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Minnie Riperton

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Chicago, United States (1947 – 1979)

Minnie Riperton (Nov 8, 1947 - Jul 12, 1979) was an American singer who is best remembered for her 1974 hit ballad, PlayLovin’ You.

The tragic 1979 death of 31-year-old Riperton silenced one of soul music’s most unique and unforgettable voices - blessed with an angelic five-octave vocal range, she scored her greatest commercial success with the chart-topping pop ballad, “Lovin’ You”. Riperton was born in Chicago on November 8, 1947. As a young girl, she studied music, drama, and dance at the city’s Lincoln Center and later contemplated a career in opera. Her pop career began in 1963 when she joined the local girl group called The Gems (not to be confused with the 60s New York-based girl group Gems, led by Louise Bethune), who were also known at times as The Starlets (1963-1966), signing to the famed Chess label to release a handful of singles as well as lend backing vocals to acts including Fontella Bass, The Dells, and Etta James. After graduating from high school, Riperton went to work at Chess as a receptionist. A year before The Gems’ dissolution in 1967, she also signed with the label as a solo act, releasing a single, PlayLonely Girl, under the alias Andrea Davis (a pseudonym she used in honor of Billy Davis, her mentor at Chess who wrote the song for her).

In 1967, Riperton was installed as the lead vocalist of the psychedelic soul band Rotary Connection, which debuted that year with a self-titled LP on Cadet Concepts.
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Lovin' You full track
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Inside My Love full track
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254
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Reasons full track
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Les Fleurs full track
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6 Play
174
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Memory Lane full track
141
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Perfect Angel full track
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Here We Go full track
107
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Take a Little Trip full track
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94
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Seeing You This Way full track
73
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Completeness full track
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