Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before becoming a professional backing vocalist for

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...

. In 1994, Cox relocated to the United States and was signed to

Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...

by Clive Davis, releasing her self-titled debut album the following year. Her second studio album, '' One Wish'' (1998), was certified platinum in the United States. It was marked by the commercial success of the pop crossover single " Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", which would become her most successful entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number two and remaining there for eight consecutive weeks. Cox signed with

J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG's record labels in late 2008 at the end of their merger. It was distribut ...

for her third studio album '' The Morning After'' (2002), which saw moderate commercial success. Cox ventured into acting in the 2000s, making her film debut in the Canadian drama film '' Love Come Down'' (2000) and her stage debut in 2004, in the title role in the Broadway musical '' Aida''. She has since appeared in smaller films and several musical productions, including the horror-drama '' Jekyll & Hyde'', the biographical musical ''Josephine'', the musical adaptation of '' The Bodyguard'', and the 2023 revival of '' The Wiz''. Cox's most recent studio albums, '' Destination Moon'' (2007) and '' The Promise'' (2008), have been released through her own independent record label, Deco Recording Group. In 2017, her single " Let the World Be Ours Tonight" became her 13th number-one hit on ''Billboard''s Dance Club Songs over the span of three consecutive decades. In 2016, ''Billboard'' listed Cox at 23rd on its list of the Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists. An eight-time

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

nominee, she has won four awards and is often cited as Canada's top R&B artist. She received her first

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination for '' The Wiz'' in the Best Musical Theater Album category. Cox was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2022.

Early life

Deborah Cox was born in Toronto to parents of Guyanese descent, grew up in

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

, was raised

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, and attended John XXIII Catholic Elementary School and Earl Haig Secondary School. She began singing on TV commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows including an appearance on '' Tiny Talent Time''."Tiny Talent Time returning to Hamilton channel CHCH"
. Canada.com, June 11, 2013. She performed in

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

s as a teenager, and began to write music around the same time. Cox entered the music industry in the early 1990s, performing as a backup vocalist for

for six months. JAM! Music. Accessed on March 9, 2009. In 1992, she also appeared on

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

's LP titled ''It's My Nature'' on the track "That's A Friend." After receiving many rejection letters from Canadian record labels that claimed their "quota" had been reached, Cox moved to Los Angeles in 1994 with producer and songwriting partner, Lascelles Stephens.

Career

1995–1999: Debut and ''One Wish''

In late 1994, label executive Clive Davis signed Cox to

. Featuring production from

Dallas Austin Dallas L. Austin (born December 29, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, and film producer from Columbus, Georgia. Biography Early life During a 2019 interview with DJ Vlad, Dallas Austin detailed previously unknown or unconfir ...

, Keith Crouch, Tim & Bob, and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, she released her self-titled debut album the following year. A middling commercial and critical success, the album peaked at number 102 on US ''Billboard'' 200 but emerged as a steady seller, eventually receiving a gold certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA), while going platinum in Canada. Lead single " Sentimental" entered the top five on the US

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

, while follow-up " Who Do U Love" attained worldwide success, becoming a top twenty success in Australia, New Zealand and the US, also reaching the top of ''Billboard''s Dance Club Songs. In 1996, ''Deborah Cox'' won Cox a

for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the annual award ceremony and earned her a Best Soul/R&B New Artist nomination at the 1996 American Music Awards. Cox contributed the non-album song "Things Just Ain't The Same" to the soundtrack to the 1997 film '' Money Talks''. A dance remix of the song, produced by Hex Hector, became her second number-one hit on ''Billboard''s Dance Club Songs chart and was included on her second album, 1998's '' One Wish''. As with her self-titled debut album, her sophomore effort was once again executive-produced by Davis, but featured more uptempo, contemporary R&B, and a slew of new producers and personnel to incorporate dance and club music, including Montell Jordan, Anthony "Shep" Crawford, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and DJ Quik. ''One Wish'' peaked at number 72 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and earned a

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

certification from the RIAA, while reaching gold status in Canada. The album capitalized on the crossover success of lead single " Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" which became Cox's most successful entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number two, and remaining there for eight consecutive weeks, making it one of the longest stays at number two in chart history. The song also reached number one on the

, spending a then record-breaking 14 weeks at number one, while the third single " We Can't Be Friends," a duet with R. L. Huggar, reached the top ten, with "It's Over Now" and "I Never Knew" become chart-toppers on the Dance Club Songs chart.

