Siedah Garrett

Siedah Garrett (born June 24, 1958) is an American songwriter and vocalist, who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, Brand New Heavies, Quincy Jones, Tevin Campbell, Donna Summer, Madonna, Jennifer Hudson among others. Garrett has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and has won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 50th Grammy Awards for co-writing "Love You I Do" (performed by Jennifer Hudson) for the 2006 musical film, Dreamgirls.

Biography

She appeared as a contestant on Password Plus in 1980.

She performed "One Man Woman" on Quincy Jones' Grammy-Award winning "Back on the Block."

She joined the soul / funk outfit Plush, their self-titled album was issued in 1982 on RCA Records.

Her hits include "Don't Look Any Further" with Dennis Edwards (#72 pop, #2 R&B in 1984); "Do You Want It Right Now?" in 1985 from the Fast Forward soundtrack^[1] (#3 Hot Dance Music/Club Play and #63 R&B), which was covered by Taylor Dayne in 1988 and later covered by Armand Van Helden in 2007 under the title "I Want Your Soul"; "Everchanging Times" from the movie Baby Boom (#30 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1987), and "K.I.S.S.I.N.G." (#97 in 1988). The latter song went to #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

In 1987 Garrett was involved in Michael Jackson's Bad album, singing a duet with Jackson on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" and co-writing the #1 single "Man in the Mirror". The association with Jackson enabled her to sing on several Quincy Jones albums of the 1980s and 1990s, co-writing his hit songs "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)", "Back On The Block," and "The Secret Garden." Garrett also toured with Michael Jackson from 1992 to 1993 on his Dangerous World Tour, singing backing vocals and duetting with him for "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". In the Dangerous album, Garrett also wrote a song "Keep the Faith" with Michael Jackson and Glen Ballard, the co-songwriter of Man in the Mirror.

In 1989, she forayed into the acting world, starring in a TV sitcom pilot for NBC called "Wally and the Valentines" opposite William Ragsdale, Audrey Meadows, Tatyana Ali, Tevin Campbell and Cindy Herron.

In 1991, she became host of the show America's Top 10. In 1995 Garrett was also involved with Maysa Leak's (of the group Incognito) solo debut album as co-writer of the track "Sexy" in which she also sang backing vocals.

In 1996 she joined the Brand New Heavies, collaborating on just one album, 1997's Shelter. As part of the band, she co-wrote their top 5 hit "Sometimes" and enjoyed a minor hit with a cover of Carole King's "You've Got A Friend". Garrett left the group in early 1998 to concentrate on her own songwriting.

Garrett supported Madonna as a backing singer and dancer on The Re-Invention Tour in 2004. Garrett's professional involvement with Madonna goes back some years as she previously supplied backing vocals on some of Madonna's earlier material including True Blue (1986), and Who's That Girl (1987).

In 2006, Garrett contributed her songwriting services to Bill Condon's film adaptation of Dreamgirls, providing lyrics for two of the four new songs added to the score. One of her compositions, the Jennifer Hudson solo "Love You I Do", earned Garrett a nomination for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song. At the 50th Grammy Awards Garrett along with Henry Krieger won the Grammy for Best Song-Motion Picture TV, Visual Media for "Love You I Do".

She represented America in the opening ceremony of 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games singing the song "I Know I Can", and in the opening ceremony of Expo 2010 Shanghai China, singing the song "Better City, Better Life" with Jonathan Buck, both songs which she co-wrote with Quincy Jones.

Garrett co-wrote four songs for the current 2011 #1 top grossing film, FoxFilm's Rio, where she is also a featured artist on the soundtrack on the song "Funky Monkey".

In 2011, she appeared on American Idol singing with contestants Haley Reinhart, and most notably Jacob Lusk, with whom she sang her song "Man in the Mirror". (Air date 04/06/2011)^[2]

Siedah's new single, "Keep On Lovin' You" a tribute to Michael Jackson, and an answer to their duet IJCSLY was made available on iTunes September 11, 2012.

