Alicia Bridges facts for kids

Alicia Bridges, born on July 15, 1953, is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for her international hit song "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)", which she co-wrote and performed in 1978.

Alicia Bridges' Early Life

Alicia Bridges was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She grew up in a small town called Lawndale, North Carolina. Alicia loved to sing from a very young age. She learned to play the guitar when she was 10 years old. By the age of 12, she even had her own radio show. It was called The Alicia Bridges Show and aired every Saturday on station WADA in Shelby, North Carolina.

When she was 13, Alicia started performing with bands in local clubs. She said these places were "pretty rough." However, they gave her important experience as a performer. She learned to handle tough environments and survive in them.

How Alicia Bridges Became Famous

Getting Started in Music

Alicia Bridges first recorded music for Mega Records in Nashville. She released two singles with her own songs in 1973. These songs did not become big hits. However, her talent caught the eye of Bill Lowery. He became her manager and supported her for about two years. During this time, he helped her find a record label. This led to her signing with Polydor in 1977.

The Hit Song "I Love the Nightlife"

Alicia Bridges' first album was called Alicia Bridges. It was the first album produced by Steve Buckingham. Alicia and her songwriting partner, Susan Hutcheson, wrote a song called "Disco 'Round." Steve Buckingham suggested they record it as "I Love the Nightlife". He thought the song sounded more like R&B than disco. "Disco 'Round" was kept as a subtitle for the song. Alicia herself hoped the song would be seen as a Memphis soul song. She even said it was "something Al Green might sing."

Clubs really helped "I Love the Nightlife" become popular. It slowly became a Top 40 hit. The song stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 27 weeks. It reached number five. It also appeared on music charts in many other countries. The song was also a "crossover" hit. This means it was played on different types of radio stations, even country music stations. The cover of her 1978 album shows an early picture of the Atlanta, Georgia skyline.

Awards and Recognition

In 1978, Alicia Bridges was nominated for a Grammy Award. She performed "I Love the Nightlife" at the Grammy ceremony. Her album, Alicia Bridges, also climbed the music charts. It stayed on the charts for up to 35 weeks. Both the album and the single were successful around the world. "I Love the Nightlife" reached the top 40 in the UK, Germany, Spain, and other European countries. Alicia's music was especially popular in Japan. She received a RIAA Certified Gold Record. This award is given when a song sells over one million copies in the United States. She also received a gold record from Canada.

Even though "I Love the Nightlife" was a disco hit, Alicia Bridges mostly sang R&B, rock, blues, and love songs. "I Love the Nightlife" has a strong beat and organ sound like R&B music from the early 1970s. The song was originally meant to be an R&B song. But when Bill Lowery heard it, he saw its potential as a disco song. A special 12-inch remix was made by Jim Burgess. This remix became a huge hit in clubs worldwide.

"I Love the Nightlife" has been featured in several movies. These include Love at First Bite and The Last Days of Disco.

Alicia's second single was "Body Heat." It was a rock song with strong electric guitar sounds. This song mixed rock and dance music. At the time, there was some competition between disco fans and rock fans. More songs started mixing these two styles.

Alicia Bridges mentioned that Elvis Presley first made her interested in rock music. However, she always saw herself as an R&B singer. She said her influences in the 1970s were Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, and Patti LaBelle. She felt that many white female singers sounded like they were "sleepwalking" through their performances. She said, "Yeah, I jump around a lot when I'm performing."

Alicia Bridges' Recent Activities

After releasing two albums that were not very successful in the early 1980s, Alicia Bridges started working as a disc jockey (DJ) in Atlanta dance clubs. In 1994, her classic disco song "I Love the Nightlife" became popular again. This happened because it was included in the soundtrack of a movie. This made Alicia perform at retro disco shows for several years. Later, she retired to Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2006, Alicia Bridges Music Publications was started. This company has produced three albums. In November 2006, Alicia released a new version of her songs called This Girl Don't Care. In 2007, she released Say It Sister. Her third CD, Faux Diva, came out in 2008. This album included a new remix of "I Love The Nightlife."

Alicia Bridges is still active in the music world today as a producer and DJ. You can find her music, digital recordings, a blog, and videos on her official websites. In 2009, Alicia Bridges was honored by being inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

Alicia Bridges' Music Albums

Albums

• 1978: Alicia Bridges (Polydor, 1978)
• 1979: Play It as It Lays
• 1984: Hocus Pocus
• 2002: The Collection: I Love the Nightlife (a collection of her songs)
• 2006: This Girl Don't Care (a collection of remixed and improved songs)
• 2007: Say It Sister (a collection of improved songs)
• 2008: Faux Diva (a collection of remixed and improved songs)

Singles

EP

• 1978: The AOR Mini-Album

See also

In Spanish: Alicia Bridges para niños

• List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States