Deniece Williams

Deniece Williams will forever be one of the great all-time R&B divas. Processing an infectious, angelic and soulful honey -coated voice with an awe-inspiring range, Deniece Williams set the bar high for R&B singers back in the 70s and to this day her influence can be heard on everyone from Mariah Carey to Beyoncé. Her songs have been sampled by dozens of artists including Will Smith and Master P. Deniece’s pure, rich and spine-tingling vocal quality, along with her impeccable diction and ability to honestly connect with any song has resulted in a vast catalog of hits. Some of her timeless anthems include “Silly,” “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” (her No. 1 pop and R&B duet with Johnny Mathis), “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” (the million-selling pop/soul chart-topper from the movie Footloose), “It’s Gonna Take A Miracle,” “Free” (from her gold-certified This Is Niecy album) and “Black Butterfly.” In recent years the chanteuse has primarily been recording gospel records but on April 24, 2007 Shanachie Entertainment will release Deniece Williams’ highly anticipated return to R&B Love, Niecy Style. Deniece’s label debut will mark her first major return to R&B in over a decade. For this momentous occasion Deniece called upon some of the artists who have been instrumental throughout her career: Stevie Wonder, George Duke and Philip Bailey.

A four-time Grammy winner, whose extensive list of credits also includes sixteen Grammy nominations, three Stellar Awards, an American Music Award and an Oscar nomination, Deniece Williams’ high-powered vocal style has been emulated by a whole generation of singers who have cited her as a major musical influence. With such a dazzling legacy of accomplishments and achievements, it’s no surprise that music lovers the world over have been eagerly awaiting a new record from the longtime Los Angeles resident and thankfully, the wait is now over with the release of her Shanachie Entertainment debut Love, Niecy Style, a superb ten-song collection produced by renowned Philly soul producer Bobby Eli.

Since the mid-‘80s, Deniece has been busier than ever, recording a children’s CD, Lullabies To Dreamland, appearing in the London cast of the pioneering musical “Mama I Want To Sing,” producing and hosting her own radio program, “The Deniece Williams Show” for BBC Radio for almost ten years. Purposely devoting much of her time to raising her four sons, Deniece says she made a conscious choice to limit her touring activities: “I’ve been doing maybe ten concerts a year and in recent years, I’ve really got into writing theater pieces and developing film scripts with my older sons. I felt it was time to test myself in other creative ways. Now with my children grown, it’s time for mom to be out there again! I chose to stay at home and did only 10% of what I could have done. Vocally, I think I’m stronger than I’ve ever been and it’s time to get out there and do it. I’ve been blessed with a fantastic audience and I’m always humbled by that. My audience reminds me that this is what I’m supposed to be doing!”