Discography

Plush albums

• Plush (RCA, 1982)

Solo albums

• Kiss Of Life (Qwest, 1988)
• Siedah (OmTown, 2003)

Brand New Heavies albums

• Shelter (FFRR, 1997)

Singles

• "Don't Look Any Further" (Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett) (Motown, 1984)
• "Curves" (Qwest, 1985) - from the movie Fast Forward
• "Do You Want It Right Now" (Qwest, 1985) - from the movie Fast Forward^[3]
• "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (Michael Jackson featuring Siedah Garrett) (Epic, 1987)
• "Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu" - Spanish Version of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (Michael Jackson featuring Siedah Garrett) (Epic, 1987)
• "Everchanging Times" (Qwest, 1987) - from the movie Baby Boom
• "K.I.S.S.I.N.G." (Qwest, 1988)
• "Refuse To Be Loose" (Qwest, 1988)
• "Innocent Side" (Qwest, 1988)
• "I Don't Go For That" (Quincy Jones featuring Siedah Garrett) (Qwest / Warner Bros., 1989)
• "I'm Yours" (Quincy Jones featuring El DeBarge and Siedah Garrett) (Qwest / Warner Bros., 1989)
• "Listen Up" (Quincy Jones Featuring Al B Sure, El DeBarge, James Ingram, Karyn White, Ray Charles, Siedah Garrett, Tevin Campbell & The Winans) (Qwest / Warner Bros., 1989)
• "The Places You Find Love" (Quincy Jones featuring Chaka Kahn, Siedah Garrett & Tevin Campbell) (Qwest / Warner Bros., 1990)
• "What I Know" (OmTown, 2003)
• "Rain Down Love" (Freemasons featuring Siedah Garrett) (Loaded, 2007)
• "I Want Your Soul" (Armand Van Helden featuring Siedah Garrett) samples "Do You Want It Right Now" (SPG Records Canada, 2007)
• "Funky Bahia" (Sérgio Mendes featuring will.i.am & Siedah Garrett) (Concord Music Group, 2008)
• "Keep on Lovin' You" produced by Bruce Swedien (In The Mirror Music, 2012)

