Black History, People you should know

Deniece Williams, four time Grammy award winning artist, was born June 4, 1950 in Gary, Indiana. Deniece began her career as a backup singer for Stevie Wonder and Minnie Riperton. In 1976, she left Stevie Wonder and teamed up with Maurice White a producer from super group Earth, Wind and Fire to record her debut album titled This is Neicy. This is Neicy was her first release under Columbia Records, her first single "Free" reached number 2 on Black Singles charts and #25 on Billboards Hot 100. "Cause you love me baby", was Deniece first Billboard #1, "Cause you love me baby" was featured on the flip side of free.


Deniece teamed up with Johnnie Mathis to record two top 10 hits, That's what friends are for, and Without Us (which became the theme song for Family Ties). Deniece scored two more top ten singles on Billboard, but this time with a new record label ARC (American Recording Company). Silly went #7 and It's gonna take a miracle went to #10 on the pop charts. She released Let's hear it for the boy, for the motion picture "Footloose" Deniece released an inspirational single title "Black Butterfly", that landed at #1 on R&B charts and would stay their for 6 weeks. Let's hear it for the boy, and Black Butterfly would go on to the big the biggest singles of Deniece career.


Deniece left R&B in the late eighty, and recorded a Gospel Album "The Grateful Redication. As a Gospel artist Deniece scored three Grammy Awards. Deniece also recorded an inspirational Barack Obama anthem entitled '"A Change We Can Beliece In." The song is written by Deniece, percussionist Jerry Peters and songwriter Harvey Mason. To date there are three versions of "A Change We Can Believe In," a "universal" version which features a 160-voice chorus (currently being viewed); a second R&B/Gospel-infused version featuring Deniece on lead vocal; and the final, orchestral/instrumental arrangement for a variety of post-production applications.