Patrice Rushen
Patrice Rushen | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Patrice Louise Rushen |
Born | [1] Los Angeles, California, U.S. | September 30, 1954
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 1973–present |
Labels | |
Website | Official website |
Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer.[2] She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.
Her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The instrumental "Number One" from her album Straight from the Heart earned an additional Grammy nomination for best instrumental. Her 12th album, Signature, also received a Grammy nomination for best instrumental in 1998.[3]
Rushen also serves as an ambassador for artistry in education at the Berklee College of Music and the chair of the popular music program at the USC Thornton School of Music.[4][5]
Biography
Rushen is the elder of two daughters born to Allen and Ruth Rushen.[1] Patrice was three years old when she began playing the piano, and by the time she was six she was giving classical recitals.[6] In her teens, she attended south LA's Locke High School and went on to earn a degree in music from the University of Southern California.[7]
After winning a competition at the age of 17 that enabled her to perform with her band at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Rushen signed with the Prestige label, releasing three albums with them – Prelusion (1974), Before the Dawn (1975), and Shout It Out (1977).[6][8]. In 1978, when she was 23, she began recording with Elektra.[6]
Rushen married Marc St. Louis, a concert tour manager and live show production specialist,[9] in 1986.[10] They have one son, Cameron and one daughter named Jadyn.[10][11] The name of her publishing company, Baby fingers Inc., is pulled from her nickname 'Babyfingers' for her tiny hands[12]. In 2005, Rushen received an Honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. She is the Chair of popular music at USC, and the Ambassador of artistry in Education at the Berklee College of Music.[13] She has served as the film composer for numerous movies television shows and documentaries. She has been a member of jazz fusion band CAB, The Meeting (GRP Records) with a Ndugu Chancelor, Alfonso Johnson and Ernie Watts [14]. Rushen is also a Music Director, having worked on various television events as well as Janet Jackson's world tour 'Janet'.
Her song "Hang it Up" was featured on the 2005 video game Fahrenheit.[15]
Cultural impact
Rushen's songs are sampled often in other artists music. The chorus from "Forget Me Nots" was used as the music for the 1997 song "Men in Black". Rushen was credited as writer and composer, along with Will Smith and Terri McFadden. The same chorus can also be heard in George Michael's song "Fastlove".
Rushen was the first woman to serve as Music Director for the 46th, 47th, and 48th Grammy Awards. She was the only woman Musical Director/Conductor/Arranger for a late-night show called The Midnight Hour, which had a limited air on CBS in 1990.
Awards
Grammy awards
The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Rushen has received three Grammy nominations.[3]
Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | "Number One (Track)" | Nominated |
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female | "Forget Me Nots (single)" | Nominated | |
1998 | "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" | "Signature" | Nominated |
Other awards
- ASCAP Songwriter's Award, 1988
- USC Black Student Assembly, Legacy of Excellence Award, 1992
- Crystal Award, American Women in Film, 1994
- ASCAP Award, Most Performed Song in Motion Pictures for 1997 for "Men in Black," 1998
- 1998 NAACP Image Award Nomination for BEST CONTEMPORARY JAZZ RECORDING “Signature”
- 2005 Honorary Doctrate Berklee College of Music , Boston Mass.
- 2020 The Ramo Music Faculty Award
Discography
Solo albums
Year | Album | Chart positions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Pop[16] |
US R&B[17] |
US Jazz[18] |
US Tra. Jazz[19] |
US Con. Jazz[20] |
UK Pop[21] | ||
1974 | Prelusion | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1975 | Before the Dawn | - | 48 | 14 | - | - | - |
1977 | Shout It Out | 164 | - | 16 | - | - | - |
1978 | Patrice | 98 | 27 | 5 | - | - | - |
1979 | Pizzazz | 39 | 11 | 2 | - | - | - |
1980 | Let There Be Funk: The Best of Patrice Rushen | - | - | 42 | - | - | - |
Posh | 71 | 23 | - | - | - | - | |
1982 | Straight from the Heart | 14 | 4 | - | - | - | 24 |
1984 | Now | 40 | 7 | - | 7 | - | 73 |
1985 | Anthology of Patrice Rushen | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1987 | Watch Out! | 77 | 19 | - | - | - | - |
1994 | Anything but Ordinary | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1996 | Haven't You Heard - The Best of Patrice Rushen | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1996 | Forget Me Nots and Remind Me | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1997 | Signature | - | - | 11 | - | 9 | - |
2002 | The Essentials: Patrice Rushen | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Singles
Year | Title | Chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Hot 100 |
US R&B |
US Dance |
UK [22] | ||
1975 | "Kickin' Back" | - | - | - | - |
1977 | "Let Your Heart Be Free" | - | - | - | - |
"The Hump" | - | - | - | - | |
1978 | "Changes in Your Life" | - | - | - | - |
1979 | "Hang It Up" | - | 16 | - | - |
"When I Found You" | - | 87 | - | - | |
1980 | "Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up" | - | 47 | - | - |