2000–2005: ''The Morning After'' and acting career

After ''One Wish'', Cox collaborated with singer

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

on her single " Same Script, Different Cast" from the compilation album '' Whitney: The Greatest Hits''. Incorporating a backing track of

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

's " Für Elise" during the intro, it was released as a radio-only promo single and became a minor hit on ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 70 while reaching number 14 on

. In 2000, Cox made her acting debut when she starred in Clement Virgo's Canadian drama film '' Love Come Down'', playing a nightclub singer. The film garnered eight nominations at the 21st Genie Awards, including two Best Original Song nominations for Cox's songs "29" and "Our Love". In 2001, Cox then recorded " Absolutely Not", for the soundtrack to '' Dr. Dolittle 2'' which became her sixth number one hit on ''Billboard''s Dance Club Songs. Cox's third album '' The Morning After'' was released in November 2002 on

following a frustratingly long departure from Arista. It marked the Cox's first record under Clive Davis's label, with Davis, once more serving as executive producer. Keen to build on the success of her previous album ''One Wish'', he enlisted the help of producers such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music at the age of nine. He discovered th ...

, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Shep Crawford as well as up-and-coming producers Warryn Campbell, Johntá Austin and Alex Richbourg to work with Cox. A blend of urban R&B and adult contemporary songs with additional dance/house tracks, it became her highest-charting album on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and ''Billboard''s

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

yet, debuting and peaking at number 38 and number seven, respectively. Commercially, the album was less successful than her previous album, however, though it produced two singles on the US Dance Club Songs chart, including "Mr. Lonely" and "Play Your Part". In February 2004, Cox made her Broadway debut in the

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

- Tim Rice musical '' Aida'' when she replaced singer

Michelle Williams Michelle Williams or Michele Williams may refer to: * Michelle Ann Williams (born circa 1965), American public health scholar * Michelle Williams (singer) (born 1979), American singer, previously a member of Destiny's Child * Michelle Williams (actr ...

in her role of the Nubian princess. Her four-month engagement earned largely positive reviews. The same year, she recorded and released a dance remix of the musical's theme song "Easy As Life" as a promotional single. In 2005, Cox starred in the films ''Blood of a Champion'' and ''Love on Layaway''. Also that year, her voice was featured in the movie ''

Hotel Rwanda ''Hotel Rwanda'' is a 2004 biographical historical drama film co-written and directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay by George and Keir Pearson, and stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and h ...

'' in the song "Nobody Cares". To sustain demand for Cox's club appearances, while focused on her family and new album projects, she released a dance single titled "House Is Not a Home" on Nervous Records in January 2006. Later in the year, her song "Definition of Love" was used in the movie '' Akeelah and the Bee'', but was not released as a single.

2006–2009: ''Destination Moon'' and ''The Promise''

Between 2005 and 2006 Deborah recorded her fourth album, called '' Destination Moon'', arranged and produced by Rob Mounsey. A tribute album to

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

singer Dinah Washington, Cox noted it a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

that she had in mind for years. Most of the album was recorded live with a forty-piece orchestra with Rob Mounsey arranging. Eventually released by

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

in June 2017, ''Destination Moon'' peaked at number three on the '' Billboard'' Top Jazz Albums. The same year, Cox co-starred alongside Golden Brooks and Darius McCrary in Leslie Small's film ''A Good Man is Hard to Find''. Based on the musical stage play of the same name, the comedy depicts the story of three women who each undergo romantic crises that challenge their personal and spiritual relationships. In 2008, Cox performed the Canadian national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, receiving rave reviews. She also contributed the song "This Gift" to the soundtrack of the 2008 romantic drama film '' Meet the Browns'', directed by

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Madea, Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her ...

