June Deniece Williams (née Chandler; born June 3, 1950) is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

voices" by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. She is best known for the songs "

Free Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, the ability to act or change without constraint or restriction * Emancipate, attaining civil and political rights or equality * Free (''gratis''), free of charge * Gratis versus libre, the difference betw ...

", " Silly", "

It's Gonna Take a Miracle "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein, and Lou Stallman. It was first an R&B hit in 1965 for The Royalettes, which reached the Top 30 on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at number 41 on the ''Billboard' ...

" and two ''Billboard'' Hot 100 No.1 singles "

Let's Hear It for the Boy "Let's Hear It for the Boy" is a song by Deniece Williams that appeared on Footloose (1984 soundtrack), the soundtrack to the feature film ''Footloose (1984 film), Footloose''. The song was released as a single from both the soundtrack and her L ...

" and "

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" is a song performed by singers Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, written by Nat Kipner and John Vallins. The single was a comeback of sorts for Mathis, because his last U.S. top 10 hit had been 1963’s " What ...

" (with

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

). Williams has won four

Grammys 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 ...

with twelve nominations altogether. She (with Johnny Mathis) is also known for recording “Without Us”, the theme song of ''

Family Ties ''Family Ties'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the social shift in the United Stat ...

''.

Early life

June Deniece Chandler was born and raised in

Gary Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name Places ;Iran * Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;United States *Gary (Tampa), Florida *Gary, Ind ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, United States. She attended

Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a Public university, public historically black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically bla ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, in the hopes of becoming a registered nurse and an anesthetist, but she dropped out after a year and a half. She recalled, "You have to be a good student to be in college, and I wasn't."

Career

Early years (late 1960s–1975)

Williams started performing while a college student, "a part-time job singing at a club, Casino Royal, and I liked it. It was a lot of fun." During those years, she also worked at a telephone company and as a ward clerk at the Chicago Mercy Hospital. She recorded for The Toddlin' Town group of labels as Deniece Chandler. One of those early records, "I'm Walking Away", was released on Toddlin's subsidiary Lock Records in the late 1960s, is a favorite on England's

Northern Soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

scene. A brief spell in 1969 with Patti Hamilton's the Lovelites resulted in her lead on "I'm Not Like the Others", a track that was eventually released in 1999.

Becoming established (1975–1987)

She became a

backup vocalist A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

for

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

as part of "Wonderlove", lending her vocals on his albums ''

Talking Book An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

'', ''

Fulfillingness' First Finale ''Fulfillingness' First Finale'' is the seventeenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer Stevie Wonder, released on July 22, 1974, by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. It is the fourth of five albums from wha ...

'', and ''

Songs in the Key of Life ''Songs in the Key of Life'' is the eighteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder. A double album, it was released on September 28, 1976, by Tamla Records, a division of Motown. It was recorded primarily at ...

''. Williams also appeared on

Syreeta Wright Syreeta Wright (born Rita Wright, February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), known mononymously as Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights were songs ...

's 1974 album '' Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta'',

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1974 single " Lovin' You", her five-octave vocal range, and her use of the whistle register. Born in 1947, Riperton grew ...

's 1974 album ''

Perfect Angel ''Perfect Angel'' is the second studio album by American singer Minnie Riperton, released on May 24, 1974 by Epic Records. The album contains the biggest hit of Riperton's career, "Lovin' You", which topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Pop Single ...

'' and

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

's 1975 album '' Feel Like Makin' Love'' and 1977 album ''

Blue Lights in the Basement ''Blue Lights in the Basement'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Roberta Flack, released by Atlantic Records on December 13, 1977. A commercial success, it peaked at number eight on the US ''Billboard'' 200, becoming her third top-te ...

''. She left Wonder in 1975 to sign a deal with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

and Kalimba Productions. Kalimba was a production company started by

Maurice White Maurice White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey. ...

and

Charles Stepney Charles Stepney (March 26, 1931May 17, 1976) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and musician. Stepney is noted for his work with artists such as The Dells, Ramsey Lewis, Rotary Connection and Earth, Wind & Fire. Career He sta ...

. Williams went on to work on her first studio album with both White and Stepney as its producers. Released in August 1976 '' This Is Niecy'' rose to Nos. 3 and 33 on the

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, ...

and ''Billboard'' 200 charts respectively. ''This Is Niecy'' has also been certified Gold in the United States by the

RIAA 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 ...

and silver in the UK by the

British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...

