The Miki Howard Story!
Miki Howard is a Grammy nominated, Soul Train Award winning and critically acclaimed Jazz and Rhythm and Blues songstress. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Alicia Michelle “Miki” Howard was the daughter of two well-known gospel singers. Her father, Clay Graham, sang with the Pilgrim Jubilees and her mother, Josephine Howard, was a member of the Caravans, a group that would eventually be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
There is only one Miki Howard and she is a Grammy nominated, Soul Train Award winning and she is also, a critically acclaimed Jazz and Rhythm and Blues songstress. Miki was born in Chicago Illinois; she is the daughter of two recognized gospel singers. Her father is Clay Graham from the group “The Pilgrim Jubilees and her mother, Josephine Howard, was a member of the Caravans, which was a group that would later be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
During Miki’s early teen years, her mother relocated the family to Los Angeles. Already interested in pursuing a career in music, the 15-year-old Howard received her first big break when she participated in a teen beauty contest. Augie Johnson, leader of the group Side Effect, happened to be in the audience; impressed with Howard’s singing talent, Howard would later joined the Side Effect in 1978, in light of another singer’ departure. She was a member of Side Effect until 1982.
Howard signed a contract with Atlantic Records in the mid-1980s and recorded her first solo album, “Come Share My Love”, in 1986. The title track from the album was its first single, hitting the top ten of the R&B charts and reaching number five in late 1986. A remake of the pop standard “Imagination,” which Howard had fought to include on “Come Share My Love”, was another hit from the album.
During the mid1980s Howard signed a contract with Atlantic Records and would later record her first solo album, “Come Share My Love”, in 1986. Her first single off of the album was the title track, and it hit the top ten the R&B charts and reaching number five towards the end of 1986.
Miki’s second solo album, 1988’s “Love Confessions”, offered yet another top-five R&B hit with “Baby Be Mine.”, also featuring “That’s What Love Is,” which is a duet with Gerald Levert. This was also a hit on the R&B charts. Howard’s third solo album, entitled” Miki Howard”, was released in 1989 and proved to be her most credible project to date. The single “Ain’t Nuthin’ in the World” became Howard’s first number-one hit on the R&B charts and another song, “Love Under New Management,” followed it to number two and became one of Howard’s signature tunes.
Miki switched from Atlantic records to Giant Records in 1991, where she continued with a successful solo career. Her first single under her new contract, “Ain’t Nobody like You,” became Howard’s second number one R&B hit. The subsequent album, 1992’s “Femme Fatale”, featured Howard’s versions of classic tracks originally performed by Dinah Washington (“This Bitter Earth”) and Billie Holiday (“Good Morning Heartache”).
Miki Howard was offered a role in Spike Lee’s 1992 film “Malcolm X” after one of the casting director saw her perform some of Billie Holiday tunes at a New York City concert at Radio City Music Hall. During 1993, Howard decided to record an entire album of Billie Holiday songs, entitled “Miki Sings Billie”, including her favorite Holiday tune, “Don’t Explain.” Also, she appeared in director John Singleton’s “Poetic Justice”.
Miki Howard continued to make great music with projects such as, “Live Plus” in 1996 and a comeback album of original material, “Can’t Count Me Out”, in 1997. She would later have a four year hiatus, until she returned to the entertainment industry with her Grammy nominated project for Best Traditional R&B Recording “Three Wishes” with Darius McCrary, Larry Koonse, and Alphonse Mouzan in 2001.
During Miki’s career she has collaborated and toured with music greats like Al Jarreau, Roy Ayres, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, Jermaine Jackson, Hiroshima, Wayne Henderson, Ronnie Laws, Augie Johnson and Side Effect, Tom Browne, Chucki Booker and Norman Brown.
Now is 2016, She is having her historical career turned in a television Bio Pic premiering on, Sunday at 7 pm June 12th 2016 on TVone entitled “Love Under New Management- The Miki Howard Story” So, make sure you tune in!
[vimeo 167004301 w=640 h=360]
“Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story” sneak peak from Tambay A Obenson on Vimeo.
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Landon Buford Washington State Graduate Past Interviews include Grammy Award Winner Kenny G, David Banner, WNBA President Lisa Borders, What's Trending's CEO Shira Lazar, Ice Cube, NBC's Chicago PD LaRoyce Hawkins, Family Matters Darius McCrary, En Vogues Maxine Jones, Team USA Track & Field Member Norris Frederick, James Kyson, WNBA Great Lauren Jackson, and more.
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