Jody Vanessa Watley is a singer, songwriter, record producer, music maverick and one of music’s defining artists. Her music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul. In 1987, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Watley ranks as one of MTV Video Music Awards most nominated female artists ever, with six nominations for her Real Love video.
Real Love
In the spring of 1989, Watley released her second album, Larger than Life, co-writing eleven of the album’s twelve songs. The album sold over four million copies worldwide, and produced four singles: Real Love, a US gold single and her first top 40 UK single since Looking for a New Love; Friends featuring Eric B. & Rakim, and Everything , her first ballad release.
Everything
Friends
Watley was born in Chicago, Illinois. Influenced by Diana Ross, Watley made her first stage appearance at 8 years old with family friend and godfather Jackie Wilson. She got her start on the TV dance show Soul Train at the age of 14. Documented by Ebony magazine in 1977 as a part of “The New Generation”, Jody Watley was one of the most popular on the show and recognized as a trendsetter for her style and dance moves.
As popular stand-outs on the television show, Watley and fellow Soul Train dancer Jeffrey Daniel were selected to join Gary Mumford and become original members of the R&B group Shalamar by show creator Don Cornelius. (Mumford was shortly replaced by Gerald Brown, and Brown himself was soon replaced by Howard Hewett as lead vocalist).The lineup of Hewett, Watley, and Daniel would be the most successful. Watley remained with the group from 1977 to 1983.
Don’t You Want Me
