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    Melba Moore is one incredible lady! Actress, entertainer, songstress, and disco diva! Melba has won numerous awards as a testament to her talents.
    Melba was born in New York on October 10, 1945. After college Melba began her professional life as a teacher. Following in the tradition of a musical family (her mother was vocalist Bonnie Davis), Melba soon got the "showbiz bug" and began singing as a nightclub entertainer in the Catskills. To heighten her prowess as a musician she worked with such greats as Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, and Johnny Mathis. This led to her first big break when she was offered a small role in the chorus of the Broadway musical "HAIR." In a year and a half she went from "chorus girl" to the leading role of "Sheila."
    "HAIR" became her stepping stone to stardom when, in 1970, she left the production to co-star with Cleavon Little in the new musical "PURLIE." The rest is Broadway history. Melba went on to win the Tony Award, New York Drama Critics' Award, and Drama Desk Award for her dazzling performances and made the song "I Got Love" hers!
     The next frontiers to tackle were television and films. Her first film role was a bit part as a model at a party in the 1971 film "PIGEONS." Her next role was much more critically acclaimed. Her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in "The American Woman: Portraits Of Courage" led to her own CBS summer series, "The Melba Moore/Clifton Davis Show" in 1972.
      Using her amazing four octave vocal range her recording career was progressing, albeit slowly, towards "hitsville." Having released the Broadway soundtracks to "HAIR" (with future disco star Paul Jabara) and "PURLIE." The solo albums: "Living To Give," "Look What You're Doing To The Man," and "Melba Moore Live!" her recording career stopped short. In this three year hiatus came grueling concert tours and and numerous guest spots on popular televison shows such as "Bing Crosby's Christmas Special" and "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.
      1974 was a busy year. Besides the role of "Irina" in the movie version of "LOST IN THE STARS" (with Clifton Davis), Melba began recording her first album ("Melba") for her new label Buddah Records. Buddah was the label that would put Melba on the musical map. The result was not a commercial success. The voice was there, but the overall album suffered from uneven material and a lack of direction. However the powers that be at Buddah did not give up. Possibly realizing the shortcomings of 1975's "Peach Melba," they teamed Melba with legendary producer Van McCoy for her next release.
      1976's "This Is It" was a commercial success. The discos hopped with the release of "This Is It" and "Playboy Scout," while every female impersonator within ear shot lip synched to "Lean On Me." "Lean On Me" earned Melba her first Grammy nomination and this album brought Melba to a whole new audience far from the Broadway crowd. The success of Moore and McCoy led to one more album in late 1976. "Melba" featured another club favorite ("Good Love Makes Everything Alright") and yet another lip-synching fave ("The Long & Winding Road"). Parlaying the success of these hit albums into lucrative concert tours and additional televison spots, such as an appearance on "The Love Boat" filled most of the calendar year 1976-1977.
     1977 saw McCoy out and McFadden & Whitehead ("Ain't No Stopping Us Now") in as producers. The result was "A Portrait Of Melba." Another uneven album. The highlight of it was, the now classic "Standing Right Here," possibly because of it's remixed 12" single.
     Early 1978 saw her triumphant return to Broadway in "TIMBUKTU" with Eartha Kitt. After a long and successful run Melba departed the role to focus on a major tour to promote her "Melba" album. The gamble worked. 1978 saw Melba climb the charts with the hits "You Stepped Into My Life" and "Pick Me Up I'll Dance." Buddah records seeing the success that "Melba" (on Epic Records) brought. Hastily remixed and released an album of five of her "dance tracks" entitled "Dancin' With Melba." The centerpiece was the remix of "Standing Right Here."
     1979 saw the release of "Burn." Once again changing producers (this time Pete Bellote took the reins) brought another round of uneven lackluster material. Disappointing sales and the changing musical tastes did not stop Melba's banner year. Director  Milos Forman brought Melba and several fellow Broadway cast members to the filming of "HAIR." Although not reviving her Broadway role she was given the song "3-5-0-0" to perform and her screen presence was notable.