. An album cut, "

", got to Nos. 1, 2 & 25 on the UK Singles, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Hot R&B Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively. Another single being "That's What Friends Are For" rose to No. 8 on the UK Singles chart. A few months before the release of ''This Is Niecy'', Charles Stepney died. White went on to single handedly produce Williams' second album, ''

Song Bird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5,00 ...

'', released in October 1977. The album rose to No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart. Simon Gage of ''

The Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

'' found Songbird is "filled with gorgeous songs that showcase her four-octave range to full effect".

John Rockwell John Sargent Rockwell (born September 16, 1940) is an American music critic, dance critic and arts administrator. According to ''Grove Music Online'', "Rockwell brings two signal attributes to his critical work: a genuine admiration for all ki ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' also wrote "Deniece Williams's “Song Bird” is a most appealing album for anyone who likes varied, skillful and sophisticated singing in the black pop area. One can't be more stylistically precise than that because it is a characteristic of Maurice White's production and Miss Williams's virtuousically diverse singing that her disk ambles all over the stylistic map. But instead of sounding diffuse, it sounds refreshingly varied." A tune from the album called "

Baby, Baby My Love's All for You "Baby, Baby My Love's All for You" is a song by Deniece Williams, released as a single in October 1977 by Columbia Records. The song reached No. 13 on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Soul Songs chart, No. 5 o ...

", reached No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 32 UK Singles chart. Williams guested on Roberta Flack's 1977 album, ''

'', and sang along with Maurice White on

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer Alphonse Mouzon a ...

's 1978 album, '' Mr. Gone''. Williams also recorded a duet with

, called "

" that reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Hot Soul Songs and

Adult Contemporary Songs The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stati ...

charts. Williams went on to issue a duet album with

dubbed

That's What Friends Are For "That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded by Rod Stewart in 1982 for the soundtrack of the film '' Night Shift'', but it is best known for the 1985 version by Dionne Warwic ...

in 1978 on Columbia for Kalimba Productions. Paul Sexton of ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

'' commented "their coupling is quite satisfactory from an artistic point of view." Dennis Hunt of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' said that "Mathis' duets with Williams have rescued him from the MOR graveyard and given him new life in the pop/R&B market. This album, far superior to the last featuring this pair, brims with romantic material. To make sure no one mistakes these songs for MOR, producer Jack Gold has tacked on sprightly rhythm tracks which turn some of them into gentle rockers." A cover from the album of

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

and

Tammi Terrell Thomasina Winifred Montgomery (April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970), professionally known as Tammi Terrell, was an American singer-songwriter, widely known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, notably for a series of duets with ...

You're All I Need to Get By "You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single " I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to ...

peaked at No. 5 on the ''RPM'' Canadian Adult Contemporary Songs chart, No. 10 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Singles Chart and No. 16 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary songs chart. The LP rose to No. 14 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart and No. 19 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. That's What Friends Are For has also been certified

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

in the US by the

. William's fourth studio recording, ''

When Love Comes Calling When Love Comes Calling may refer to: * ''When Love Comes Calling'' (Deniece Williams album), a 1979 album * ''When Love Comes Calling'' (George Benson album), a 1996 EP See also * " When Love Comes Callin'", a 1990 song by Sawyer Brown {{ ...

'' was issued in 1979 by

ARC Records American Record Corporation (ARC), also referred to as American Record Company, American Recording Corporation, or ARC Records, was an American record company in operation from 1929 to 1938, and again from 1978 to 1982. Overview ARC was cre ...

(ARC), Maurice White's

vanity label Informally, a vanity label (compare vanity press) is a record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the com ...

on Columbia. Connie Johnson of the ''

'' proclaimed "This album (coproduced by

Raydio Raydio is an American funk and Rhythm and blues, R&B vocal group formed in 1977 by Ray Parker Jr., with Vincent Bonham, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael. In 1978 Charles Julian Fearing and Larry "Fatback" Tolbert joined the band, along with D ...

Ray Parker Jr. Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song for the 1984 film '' Ghostbusters'' and also sounds from the animated series '' The ...

