Anita Baker – Eight Time Grammy Award Winner!
November 28, 2008 by admin
Filed under Featured Artists
Anita Baker is one of the most famous R&B singer and songwriter. She has won the Grammy Award eight times and is a talented singer. She was born on 26th January 1958 in Ohio, USA.Anita Baker has been touring the world and her latest performance was at DTE Energy Theatre in 12th July 2008 and she has recorded the performance and would be coming out with a DVD collection soon in 2009.
Baker started her professional career when she was contracted with Elektra Records and released her second album “Rapture”. In 1986 this album along with the hit singles set her success on the growth path. She had written songs like “Same Old Love”, “No One In The World”, “Caught Up In the Rapture” and “Sweet Love” which marked her talent. Her biggest hit in this period was “Rapture” which had sold 8 million copies and won Baker the Grammy Award two times. Later Baker signed up with The Winans for the single “Ain’t No Need To Worry” which led Baker to the third Grammy Award. Another album “Giving You the Best That I Got” also got huge success from fans and it sold 5 million copies worldwide.
The hit “Just Because” was featured in this album and this was her biggest hits. She had become the highly acclaimed female vocal artist by the critics in 1980 to 1990. She did a tour for her album “A Night of Rapture” in 1987-1988. In 1990 Baker turned back to Elektra studio and had her third album Compositions. This period saw her as a songwriter and she wrote seven songs in the album and these included the hits “Talk to Me”, “Fairy Tales”, “No One To Blame”, “Whatever IT Takes” and “Soul Inspiration”. This album was made live and most songs were recorded as the rhythm section played on Bakers song. Baker got her 7th Grammy Award for the album as she put in extra personal touch and effort. The singles from the album did not do well but still came close to Top 20 positions and were also moderate Adult Contemporary hits. Compositions rocked the charts and hit on No 5 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and was certified as Platinum by RIAA.
In 1993, Anita took a break from the hectic schedule and came to studio for recording her album “Duets”.
Anita came back in 1994 and recorded her fifth album “Rhythm of Love”. Due to her pregnancy, most of the album was recorded at her home and she had written 5 songs out of 12 in the album. The album did well in the market and sold 1 million copies. Her song “Body and Soul” became much popular and hit the charts and other songs like “I Apologize” won her 8th Grammy Award in 1995 for best R&B vocal performance female.
Since then she released “Sweet Love: The Very Best of Anita Baker” on June 11, 2002 and “The Best of Anita Baker” on June 18 2002. In 2004, she signed an exclusive contract with Blue Note Records. Later she released her original album “My Everything” which was a huge success and the album was rated Gold by RIAA.
She has won Grammy Awards for her albums “I Apologize” in 1995, “Compositions” in 1990, “Compositions” in 1990, “Giving You the Best That I Got” in 1989, “Giving You the Best That I Got” in 1988, “Giving You the Best That I Got” in 1988, “Ain’t No Need to Worry” in 1987, “Rapture” in 1986 and “Sweet Love” in 1986.
She is still touring and recording DVD’s of her latest performances which will come in 2009.
TJ Grooves
Rare Soul Grooves & Soul Music TV
Anita Baker elegant without the mouthful of ghetto gold it seems as though the flashy ghetto ones over power the true talented artists.
A proper legend, forget all these modern one hit wonders…Anita Baker stands head and shoulders above the rest even now. I Love her music.
Signing up a contract with Elektra Records proved to be a milestone in Anita Baker’s career. After the success of her album “Rapture”, there was no looking back for this gifted singer. After that, many of her singles became huge hits as well and there was a step rise on her career graph too.
She is one of the most successful and prominent singers of her time. Although she was very active in the 1980s, she continues winning our hearts even today with her modern numbers and shows. The world tours that she takes part in are the best gifts for her fans. “Ain’t No Need To Worry” is my favorite song.
I did not k now that she had penned down “No One In The World”, “Sweet Love”, “Same Old Love”, and “Caught Up In the Rapture”. I knew that she was not only a talented singer but a great songwriter as well. However, I did not that these 4 songs were written by her.
Anita Baker is one of the world’s ‘classiest’ singers I listen to her every day and I can’t stop loving her music, I would really love to meet her one day.
A few years back, I think there was a tribute to Anita by other artists singing a medley of her songs.
His song, ‘Whatever it Takes’ it’s so sensual! Wish they made songs like this, nowadays!
Everyone remembers Anita Baker as being ‘classy’ - I think its the deep raw tone to her voice and the stylish way she conducts herself. This lady can sing. Her music has kept on growing and changing along with her fans.
Don’t forget Anita Baker did that wonderful Christmas album a while back, a great purchase for this time of year. There were covers of the obvious festive tracks, carols, show tunes with big band accompaniment and a couple of new tracks with Christmas themes. All in all a perfect gift for some classy lady.
Also, what makes Anita great is her ability to express her feelings. Singers today, for the most part, all sound the same to me. But, when you hear the first word in an Anita Baker song, you know that it’s her, and you get excited to hear her!
If God were a woman she sing like this! But of course we knows he’s a man because only God could sing like Levi Stubbs on the track I believe in you and me, but if he were a she would sing like Anita!