Background vocals

• "Supernatural Love" (Donna Summer, Cats Without Claws) (Warner Bros. / Polygram, 1984)
• "There Goes My Baby" (Donna Summer, Cats Without Claws) (Warner Bros. / Polygram, 1984)
• "Fine Fine Fella (Got To Have You)" (Patti Austin, Patti Austin LP) (Qwest / Warner Bros., 1984)
• "The Collector" (Cerrone EP) (II Discotto Productions, 1985)
• "Baby Love" (Regina single) (Atlantic Records, 1986)
• "Prove Me Right" (Shannon, Love Goes All The Way CD) (Atlantic Records, 1986)
• "Love Goes All The Way" (Shannon, Love Goes All The Way CD) (Atlantic Records, 1986)
• "The Flat Horizon" (Wang Chung, Mosaic CD) (Geffen Records, 1986)
• "This Is This" (Weather Report, This Is This CD) (CBS Records, 1986)
• "Face The Face" (Weather Report, This Is This CD) (CBS Records, 1986)
• "Jungle Stuff" (Weather Report, This Is This CD) (CBS Records, 1986)
• "Papa, Don't Preach" (Madonna, True Blue CD) (Sire / WB, 1986)
• "Where's The Party" (Madonna, True Blue CD) (Sire / WB, 1986)
• "True Blue" (Madonna, True Blue CD) (Sire / WB, 1986)
• "La Isla Bonita" (Madonna, True Blue CD) (Sire / WB, 1986)
• "Love Makes The World Go Round" (Madonna, True Blue CD) (Sire / WB, 1986)
• "What I Like" (Anthony And The Camp, What I Like 12") (WB / Jellybean, 1986)
• "Man In The Mirror" (Michael Jackson, Bad CD) (Epic / MJJ, 1987)
• "Each Time You Break My Heart" (Nick Kamen, Nick Kamen CD) (Sire / WB, 1987)
• "Betcha" (Jon Anderson, In The City Of Angels CD) (CBS Records, 1988)
• "Right Out Of My Head (Boz Scaggs, Other Roads CD) (CBS Records, 1988)
• "Crimes Of Passion" (Boz Scaggs, Other Roads CD) (CBS Records, 1988)
• "The Night Of Van Gogh (Boz Scaggs, Other Roads CD) (CBS Records, 1988)
• "Kiss Me The Way You Did Last Night" (Carpenters, Lovelines CD) (A&M Records, 1989)
• "The Secret Garden" (Quincy Jones featuring Al B. Sure!, El DeBarge, James Ingram and Barry White, Quincy Jones, Back On The Block CD, Qwest/Warner Bros., 1989)
• "Higher Than High" (Tony LeMans, Higher Than High 12") (Paisly Park / WB 1989)
• "The Best Man" (Glenn Medeiros, Glenn Medeiros CD) (MCA Records, 1990)
• "What He Has" (Thelma Houston, Throw You Down CD) (Reprise, 1990)
• "Do You Love As Good As You Look" (Jellybean, Spillin' The Beans CD) (Atlantic, 1991)
• "Tell Me" (Go West, Indian Summer CD) (Crysalis Records UK, 1982)
• "Commitment Of The Heart" (Clive Griffin, Clive Griffin CD) (550 Music / Epic, 1993)
• "I Never Even Told You" (Tia Carrere, Dream CD) (Reprise, 1993)
• "Love Talk To Me" (Cindy Mizelle, Cindy Mizelle CD) (East West Records, 1994)
• "This Too Shall Pass" (Phyllis Hyman, I Refuse To Be Lonely CD) (PIR, 1995)
• "Sexy" (Maysa, Maysa CD) (Blue Thumb Records, 1995)
• "Jook Joint Intro" (Quincy Jones featuring Barry White, Bono, Brandy, Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, Gloria Estefan, James Moody, Patti Austin, Ray Charles, Siedah Garrett & Stevie Wonder) (Qwest / Warner Bros., 1995)
• "You Put A Move On My Heart" (Tamia, Tamia CD) (Warner Bros., 1998)
• "What You Give You Get Back" (Scorpions, Eye To Eye) (EastWest Records, 1999)
• "Sweet Freedom" (Michael McDonald, The Voice Of Michael McDonald) (Rhino Records, 2000)
• "I Live For Your Love" (Natalie Cole, Love Songs CD) (Elektra Records, 2001)
• "On The Way to Love" (Patti Austin, On The Way To Love CD) (Warner Bros., 2001)
• "The Game Of Love" (Santana, Shamen CD) (Arista, 2002)
• "Seasons Change" (Anastacia, Anastacia CD) (Epic Records, 2004)
• "Left Outside Alone" (Anastacia, Anastacia CD) (Epic Records, 2004)
• "Time" (Anastacia, Anastacia CD) (Epic Records, 2004)
• "Are You Man Enough? / Orange Wig Skit" (RuPaul, Red Hot CD) (RuCo Ltd, 2004)
• "Superman" (RuPaul, Red Hot CD) (RuCo Ltd, 2004)
• "A Public Affair" (Jessica Simpson, A Public Affair CD) (Epic, 2006)
• "The Lover In Me" (Jessica Simpson, A Public Affair CD) (Epic, 2006)

Album credits

• "Cats Without Claws" (Donna Summer, Cats Without Claws) (Geffen Records, 1984)
• "Pebbles" (Pebbles, Pebbles) (MCA Records, 1987)
• "Harry's Cafe De Wheels" (Peter Blakeley, Harry's Cafe De Wheels CD) (Capitol Records, 1989)
• "Stupid Man" (Thomas Helmig, Stupid Man CD) (BMG, 1994)
• "Bête Noire" (Bryan Ferry, Bête Noire CD) (Virgin Records, 1999)
• "Indestructible" (Rancid, Indestructible CD) (Hellcat Records, 2003)
• "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" (Madonna, I'm Going To Tell You A Secret) all tracks (Warner Bros., 2006)

Brand New Heavies singles

• "Sometimes" (Delicious Vinyl, 1997)
• "You Are The Universe" (FFRR, 1997)
• "You've Got A Friend" (FFRR, 1997)
• "Shelter" (FFRR, 1998)

Awards and nominations

• Grammy Award 2008 Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media - "Love You I Do" from Dreamgirls (songwriter) (Won)
• Academy Award: Best Original Song - Love You I Do (2007) (Nominated)
• Academy Award: Best Original Song - Real in Rio (2012) (Nominated)
• Satellite Awards: Best Original Song - Love You I Do (2006) (Nominated)

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References

External links

• Siedah Garrett Official Website
• Siedah Garrett's Project Page
• Siedah Garrett at AllMusic
• Siedah Garrett on Discogs