), nicely showcases Williams' expressive voice, and those translucent high C's she's capable of reaching." The album rose to No. 27 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart. A single from the album, "

I've Got the Next Dance "I've Got the Next Dance" is a song by Deniece Williams issued as a single in April 1979 on ARC/Columbia Records. The song reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Play chart and No. 26 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. Overview ...

", rose to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Dance/Club Play chart. Williams issued her follow-up album, '' My Melody'', in 1981 on Columbia/ARC. The

Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...

opined "Although her roots are R&B, Miss Williams transcends easy categorisation with this collection of material and her versatile presentation."

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

of the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

also found that "My Melody, Miss Williams's fourth solo album, is an inspired collaboration with Thom Bell, the Philadelphia songwriter and producer whose hits with the

Stylistics Stylistics, a branch of applied linguistics, is the study and interpretation of texts of all types, but particularly literary texts, and spoken language with regard to their linguistic and tonal style, where style is the particular variety of l ...

and the Spinners in the early 70's epitomized pop-soul elegance." The album rose to No. 13 on the ''

'' Top Soul Albums chart. My Melody has been certified

in the US by the

. The single, " Silly", reached No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart. Williams issued her follow-up album, ''

Niecy ''Niecy'' is an album by American singer Deniece Williams which was released in 1982 on ARC Records, ARC/Columbia Records. The album reached No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Soul Albums chart and No. 20 on the Billboard 200. Critical rec ...

'', in 1982 on Columbia/ARC. The album reached No. 5 on the Top Soul Albums chart and No. 20 on the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

. With a B+

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

of the

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

found "Williams's exquisite clarity and thrilling range have always slotted her among the perfect angels for me, but there's a lot more to her work with Thom Bell, who finally challenges

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

on his own turf, applying strings and woodwinds and amplifiers with a deft economy that textures rather than sweetens. And Williams's lyrics, while never startling, become increasingly personal as her professional confidence grows--she's wrinkling her brow more and her nose less." Crispin Cioe of

High Fidelity High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...

found "as a writer, Williams deals in the unabashedly romantic; as a singer she lends her lines an emotionalism that rings true. In Bell's sympathetically rich arranging/production context small sentiments take on grand proportions, and therein lies the album's charm." Its Gonna Take a Miracle by Deniece Williams US vinyl

Its Gonna Take a Miracle by Deniece Williams US vinyl

A cover of the Royalettes' "

" reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Williams and Mathis collaborated once again to record "Without Us" the theme song of the sitcom ''

'' which debuted in September 1982. In the Netherlands the album track "It's Your Conscience" had been released as a single. It climbed to No. 15 on the

Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 () is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore radio, offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" ...

charts. During 1983 she released her seventh studio album, ''

I'm So Proud ''I'm So Proud'' is an album by American singer Deniece Williams which was released in 1983 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums chart. Singles " Do What You Feel" reached No. 9 on the ''Billboard'' ...

'', which got to No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart. Connie Johnson of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote: "The album works due to fresh-sounding, quality material. This is black pop at its most enterprising." I'm So Proud was also nominated for a Grammy in the

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Award ...

category. During 1984, Williams released her follow up album ''

''. This album reached No. 26 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 Albums chart and No. 10 on the US ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hop-Hop Albums chart. The title track reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Hot Soul Songs and Dance Club Play Songs charts. The hit single was eventually certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in Canada by Music Canada and Gold the UK by the BPI. Additionally, the song was featured on the soundtrack to the feature film ''

Footloose ''Footloose'' is a 1984 American musical drama film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Dean Pitchford. It tells the story of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), a teenager from Chicago who moves to a small town, where he attempts to overturn a b ...

''. She later guested on

' 1984 album ''

A Special Part of Me ''A Special Part of Me'' is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on January 22, 1984, by Columbia Records and reunited him with his " Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" partner Deniece Williams on one of the LP's two due ...

'', Stevie Wonder's 1985 LP, ''

In Square Circle ''In Square Circle'' is the twentieth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released in September 1985 on Tamla Records. ''In Square Circle'' spent 12 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The album a ...

'' and

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...

's 1985 album ''

That's Why I'm Here ''That's Why I'm Here'' is the eleventh studio album by singer-songwriter James Taylor released in 1985, four years after his previous effort, ''Dad Loves His Work''. The album contains a version of Buddy Holly's " Everyday", as well as the part ...

