Minnie Riperton

Minnie Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was a soul singer from Chicago, Illinois.

Biography

As a child, Minnie studied music, drama, and dance, and seriously considered a career in opera. However, her affiliation with the famous Chess Records record label soon allowed her to sing backup for Etta James, Fontella Bass, and Stevie Wonder. Minnie sang lead vocals for several small, unsucessful bands before teaming up with her husband, composer Richard Rudolph, to start her solo career. Stevie Wonder agreed to produce her 1974 album, Perfect Angel, featuring Lovin' You, a ballad to her two-year old daughter Maya.

Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy in 1976. She became an active spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society and was awarded the Society Courage Award from President Jimmy Carter. She died in 1979 at the age of only 31 and was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

In addition to her musical legacy, Minnie Riperton is survived by her daughter, Maya Rudolph, a current cast member of Saturday Night Live.

Vocal ability

About fifteen percent of soprano singers have the ability to access the lower reaches of the whistle register, but Minnie was capable of not only accessing the seventh octave, she had the ability (sheer muscular control) to execute trills, runs, and other vocal acrobatics in the seventh octave. Her highest recorded note is F#7 in You Take My Breath Away, but not only did she sing many songs going into the seventh octave, it is well rumored that she could hit a C8 (two full octaves above soprano C or C6). The only soul singer to rival her range is Mariah Carey. She scored her greatest commercial success with the memorable one-hit wonder Lovin' You, a soulful pop ballad that showcased her amazing five-octave vocal range, as well as her ability to hit an F6 note in the whistle register. What set Minnie Riperton apart from many other singers capable of the whistle register is her ability to sound almost mechanical or instrumental. In You Take My Breath Away, she sounds almost like feedback on a microphone. She had an inate ability to imitate many instruments. In fact, this help lead to her discovery while she was a secretary at Chess Records.

Covers/references

• The plot of an early episode of South Park centers around a male singer's inability to hit the F6 in Lovin' You.
• In 1991, Shanice Wilson covered Lovin' You, updating it for a 90's sound. Unfortunately, the cover visibility was obscured by her pop smash off the same album, I love Your Smile.
• In 1999, Mariah Carey, mimicked Minnie in her song Bliss, the third track on her album Rainbow. Mariah can be heard singing the phrase 'On and On' in such a manner her voice sounds almost like a steaming tea kettle to illustrate her feelings.
• In 2001, one of Minnie's earlier songs, Les Fleur, was covered by 4hero.
• In 2003, Kenny Lattimore and wife Chanté Moore covered Here We Go.

External link

• Tribute website