Norma Jean Wright
Encyclopedia
Norma Jean Wright was the lead vocalist of the soul
, R&B and disco
group Chic
, from 1977 to 1978. Before joining Chic in 1977, she sang in the female trio, the Topettes, and toured for a short time with The Spinners
. She also attended Ohio State University
.
Most notably, Norma Jean Wright sang lead vocal on Chic
's debut album, Chic
, which includes the hits "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
" (#6 Pop, #6 R&B in January 1978) and "Everybody Dance
" (#38 Pop, #12 R&B in April 1978).
She left Chic in 1978 to begin a solo career, billed as "Norma Jean". In July 1978, she scored her first R&B Top 20 hit, "Saturday" (#15), from her debut album, Norma Jean
on the Bearsville Records
label, produced by Bernard Edwards
and Nile Rodgers
. In January 1980, she scored her second (and last) R&B Top 20 hit, "High Society" (#19), also produced by the Chic team. Other popular songs of Norma Jean Wright, include the following: "Sorcerer" from debut album Norma Jean (1978), "Having a Party" from Norma Jean (1978), "I Like Love" from Norma Jean (1978), "Hold Me Lonely Boy" (1979), "Love Attack" (1983), "Shot in the Dark" (1984) "Every Bit of This Love" (1985). In 2004 "I Like Love" would be sampled by the British Dance project Solitaire
for their club hit "I Like Love (I Love Love)."
Norma Jean Wright also sang as a backing vocalist with the following artists: C+C Music Factory
, Constina, Randy Crawford
, Will Downing
, Aretha Franklin
, Fantasy, Debbie Gibson, Nelson Rangell
, Luther Vandross
, Madonna
, Sister Sledge
, Nick Scotti
& Freddie Jackson
.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, R&B and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
group Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
, from 1977 to 1978. Before joining Chic in 1977, she sang in the female trio, the Topettes, and toured for a short time with The Spinners
The Spinners (U.S. band)
The Spinners is a soul music vocal group, active for over 50 years, and with a long run of pop and R&B hits especially during the 1970s. The group, originating from Detroit, still tours regularly ....
. She also attended Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
.
Most notably, Norma Jean Wright sang lead vocal on Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
's debut album, Chic
Chic (album)
Chic is the debut album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1977. It includes the hit singles "Dance, Dance, Dance " - originally released on label Buddha Records - and "Everybody Dance"...
, which includes the hits "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
"Dance, Dance, Dance " is a 1977 disco song recorded by Chic. It was the group's first hit, reaching #6 on both the pop and R&B charts and reached #1 on the dance play charts. Luther Vandross provided backup vocals...
" (#6 Pop, #6 R&B in January 1978) and "Everybody Dance
Everybody Dance (song)
"Everybody Dance" is the second single from the first album Chic by the Chic. It features Norma Jean Wright on lead vocals. Luther Vandross appears on background vocals...
" (#38 Pop, #12 R&B in April 1978).
She left Chic in 1978 to begin a solo career, billed as "Norma Jean". In July 1978, she scored her first R&B Top 20 hit, "Saturday" (#15), from her debut album, Norma Jean
Norma Jean (album)
Norma Jean is the debut solo studio album by American R&B singer Norma Jean Wright, released on Bearsville Records in 1978. The album was produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of the band Chic, and was the project directly following the band's successful selftitled debut album Chic, which...
on the Bearsville Records
Bearsville Records
Bearsville Records was founded in 1970 by Albert Grossman. Artists included Todd Rundgren, Elizabeth Barraclough, Foghat, Halfnelson/Sparks, Bobby Charles, Randy VanWarmer, Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Lazarus, Jesse Winchester, and NRBQ. The label closed in 1984, two years before Grossman's...
label, produced by Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...
and Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
. In January 1980, she scored her second (and last) R&B Top 20 hit, "High Society" (#19), also produced by the Chic team. Other popular songs of Norma Jean Wright, include the following: "Sorcerer" from debut album Norma Jean (1978), "Having a Party" from Norma Jean (1978), "I Like Love" from Norma Jean (1978), "Hold Me Lonely Boy" (1979), "Love Attack" (1983), "Shot in the Dark" (1984) "Every Bit of This Love" (1985). In 2004 "I Like Love" would be sampled by the British Dance project Solitaire
Pump Friction
Pump Friction is the studio project of DJ/producer Lewis Dene from London. He scored a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1997 with "That Sound." He also hit #40 that same year with "Vicious" .Dene is also one half of the duo Solitaire , which scored a top ten hit in 2004 on...
for their club hit "I Like Love (I Love Love)."
Norma Jean Wright also sang as a backing vocalist with the following artists: C+C Music Factory
C+C Music Factory
C+C Music Factory is a dance-pop and hip hop group formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés which stopped recording 1996, following Cole's death...
, Constina, Randy Crawford
Randy Crawford
Randy Crawford is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist...
, Will Downing
Will Downing
Will Downing , is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Downing is known in the contemporary jazz and R&B music genres for his rich baritone vocals, and his interpretations of R&B and pop classics that stretch back to the early 1980s...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Fantasy, Debbie Gibson, Nelson Rangell
Nelson Rangell
Nelson Rangell is an American velvet-smooth jazz musician and composer originally from Castle Rock, Colorado. Although Rangell is known for his work with the tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, his primary instrument is the piccolo flute, which he began playing at the age of 15...
, Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
, Nick Scotti
Nick Scotti
Nick Scotti is an American actor, model and singer.Scotti left high school to travel the world for a career in modeling, moving to Japan at age 17 and France at age 19. In the process, he became a popular male model...
& Freddie Jackson
Freddie Jackson
Frederick Anthony "Freddie" Jackson is an American soul singer. He was an important figure in R&B during the 1980s and early 1990s...
.