''.

Gospel (1980–1987)

Although Williams had recorded one inspirational song on almost each of her mainstream albums, it was in 1980 that her musical career path began to change favoring Gospel music. Williams joined with friends

Philip Bailey Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his fo ...

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...

fame, Billy Davis and

Marilyn McCoo Marilyn McCoo (born September 30, 1943) is an American singer, actress, and television presenter, who is best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group the 5th Dimension as well as hosting the 1980s music television show '' Solid Gol ...

to present a gospel show at The Roxy, a popular Los Angeles club: "Jesus at the Roxy". Williams later reported that "God did something miraculous. Over three hundred people were saved." In 1985, at the

27th Annual Grammy Awards The 27th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1985, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, and were broadcast live in the United States by CBS. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1984. Performers * Huey Lewis & Th ...

, Williams sang an

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

version of her 1977 composition "God Is Amazing", a Gospel song, rather than her No. 1 song "Let's Hear It for the Boy", much to her record company's disdain. During 1986, her first gospel studio album, '' So Glad I Know'', was released on

Sparrow Records Sparrow Records is a Christian music record label and a division of Universal Music Group. History Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then artists and repertoire (A&R) director at Myrrh Records. Barry McGuire was the fi ...

, and got to No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Top Christian Albums chart and was nominated for Best Gospel Performance, Female Grammy. "They Say", a duet with

Sandi Patti Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty (born July 12, 1956) is an American Christian music singer, known for her wide soprano vocal range and expressive flexibility. Biography Early life Patty was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, into a family of musician ...

, Williams won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus and for "I Surrender All", she won the

Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female The Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female was awarded from 1984 to 1989. In 1990 this award was combined with the award for Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male, Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male as the Grammy Award ...

R&B, Gospel and Jazz (1987–2000)

During 1987 she released her tenth studio album, ''

Water Under the Bridge "Water Under the Bridge" is a song by English singer Adele from her third studio album '' 25'' (2015). Adele wrote the song with its producer, Greg Kurstin. Columbia Records released the track as the album's fourth single on 14 November 2016. A ...

'', which rose to No. 39 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart. "Never Say Never" reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Songs chart and No. 23 on the ''Billboard''

Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...

chart. A year later she released her follow-up studio album, ''As Good As It Gets'', which rose to No. 48 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart. " I Can't Wait" charted at No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Songs chart. Another single, " This Is as Good as It Gets", rose to No. 29 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Songs chart. During 1989, she issued her second Gospel album ''

Special Love ''Special Love'' is the second full-length gospel music, gospel album by American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer Deniece Williams released in 1989 on MCA Records, MCA/Sparrow Records. ''Special Love'' peaked at number 11 on the ''Billboard (magazine ...

''. That album reached No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Top Christian Albums chart. Williams went on to appear on Nancy Wilson's 1990 LP '' A Lady with a Song'',

George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...

's 1992 album ''

Snapshot Snapshot, snapshots or snap shot may refer to: * Snapshot (photography), a photograph taken without preparation Computing * Snapshot (computer storage), the state of a system at a particular point in time * Snapshot (file format) or SNP, a file ...

'',

's 1995 LP ''

Conversation Peace ''Conversation Peace'' is the twenty-second album released by American musician Stevie Wonder, on the Motown label in 1995. The album was Wonder's first full-length non-soundtrack studio album since 1987's '' Characters''. This album yielded th ...

'', and

Spyro Gyra Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band that was formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1974. The band's music combines jazz, R&B, funk, and pop music. The band's name comes from ''Spirogyra'', a genus of green algae which founder Jay Beckenste ...

's 1995 album '' Love & Other Obsessions''. During 1999 she released another Gospel album, '' This Is My Song'', on

Harmony Records Harmony Records was a record label owned by Columbia Records that debuted in 1925. History Harmony Records began for low-priced 78 rpm records in the 1920s and 1930s. It was revived for budget albums of reissued tracks in 1957. The revived labe ...

. The album rose to No. 14 on the ''Billboard''

Top Gospel Albums Top Gospel Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States, ranking the popularity of gospel albums. As of Tuesday, January 31, 2017 (with the charts dated February 11, 2017), it uses the same multi-metric m ...

chart. ''This Is My Song'' also won a

Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album was awarded from 1991 to 2011. From 1991 to 1993 it was awarded as Best Pop Gospel Album. According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award is reserved "For alb ...