, and served as a supporting act on Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour 2008. Also that year, Cox finished work on her sixth studio album '' The Promise'', released on November 11, 2008, through Deco Recording Group, Cox's own independent label, with distribution handled by Image Entertainment. A breakaway from her previous album, it marked her return to R&B music and saw her working with a wider number of songwriters and producers on the album, including The Avila Brothers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Devo Springsteen, Big Jim, and Shep Crawford. ''The Promise'' debuted at number 106 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, number 14 on the

, and number 95 on the

Canadian Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...

. Earning generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics, it was nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2009 Juno Awards. The second single "Beautiful U R" marked her biggest hit since " Nobody's Supposed to Be Here," becoming a top ten hit in Canada, where it was certified platinum by

Music Canada Music Canada is a non-profit Industry trade group, trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to s ...

, as well as her tenth chart-topper on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs. In support of the album, Cox joined forces with American R&B singer Kenny Lattimore for the joint Timeless Promise Tour in July 2009. Also in 2009, she was featured on the single "Leave the World Behind", a house track produced by four DJs Axwell, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Laidback Luke.

2010–2017: The Queen Project, dance music and Broadway

In 2010, it was announced that Cox would be joining fellow R&B singers Kelly Price and

Tamia Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development deal with War ...

to form a supergroup. While the trio recorded several tracks together, their joint album ''The Queen Project'' eventually failed to materialize due timing issues and label politics. In 2011, Cox released the dance-heavy single "If It Wasn't for Love" through Deco Entertainment. It became her eleventh chart topper on ''Billboard''s Dance Club Songs and was to precede a new studio album which remained unreleased. In September 2012, Cox gave her inaugural performance as the female lead Lucy in a revival of the musical '' Jekyll & Hyde'' which toured North America for twenty-five weeks. While the show enjoyed a limited Broadway run only, Cox received positive reviews for her performance. Also in 2012, she collaborated with rapper Akon on the song "No Labels", the official anthem of the same-titled American bipartisan political organization. The following year, Cox collaborated with DJ Paige on the non-album single " Higher". Released on March 18, through Electronic Kingdom Records, it became her twelfth number-one hit on the US Dance Club Songs chart. In 2014, Cox was one of the performers at the opening ceremonies of WorldPride in Toronto, alongside Melissa Etheridge, Tom Robinson and Steve Grand. In 2015, she provided vocals for the made for television biographical film '' Whitney'', directed by Angela Bassett based on American recording artist

. Cox performed all of Houston's vocals in the film, including " I Will Always Love You", " I'm Your Baby Tonight", and " The Greatest Love of All." The same year, she released the deep house-influenced "Kinda Miss You", as well as the ballad "More Than I Knew" as singles. Both were set to appear on her sixth album ''Work of Art'', initially announced for an August 2015 release through Deco and Primary Wave Music. However, after several delays, the album remained unreleased. In 2016, Cox played the lead role of

Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...

in the Broadway-bound musical ''Josephine'', which chronicled the singer's life between the years of 1939 and 1945, and starred as Rachel Marron in the North American Tour of the musical '' The Bodyguard'' based on the 1992 film of the same name. In support of the musical, Cox released the EP ''I Will Always Love You'' on Deco and Broadway Records, containing cover versions of seven Whitney Houston originals as well as Houston's cover of

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

's " I Will Always Love You." In June 2017, she released an uptempo dance single " Let the World Be Ours Tonight" during

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

pride season on Radikal Records and Galactic Media. It marked her 13th single to top ''Billboard''s Dance Club Songs.