     Concerts and television, especially her appearances on "The Tim Conway Show" and "Flamingo Road" eased Melba into the new decade. Ironically, just as Melba found her greatest success in disco music the whole disco backlash was nearing it's peak and by 1980 disco was headed underground once again. Perhaps that and fickled tastes account for her "Closer" album's dismal sales and lack of charting singles. However being the consumate actress Melba was able to turn her career around in the 1980's via numerous acting roles. T.V. appearances included: "Hotel,", "Mathnet," "Loving," "The Cosby Show," and her own 1986 series: "Melba." Film roles included: the mini-series "Ellis Island," "Charlotte Forten's Experiment In Freedom," "Seasonal Differences," "Mother's Day" and a voice-over in "All Dogs Go To Heaven."
     Musically Ms. Moore was not finished just yet. Once again a label change (Epic out- EMI in) brought about a sort of new blood to her recording career. 1981's "What A Woman Needs" brought Melba to work with Kashif for the first time. The result was her biggest radio hit to date. "Take My Love" scored high in the clubs and marked her "sound" for the next several years. Her next album for Capitol (EMI's parent company), "The Other Side Of The Rainbow" continued her collaboration with Kashif and introduced her to producer Paul Lawrence Jones. This 1982 release spawned the hits: "Underlove," "Mind Up Tonight," and "Love's Comin' At Ya."
     The string of radio and club hits continued with 1983's release of "Never Say Never." That album featured: "Love Me Right," "Keepin' My Lover Satisfied" and a newly recorded version of her signature song, "Lean On Me."
     1985's release of "Read My Lips" boasted a "tougher" Melba. Along with the harder edged title song the cover showed a very different Moore in black leather! This album also featured the top forty duet of: "When You Love Me Like This" with Lillo Thomas.
      Sensing a new avenue to explore (duets), Melba's next release was "Love The One I'm With (A Lot Of Love)" with producer and solo artist Kashif. The results were once again "pure gold"! The album "Lot Of Love" (1986) also featured duets with Dennis Collins and Freddie Jackson. 1988's  release "I'm In Love" also featured duets with Kashif and Freddie Jackson And marked her "reunion" with producer Gene McFadden.
      As the decade neared it's end so did Melba's reign as a top 40/club artist. Her 1990 release "Soul Exposed," although creatively a success was financially a disaster. It garnered no radio or club hits. Perhaps the lack of promotion or the personal turmoil Ms. Moore was going through were to blame?
      1991 saw the demise of her marriage to Charles Huggins, from whom she was married to since 1975 and had fathered her only child, a daughter. Sadly during this period in her life her only daughter abandoned her to live with Bill Cosby and his family.
    1992 saw Melba in financial ruin, bankruptcy, divorce, and abandonment by friends and family. After going on welfare the only way to go was up. With the spirit of a fighter, Melba slowly healed and began the long process of rebuilding her life and career.
     In 1996 she recorded a wonderful album with the LaFayette Harris Jr. Trio entitled "Happy Together." It includes her stunning renditions of "Lady Sings The Blues" and "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning."
     By 1998 her triumphant return to the stage in her one woman show, "Sweet Songs-A Journey In One Life" proved that the winner inside her had made it.
     And in the new millineum, she toured the country with the hit musical: "Lord Why Do I Keep Choosing The Wrong Man?" in 2000. A single from her 1999 compact disc, "Solitary Journey" failed to ignite dance floors but was eagerly purchased by faithful fans. The albums "A Very Special Christmas Gift" (2001), "I'm Still Here" (2002), and "A Night In St. Lucia-Live" (2002) were all well received and have garnered her a whole new legion of fans. Melba has once again bounced back thanks in large part to her sassiness, determination and her unending well of talent! Thank you Melba we love you!
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