Later years (2000–present)

In April 2007 she later released another studio album entitled ''Love, Niecy Style'', produced by Philly Soul veteran

Bobby Eli Bobby Eli (born Eli Tatarsky; March 2, 1946 – August 17, 2023) was an American musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia. He was a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio band MFSB. Overview Bobby ...

, on Shanachie Records. Love, Niecy Style rose to No. 41 on the ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. On October 13, 2007, Williams performed in her hometown of Gary, Indiana at the re-opening of the historic Glen Theater. Williams was thereafter recognized by Indiana State Representative Vernon G. Smith as an Outstanding Hoosier. In October 2007 Williams went on to issue a single called, "Grateful: The Rededication", with Wanda Vaughn of

The Emotions The Emotions are an American soul/ R&B vocal group from Chicago. The group started out in gospel music but transitioned into R&B and disco music. The Emotions were named by VH1 as one of the 18 most influential girl groups of all time. Hist ...

and Sherree Brown. The single got to No. 40 on the ''Billboard''

Adult R&B Songs The Adult R&B Songs chart (formerly called Adult R&B Airplay) is an airplay chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on urban adult contemporary radio stations, whose playl ...

chart. On April 29, 2008, Williams announced that she was preparing a proposal to establish a program called KOP—Kids of Promise—in her hometown of

Gary, Indiana Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...

. Williams said the program would include a center with classes and programs dedicated to education and the performing arts. On June 27, 2010, Williams performed "Silly" with Monica at the

BET Awards The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...

. As well in June 2011, Williams featured on '' Unsung'', TV One's musical biography show. She later guested on

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...

's 2011 album Soulicious. In the fall of 2020 she released a new single called "When You Love Somebody". This was followed by a new EP titled ''Gemini'', released in the fall of 2021. On June 30, 2021, she was honored as one of the first ever inductees into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame. Williams was, on May 16, 2023, also bestowed with the keys to the city of

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

Filmography

Williams appeared in the 2004 holiday movie ''

Christmas Child ''Christmas Child'' is a 2004 American Christian film directed by William Ewing starring Steven Curtis Chapman. The film is based on " The Christmas Cross", a short story by Max Lucado repackaged in 2003 as ''The Christmas Child: A Story of Comi ...

''. During December 2005 she appeared on the reality-dating show '' Elimidate'' as part of their "Celebrity Week".

Vocal profile

Deniece Williams has a four-octave range and distinctive soprano voice. Her vocal range was also pointed out by ''

'', "Miss Williams mounted a spectacular vocal display in which her penetrating, feline

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

soared effortlessly to E flat above high C, and she worked various vowel sounds into prolonged feats of vocal gymnastics." In pointing to Williams's similar vocal ability as her former musical icon and colleague (

), Mark Anthony Neal, in referencing Jill Scott's agility in displaying vocal acrobatics, states, "Scott draws on her upper register recalling the artistry of the late Minnie Riperton and "songbird" Deniece Williams." According to Monica Haynes of Post-Gazette.com, Williams "has the kind of range that would make

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

quiver".

Personal life

Williams has been married three times and has four sons. Williams was married to her middle school sweetheart Kendrick Williams from 1971 until 1975, before she relocated to California in the early 1970s. She has since continued to use her first husband's surname professionally.Together they had two sons, Kendrick Jr. (b. 1972) and Kevin (b. 1973). In May 1981, Williams married actor and minister Christipher Joy. Williams and Joy separated in August 1982, divorcing later that year. From 1986 until 1993, Williams was married to Brad Westering, with whom she had two sons: Forrest (b. 1988) and Logan.

Discography

Grammy Awards

The

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 ...

s are awarded annually by the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

. Williams has received four awards out of thirteen nominations.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Deniece 1950 births Living people 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American singer-songwriters 20th-century American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American women singers African-American Christians African-American songwriters American dance musicians American disco singers American expatriates in the United Kingdom American gospel singers American rhythm and blues musicians American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American sopranos American women record producers Atlantic Records artists Columbia Records artists Grammy Award winners MCA Records artists Musicians from Gary, Indiana Record producers from Indiana Shanachie Records artists Singer-songwriters from Indiana Sparrow Records artists Writers from Gary, Indiana