Bernadette Bascom (born 1962 in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

) is an American R&B singer. The daughter of Civil Rights activist Rev.

Marion C. Bascom Marion Curtis Bascom (March 14, 1925 – May 17, 2012) was an American civil rights leader and Reverend at Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore, Maryland, for 45 years. Bascom oversaw numerous civic initiatives in the Baltimore comm ...

, she began her career as a voice over artist for a local DJ on a Baltimore,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...

radio station. Bascom was the first artist signed to

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...

's label Black Bull, and she later forged a great recording career in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

. For fifteen years, Bascom sang on the

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...

strip, and she was the co-star in the award-winning show Divine Divas. She was also one of the Motown Moments at the Motown Cafe. Bascom recorded for her own labels Penguin and Solidarity Records. "I Don't Want to Lose your Love" (written and produced by Bill Miller) is her trademark song. She has worked with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Lenny Williams Leonard Charles Williams (born February 16, 1945)"Biography by Alex Henderson"
AllMus ...

, among other musicians. In 2004, Bascom returned to Seattle where she has taught vocal lessons, performance, and production. She is the creator of "PRAISE!, a Sunday Gospel Supper," which has run at

The Triple Door The Triple Door is a dinner theater, lounge and music venue founded in the fall of 2003, located at 216 Union Street in Seattle, Washington. The building often hosts concerts for folk, indie, and World music groups. The Triple Door is also nota ...

in downtown Seattle. She manages the Northshore Wranglers Program as a vocal coach. Room 315 at the Anderson School is dedicated to her. In 2010, Bascom became a music and vocal teacher a
Northwest University
in Kirkland, Washington, where she still teaches. Bernadette Emmy with Stevie Wonder

Bernadette Bascom Emmy for Human interest story

In 2007, Bascom started th
Music Project
a program designed to use singing to develop children's speaking skills and confidence. She discovered that many of her enrollees were neurodivergent and their speaking and ability to express themselves benefited greatly from the program.
documentary on the program called "Bernadette's Touch" was filmed by Seattle station King 5 News
. The documentary earned her a 2012 Emmy Award for Human Interest Documentary in conjunction with the writers and producers of the piece. As a result of her success in the Music Project, Bascom collaborated with innovators at Microsoft Corporation to create a mobile application that teaches the principles from her in-person Music Project program. Her intention was to reach more people than just those who were able to attend her program in the greater Seattle area. As of March 2023, the app called "Speak!" is available in th
Apple store
and as an early release in th
Google play store
As of 2023, Bascom is a resident of

Bothell Bothell () is a city in King and Snohomish counties in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area, situated near the northeast end of Lake Washington. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 48,161 resident ...

, a northeastern suburb of Seattle.

References

External links

Bascom's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bascom, Bernadette 1962 births American rhythm and blues singers Living people Singers from Baltimore Singers from Seattle