
2. ^ The Rita Wright Years 1967-1970. September 30, 2016, accessed December 3, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Music Sales Awards: UK
4. ↑ Smokey Robinson - One Heartbeat. Retrieved December 3, 2019 . 
5. ↑ Dave Laing: Obituary: Syreeta . In: The Guardian . July 13, 2004, ISSN  0261-3077 ( theguardian.com [accessed December 3, 2019]).
6. ^ Yvonne Wright. Retrieved December 3, 2019 .