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             Minnie Riperton

  Chicago, IL is has a deep history in soul music.  Born November 8, 1947 one of Chicago's alumni dazzled the world with her rare five octave vocal range.
 
Minnie Julia Riperton grew up the youngest of Daniel and Thelma Riperton's children.  They started Minnie off with ballet and modern dance, but later helped her focus on music and voice lessons, recognizing her natural coloratura (soprano singing where the voice can imitate birds).  This would lead Ms. Riperton to operatic training under Miss Marion Jeffery.  Over time, though, Minnie became more interested in a career in Soul music rather than one in opera.
 
Minnie's first pro performance was as part of The Gems.  She was only 15 when pianist Raynard Miner heard her singing as part of Hyde Park's A Capella Choir.  The Gems were signed to Chess records, had some success (including the local hit 'I Can't Help Myself' and their last single 'He Makes Me Feels So Good'), then became a session trio called Studio Three.  The group would also record several hits under different names, such as 'Baby I Want You' by the Girls Three and  'My Baby's Real' by the Starlets.
Doing studio work with the Studio Three, Minnie would meet Bill Davis, who became her mentor.  He would pen the two singles she recorded under the name Andrea Davis (in honor of Bill Davis).  Shortly after she'd join the group Rotary Connection.  This was the Rock/Funk/Soul group started by the son of Chess Record's founder.  The group would go on to release 4 albums.  During this time she also met her future husband/sonwriting partner Richard Rudolph.
 
3 years later in 1973, while a semi-retired housemother of two kids, Riperton was 'discovered' by a college rep for Epic Records. The rep took a demo song 'Seeing You This Way' (demostrating her coloratura) to Don Ellis, VP of A&R at Epic Records.  Minnie was then signed and the family moved to Los Angeles.  She would then sing background, with Denis Williams and Lani Groves, on Stevie Wonder's 'It Ain't No Use.'  In return, Stevie produced her album, 'Perfect Angel.'  After releasing 3 singles, sales started to take a nose dive.  Minnie convinced Epic to release the 4th single, 'Lovin You' which became her signature hit.
 
Minnie and her husband then went to work on her next album, 'Adventures in Paradise.'  Adventures didn't see the success of Angel, despite the hit 'Inside my Love.'  By 1976 she was moved to Capitol Records, courtesy of the work of her husband and her Attorney Mike Rosenfeld.  She then released the album 'Stay in Love' which includes the Stevie Wonder collabo 'Stick Together.'
 
That same year, Ms. Riperton told Flip Wilson, who was guest hosting the Johnny Carson Show, about her being diagnosed with breast cancer.  She'd continue touring and recording, though.  1979 proved to be a tumultuous year.  Her last album was released and she made her last TV performance on the Merv Griffin Show.  Despite a masectomy, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, deeming her terminal.
 
On July 12th of that year Minnie Julia Riperton died at Cedar-Sinia Hospital in Los Angeles with her husband Richard Rudolph at her side.  She's was survived by her son Marc Rudolph and daughter Maya Rudolph, who is a cast member of Saturday Night Live.