I am a very big fan of Anita Baker and all her songs amaze me. I could not catch her latest performance this year at DTE Energy Theatre but I will make sure that I will buy the DVD featuring the recorded version of her performance. Don’t you think she was so effortless when she sang “Sweet Love”?
One of the most successful works in her entire career was “Rapture” and I am very fond of it. I still treasure the copy of the album that I had received on my birthday. It is very special to me. This Grammy winner overwhelmed all her fans when she received her third Grammy Award for the fantastic “Ain’t No Need To Worry”.
“Giving You the Best That I Got” was also one of her successful albums, which won her more acclaim across the world. Selling 5 million copies across the world is not a matter of joke but for a gifted singer like Anita nothing was impossible. It was so smooth and easy for her to wins her fans’ hearts. I am fond of “No One To Blame”.
In a recent interview Anita Baker said “At 50, I’m happy with my body, blessed with my children and my career. I can’t spend my life chasing 20. I just want to be me, free to be myself, and happy.” Giving us the best that shes got, tho, cheers Anita.
Anita only dropped out of the limelight to look after her father who was dying of bone cancer and her mother who had Alzheimers. Plus she’s raising two teenage sons. Good for her being there to put food on the table, and seeing it through herself, rather than leave them with other family or carers. She doesn’t write new songs unless she has time to focus one hundred percent on her music. But when she does, boy is it good.
The styles that she can handle with perfect ease are soul, R&B, contemporary R& B, adult contemporary, urban, soft rock, oldies, pop soul or quiet storm, pop, rock, others. This is reason why she is so popular and why all her songs are so different from one another. I love her songs.
She has to her credit countless Grammy Awards. If you are a fan of her and possess most of her albums then you should know why she deserved all of those awards. She is one of the greatest gifts to the music industry. The US should be proud of her.
Some of her best albums are “Compositions”, “I Apologize”, “Giving You the Best That I Got”, “Giving You the Best That I Got”, “Ain’t No Need to Worry”, “Giving You the Best That I Got”, “Sweet Love”, and “Rapture”. All these released between 1980s and the late 1990s. I also like The Songstress.
She is a singer who embodies romantic soul and that is the reason why she is so endearing to all of us. In the 1980’s she created a storm whenever she sang. She is a gifted singer with a very powerful and supple alto. Music forms like traditional pop, jazz, gospel, and R&B influenced Baker a lot.
Her music had a quality of was sophistication, which made her songs so distinctly memorable. Her voice is mellow and smooth but never does it tend towards becoming lifeless. That is why she was one of the most famous as well as popular romantic singers during the ‘80s. We love her so much.
‘Giving You The Best That I Got’ released in October of 1988 is the best I’ve heard from any artist in a long time. That it was a huge R&B hit during this period is totally expected. Anita has jazz in her bones and it shows in her albums in the 1990s.
The best of Anita Baker has yet to come. This I truly believe. God bless you Anita for coming into the music scene when you did and spicing it up like only a true-blue songstress can.
I’ve been a fan of hers for at least the last two decades. She surpasses every milestone she’s ever set. Amazing? I tell you she’s an outstanding lady worthy of all the accolades thrown at her.
I heard that Anita Baker will release a new DVD or CD live album early next year. Is that true? Has there been confirmation? When is this really dropping? Does anyone have a preview?
Yes, early in 2009 there are plans to release some more new stuff by Anita Baker. Problem is her last full release was 2004 (unless you include the Christmas album) and before that she hadn’t released anything for 10 years. But since she performed in Michigan in July, maybe she is now back in the studio after all.
Anita Baker has a superlative voice - its crazy to write about it because you can’t do justice to it, except by listening to it. I agree with Wisegirl28 that her sound is sophisticated, because she never goes for the easy note or shies away from the depths of the song. She may be 50, but the quality of her voice is as good as ever, and those years of singing have given her a wholeness that you can hear live or on studio tracks.
Anita Baker has a one of a kind voice and near-perfect taste in song selection which will never be out of style. Her trademark smokey alto plays with the end of every line on her Rhythm of Love album, and I loved it, even if I had to sell it by the boatload when I worked at HMV!
Now I’ve heard Body and Soul and Sweet Love I know what everyone is talking about. What a lovely voice and so professional.
I agree will Springy2008 , you really cannot do full justice to her by trying to explain her voice through writing. That is not possible. You have to listen to her songs, to understand what that quality that everyone is talking about is. Yes, her song selection is commendable too.
What’s up with VH1? I tried to watch some Anita Baker videos but they aren’t accessible. Guess I can only rely on good ole Soul Music TV for my daily dose of sweet soul. More Anita Baker please!
Anita Baker is such an inspiration and her voice appeals equally to men and women. I understand why Mary J Blige cites her as a major influence on her vocal sound - it’s to do with depth, roundness, a rich quality to her singing that knocks most of todays young wee things into a cocked hat. (Whatever that means!)
I read an old interview with Anita Baker where I read that she wanted to produce new artists, that she’d established a high school foundation to support young musicians. I’d love to know if that happened and if any new stars have come from it?