"Haven't You Heard" | 42 | 7 | 5 | 62 | |
"Let the Music Take Me" | - | 50 | - | - | |
"Look Up" | 102 | 13 | 2 | - | |
"Don't Blame Me" | - | - | - | - | |
1981 | "Never Gonna Give You Up (Won't Let You Be)" | - | - | 2 | 66 |
1982 | "Forget Me Nots" | 23 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
"Breakout!" | - | 46 | - | - | |
"I Was Tired of Being Alone" | - | 79 | - | 39 | |
"Number One" | - | - | - | - | |
1984 | "Get Off (You Fascinate Me)" | - | 26 | 40 | - |
"Feels So Real (Won't Let Go)" | 78 | 2 | 10 | 51 | |
1987 | "Watch Out" | - | 9 | 22 | 78 |
"Anything Can Happen" | - | 51 | - | - | |
"Come Back to Me" | - | 65 | 37 | - | |
1994 | "I Do" | - | - | - | - |
2004 | "Forget Me Nots / Number One" | - | - | - | 90 |
Appearances
With The Meeting
- The Meeting (GRP, 1990)
- Update (Hip-Bop, 1995)
With Kenny Burrell
- Heritage (AudioSource, 1980)
With Eddie Henderson
- Heritage (Blue Note, 1976)
- Comin' Through (Capitol, 1977)
With Jean-Luc Ponty
- Upon the Wings of Music (Atlantic, 1975)
- Aurora (Atlantic, 1976)
With Wallace Roney
- A Place in Time (HighNote, 2016)
Filmography
|
|
Musical directing
- The 48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006) (TV) (musical director)
- The 47th Annual Grammy Awards (2005) (TV) (musical director)
- The 10th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Smokey Robinson (2004) (TV) (musical director)
- The 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004) (TV) (musical director)
- The 9th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Aretha Franklin (2003) (TV) (musical director)
- The 8th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Stevie Wonder (2002) (TV) (musical director)
- The Best of Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime (1991) (TV) (musical director)
- "No Strings" by "Sheena Easton"- Rushen as record producer. (1993)
- The Women of Brewster Place (1989) (TV) (special musical consultant)
- "The Midnight Hour" (1990) TV Series Herself (Musical Director) (unknown episodes, 1990)
- Robert Townsend's HBO variety show series: "Partners in Crime" (1988) (TV) (musical director)
References
- ^ a b "California Birth Index, 1905–1995 (database on-line)". United States: The Generations Network. 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
- ^ "Film Academy Invites 819 New Members, With 36 Percent People of Color". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "Patrice Rushen". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen: Ambassador for Artistry in Education". berklee.edu. Berklee College of Music.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen: Chair, Popular Music Program". usc.edu. University of Southern California.
- ^ a b c Russonello, Giovanni (July 17, 2019). "Patrice Rushen Found Success in Jazz and Dance Music. She Hasn't Been Forgotten". Retrieved March 25, 2020.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen MM '76". University of Southern California. Archived from the original on November 28, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Celebrity Author". Toi Moore. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ a b "Rhythm & Blues Legend = Patrice Rushen". Mingle City. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths ST. LOUIS, MARIE – New York Times". Nytimes.com. June 15, 1999. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ "Baby Fingers, Inc". Discogs. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Honorary Degree Recipients". Berklee.edu.
- ^ ""C.A.B." With Bunny Brunel And Tony MacAlpine Live at the Baked Potato". All About Jazz. May 29, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ^ Rack, Donald (November 22, 2005). "Indigo Prophecy – Soundtrack Lyrics FAQ". IGN. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen (Billboard 200)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen (Top R&B Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen (Top Jazz Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen (Traditional Jazz Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen (Contemporary Jazz Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Patrice Rushen". officialcharts.com. Official Charts.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 476. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
Other sources
- Hogan, Ed. "Patrice Rushen". VH1. Retrieved May 9, 2007.
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External links
- Patrice Rushen at AllMusic
- Patrice Rushen discography at Discogs.
- Patrice Rushen at IMDb
- Patrice Rushen 2012 Audio Interview at Soulinterviews.com
- Patrice Rushen Interview NAMM Oral History Program
- 1954 births
- African-American female singers
- African-American jazz pianists
- American boogie musicians
- American dance musicians
- American disco singers
- American funk keyboardists
- American funk singers
- American multi-instrumentalists
- American jazz keyboardists
- American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters
- American sopranos
- American soul keyboardists
- American soul singers
- Jazz musicians from California
- Rhythm and blues pianists
- Living people
- Singers from Los Angeles
- Songwriters from California
- Thornton School of Music alumni
- Women jazz pianists
- 20th-century American women singers
- 21st-century women singers
- 20th-century American pianists
- CAB (band) members
- 21st-century American keyboardists
- 21st-century American pianists
- 20th-century American keyboardists
- Elektra Records artists