Norma Jean Wright
| Norma Jean Wright | |
|---|---|
| Born | Elyria, Ohio, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Associated acts | |
| Website |
www |
Norma Jean Wright (born in Elyria, Ohio) is an American singer and was the lead vocalist of the American group Chic, a soul, R&B and disco band, from 1977 to 1978.[1]
Early life and education
Norma Jean Wright was born in Elyria, Ohio, where she attended local schools and started singing. She attended Ohio State University.
Wright sang in the female trio, the Topettes, and toured for a short time with The Spinners. In 1977, she joined Chic, a soul, R&B and disco band.[1]
Most notably, Norma Jean Wright sang lead vocal on Chic's debut album, Chic (1978), which includes the hits "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (#6 Pop, #6 R&B in January 1978) and "Everybody Dance" (#38 Pop, #12 R&B in April 1978).
She left Chic in 1978 to begin a solo career, billed as "Norma Jean". In July 1978, she scored her first R&B Top 20 hit, "Saturday" (#15), from her debut album, Norma Jean on the Bearsville Records label, produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers.[1] In January 1980, she scored her second (and last) R&B Top 20 hit, "High Society" (#19), also produced by the Chic team.
Her first album included several popular songs: "Sorcerer", "Having a Party", and "I Like Love." Later popular songs were "Hold Me Lonely Boy" (1979), "Love Attack" (1983), "Shot in the Dark" (1984), and "Every Bit of This Love" (1985). In 2004 "I Like Love" was sampled by the British dance project Solitaire for their club hit, "I Like Love (I Love Love)."
Wright has also sung as a backing vocalist with the following artists: C+C Music Factory, Constina, Randy Crawford, Will Downing, Aretha Franklin, Fantasy, Debbie Gibson, Nelson Rangell, Luther Vandross, Madonna, Sister Sledge, Nick Scotti & Freddie Jackson. She frequently appears in a duo with another former Chic vocalist, Luci Martin.
References
- 1 2 3 Hogan, Ed "Norma Jean Wright Biography", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-08-08