| The tragic 1979 death of 31-year-old Minnie 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" in 1974. Her third album, 1977's "Stay In Love," featured her only disco entry. The double-sided 12" single of "Stick Together" and "Young, Willing And Able" showed her pipes in a more constrained yet tasty setting. The release was her last for Epic, during it's recording Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. She had two albums for her new label Capitol, 1979's "Minnie" which had the hit "Memory Lane" and 1980's posthumously released "Love Lives Forever." She was survived by her husband, music impressario Richard (Dick) Rudolph, and a daughter Maya. Maya is now an actress and a featured player on "Saturday Night Live." |
