before embarking on a solo career that would bring her numerous Top Ten hits and a reputation as "The Queen of Cool."
was born in Chicago, IL, on January 30, 1959, but grew up in Los Angeles.
's teenage gig as a dancer on Soul Train would lead to a meeting with the hit TV show's booking agent, Dick Griffey. Along with fellow singers
in 1977. A string of poppy dance-soul hits that would chart in America and the U.K. began in 1979 with "Take That to the Bank."
would leave the group in 1982 and eventually move to London, where she recorded some demos with
. It was during this time that she was invited by
. She returned to the U.S. late in the year and began working on her solo debut.
Recorded with hit producers
Bernard Edwards,
David Z.,
Patrick Leonard, and
André Cymone -- who eventually become her husband until 1995, when the two divorced --
Watley's 1987 self-titled debut became an instant smash courtesy of its lead single, "Looking for a New Love," and its catch phrase, "hasta la vista, baby." Stylish videos accompanied the future hits "Don't You Want Me" and "Still a Thrill" and would help earn her the award for Best New Artist at the 30th annual Grammy Awards. Two years later she would return with the ambitious album
Larger Than Life and the number one hit "Real Love." The album's second single, "Friends," was an early R&B/hip-hop blend with
Eric B. & Rakim making an appearance. The remix album
You Wanna Dance with Me? surfaced a year later as did the million-selling exercise video Dance to Fitness. Fashion spreads and an appearance in a Gap ad campaign were other non-musical activities, all helping to earn her a spot on People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People list.
More mature music appeared on both 1991's
Affairs of the Heart and 1993's
Intimacy, and while they weren't the major hits her earlier efforts were, they were well received by critics and helped strengthen her loyal fan base. She also worked with legendary composer
Henry Mancini on the soundtrack to the
Blake Edwards film Switch during this time and accepted an offer to sing at the White House in 1992. The 1995 album
Affection found the singer off her longtime label, MCA, and on her own independent label, Avitone. Her 1998 effort
Flower found her on Atlantic worldwide, but the label didn't release the album in the States. A year later
Destiny's Child put the
Watley-penned "Sweet Sixteen" on their multi-platinum album
The Writing's on the Wall while
Watley herself was working on a new dance sound that was slightly more left-field but still stylish and tasteful. The Japanese-only
The Saturday Night Experience, Vol. 1 landed in 1999 while 2000 saw her return to the dance charts with the
Masters at Work-produced "I Love to Love" featuring
Roy Ayers. Tastemaker DJs
Ron Trent and
Blaze would remix the single "Saturday Night Experience" for the U.K. label Giant Steps in 2001, and a new, sophisticated album,
Midnight Lounge, would appear on Shanachie the same year. In 2005, she appeared on
King Britt's album
This Is and climbed back on top of the dance charts with a new remix of her classic "Looking for a New Love." The following year,
Watley released a new album The Makeover featuring a cover of
Madonna's "Boderline" which made it to #2 on the dance charts. Further singles from the album also climbed the dance charts with "A Beautiful Life" making it to #5 while "I Want Your Love" went to #1. In 2008 she appeared in a fashion spread alongside Iman,
Naomi Campbell, and
Tina Turner in Vogue Italia. Featuring black models almost exclusively, the issue was the first to sell out in the magazine's history. That same year, the 1998 album
Flower was issued for the first time in the States.
–
David Jeffries, Rovi