Minnie Riperton -- Bold Soul Sisters

At first I was not going to include a large main bio of Minnie on the Bold Soul Sisters pages. After all, I figured, what could I possibly add to the wonderful job that Webmistress Michelle has done over at the unofficial MinnieRiperton.com page. But as constant demand and inquiries persisted, as well as my own desire to pay tribute to her in my own way, I knew that I had to prepare this mini bio, not only because she's the most asked about artist on these pages, but because she really is a "Perfect Angel."

Minnie Julia Riperton was a Chicago native who, as a young girl studying at Lincoln Center, eventually planned to become an opera singer. The fact that she had a five-octave voice didn't hurt. But she wound up being drawn to the popular soul music sounds of the day and joined a girl-group called the Gems while she was a teenager. The group signed to Chess records, and even though they didn't last, Minnie stayed on singing backup vocals on Etta James and Fontella Bass records, in addition to working as a receptionist for the record company. She even released her first solo recording on Chess, under the name Andrea Davis, called "Lonely Girl."

Later in the 1960s, Minnie joined a group as far away from the Gems' concept that there could ever be -- a psychedelic soul band called Rotary Connection that recorded for Cadet records, a subsidiary of Chess. Lack of commercial success followed the group throughout it's 6-album career, and didn't fare too well for her first solo album, Come to My Garden, in 1970. The next year, Rotary Connection broke up, and Minnie soon moved to Los Angeles where she would meet a new friend, Stevie Wonder.

Minnie became a member of Wonder's backup singers, known as Wonderlove, and was featured on his Fullfillingness' First Finale album (most notably on "Creepin'"). He was so enamored with her gorgeous voice, he decided to co-produce and write a few songs for her next solo album on Epic, Perfect Angel. Released in 1974, the album featured several beautiful songs showcasing Minnie's effervescent voice and the songwriting of her and husband/producer Richard Rudolph. One of those songs was "Lovin' You," a gorgeous ballad set amidst a backdrop of strings and chirping birds. The song was a huge international hit and remains her most recognizable work.

Follow-up albums, like the jazzy Adventures in Paradise (featuring the Crusaders, 1975), and 1977's "romantic fantasy set to music," Stay in Love weren't as commercially successful, but both were also wonderful albums that Minnie's fans couldn't get enough of.

What Minnie's fans didn't know, but would soon find out, was that Minnie continued recording and performing live despite the fact that she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer. In 1976, she underwent a mastectomy, recieved the American Cancer Society's Courage Award from President Jimmy Carter in '77, and recorded one final album, Minnie, for Capitol records in 1979. She remained brave and triumphant until she passed away on July 12th of that year.

Minnie Riperton's music and loving spirit live on in artists like Teena Marie, whose own albums have featured help from Minnie's husband and kids. And now, thanks to your comments and suggestions, her legacy lives on through this page. I am proud to pay tribute to and honor her in this way.

Unless otherwise noted, all written material copyright 1999, Melissa A. Weber.
No part of these pages may be reproduced on another site without my prior written consent.

Links:

Come to My Garden -- A Personal Dedication (minnieriperton.com)

Minnie Riperton Legacy Preservation Society

Real Audio:

Lovin' You, 1974

Feelin' That Your Feelin's Right, 1975

Can You Feel What I'm Saying (live), 1977?

Selected Discography:

Come to My Garden by Minnie Riperton, , 1970

Perfect Angel by Minnie Riperton, Epic, 1974

Adventures in Paradise by Minnie Riperton, Epic, 1975

Stay in Love by Minnie Riperton, Epic, 1977