2018–present: Seventh studio album and television films

In June 2019, Cox performed at Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1969

Stonewall riots The Stonewall riots (also known as the Stonewall uprising, Stonewall rebellion, Stonewall revolution, or simply Stonewall) were a series of spontaneous riots and demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of ...

. In November 2019, she released the Rico Love-produced single " Easy Way" through Deco Entertainment. The song was expected to lead her yet-unreleased seventh studio album, initially expected to be released in late 2020. It was followed by the Christmas single "Gimme Gimme Gimme Some Christmas" a month later. In February 2020, Cox starred opposite Roger Guenveur Smith in the BET+ television thriller ''Influence'', an adaption of Carl Weber's same-titled 2018 novel, portraying a big-name celebrity singer accused of killing her husband. Also in 2020, she appeared as a guest host in an episode of '' Canada's Drag Race'' and started a webseries titled ''COXtales with Deborah Cox'' during the global

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In fall 2020, Cox released further two Christmas singles, the original song "I Really Don't Want Much for Christmas" and a rendition of the Eartha Kitt song " Santa Baby." In 2021, Cox was added to the BET series '' First Wives Club'' during its second season, playing the role of musician Regina alongside Michelle Buteau and Jill Scott. The same year, she co-starred as Wendy in the HBO Max post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction miniseries '' Station Eleven'', and appeared on "Summe of Love," another collaboration with Israeli producer Offer Nissim. In 2022, Cox was announced as an inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, becoming the first Black woman to be inducted. Beginning in September 2023, Cox starred as Glinda in a US revival of '' The Wiz'', touring nationally in advance of a March 2024 Broadway opening.

Personal life

Cox currently lives in Miami, Florida. She is married to her high school sweetheart and manager, Lascelles Stephens. They have three children: a son, Isaiah (born July 1, 2003) and two daughters, Sumayah (born June 29, 2006), and Kaila Michelle (born February 23, 2009).

Discography

* '' Deborah Cox'' (1995) * '' One Wish'' (1998) * '' The Morning After'' (2002) * '' Destination Moon'' (2007) * '' The Promise'' (2008)

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

;1996 *Won:

for Best R&B/Soul Recording (''Deborah Cox''). *Nominated:

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

for Favorite New Artist – Soul/Rhythm & Blues. ;1997 *Nominated: Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist. ;1998 *Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording ("Things Just Ain't the Same"). *Won: Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Female ("Nobody's Supposed to Be Here"). ;1999 *Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording (''One Wish''). *Nominated: Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist. *Won: Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year ("Nobody's Supposed to Be Here"). ;2000 *Nominated: Genie Award for Best Original Song ("Our Love" and "29" from '' Love Come Down''). *Nominated: Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo ("Same Script, Different Cast" feat.

). *Nominated: Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist ("We Can't Be Friends") ;2002 *Nominated: Juno Award for Best Dance Recording ("Absolutely Not"). ;2008 *Nominated: Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year (''Destination Moon''). *Received a star on walk of fame, in Toronto's Scarborough Town Centre. ;2009 *Nominated: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (''The Promise''). ;2022 *Inducted into Canadian Music Hall of Fame ;2024 *Nominated: Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Diva Performance ('' The Wiz'') ;2025 *Nominated: Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album ('' The Wiz'')

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Deborah 1974 births 20th-century Black Canadian women singers 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Black Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian women singers Actresses from Miami Actresses from Toronto Arista Records artists Black Canadian actresses Canadian contemporary R&B singers Canadian dance musicians Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Canadian house musicians Canadian film actresses Canadian musical theatre actresses Canadian people of Guyanese descent Canadian soul singers Canadian television actresses Canadian women in electronic music Canadian women pop singers Canadian women singer-songwriters Dance-pop musicians Decca Records artists J Records artists Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year winners Living people Musicians from Miami Singers from Toronto Singers from Florida Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Earl Haig Secondary School alumni 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States