Miss Celie's Blues, also known as "Sister", is a song from the

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movie ''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.

'' (1985), with music by

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

and Rod Temperton and lyrics by the two of them with

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recor ...

, performed by Táta Vega. The song was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Music, Original Song in 1986.

Background

During the song, composed in a blues/ragtime style, the singer explains to her "sister" that she has her in her mind as a kindred spirit. She sings that after a long period of loneliness on the road, she has finally become "someone" and hopes that her sister is also. In the film, the song is sung by Shug to Celie, and portrays the romantic and sexual relationship blossoming between the two women. Although Shug was portrayed by

Margaret Avery Margaret Avery (born April 15, 1944) is an American actress and singer. She began her career appearing on stage and later had starring roles in films including '' Cool Breeze'' (1972), '' Which Way Is Up?'' (1977), ''Scott Joplin'' (1977), and '' ...

, her voice was synchronised by Táta Vega, and the harmonica at the beginning of the song was played by

Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and oc ...

Reception

"Miss Celie's Blues" was immediately popular with audiences, and

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...

, the author of the original novel took an instant liking to it. It became a concert piece independently of the song, and an unofficial anthem of the African-American lesbian community. The song was covered by

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(1987),

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(1989),

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(1994),

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(1995),

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(1996),

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(2005),

Marjorie Estiano Marjorie Dias de Oliveira (born 8 March 1982), known professionally as Marjorie Estiano, is a Brazilian actress and singer-songwriter. She became nationally known for her role in Rede Globo's teen soap opera ''Malhação''. In film, Estiano w ...

(2005) and

Eden Atwood Eden Atwood is an American jazz singer and actress. She is the daughter of composer Hubbard Atwood and the granddaughter of the novelist A. B. Guthrie Jr. Career Atwood was born in Memphis, Tennessee. When she was five, her parents got a divor ...

(2010). It has also been interpreted in a jazz style by such artists as Pat Thompson,

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and

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References

{{authority control 1985 songs American songs Blues songs LGBT-related songs Songs written by Lionel Richie Songs written by Quincy Jones Songs written by Rod Temperton Songs written for films