Angela Winbush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Angela Winbush
Winbush in 1996
Background information
Birth name	Angela Lisa Winbush
Also known as	Angela L. Winbush (songwriting and production credits)
Born	(1955-01-18) January 18, 1955 (age 70) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Genres	R&B soul gospel new jack swing
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter multi-instrumentalist composer record producer
Instruments	Vocals keyboards programming bass guitar drums
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Hip-O Mercury Elektra Island
Associated acts	René & Angela, René Moore, The Isley Brothers, Stephanie Mills, Lalah Hathaway, Sheena Easton, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G.

Angela Lisa Winbush (born January 18, 1955) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and music producer. She became famous in the 1980s as part of the duo René & Angela. Angela also had many hit songs as a solo artist. So far, she has sold more than 10 million albums and singles around the world.

About Angela Winbush

Early Life and Music Start

Angela Winbush was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She started singing in church when she was young. Angela went to Northwest High School. At first, she didn't plan to be a musician. She studied architecture at Howard University. She sang only to earn extra money.

While at Howard, she kept singing in church. She also sang with gospel music legend Richard Smallwood. Angela performed with a group called "Hot Tea." They opened for famous artists and sang backup for recordings. Another member of "Hot Tea" was Tawatha Agee. Tawatha later joined the funk and soul band Mtume.

By 1977, Angela changed her studies to music education. She made a demo recording. She showed it to many record labels, but had no luck. Then, a music expert named Wayne K. Garfield helped her. Her demo was heard by a New York DJ, Gary Byrd. He helped Angela get a spot in Stevie Wonder's backup singing group, Wonderlove. Angela learned a lot about writing and arranging songs from Stevie Wonder.

While in Los Angeles with Wonder, Angela met singer René Moore. They formed the duo René & Angela that same year. They soon realized they could also write and produce music for other artists. René & Angela released their first album in 1980. They followed with Wall to Wall in 1982 and Rise in 1983. During this time, they had two top 20 R&B hit songs: "I Love You More" and "My First Love."

Big Hits and New Beginnings

In their early years, René & Angela wrote and produced four songs for Janet Jackson's first album in 1982. One song, "Young Love," became Janet's first top ten R&B hit. They also wrote songs for artists like Rufus & Chaka Khan and Odyssey.

In 1985, they had a number one hit with "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love" for Stephanie Mills. Angela and Stephanie became close friends. René & Angela then signed with Mercury Records. They released their very successful album, Street Called Desire, in 1985. This album included their first R&B number one song, "Save Your Love (For #1)." This song featured rapper Kurtis Blow. It was one of the first songs to have a rapper featured so clearly. Other hits from the album were "I'll Be Good," "Your Smile" (another number one hit), and "You Don't Have to Cry." Street Called Desire sold over a million copies.

However, as they became more successful, Angela and René had disagreements. After they split up, René Moore continued to write and produce music, especially for Michael Jackson.

In 1986, Angela met Ronald Isley. He was the lead singer of The Isley Brothers. Angela was asked to work on the Isley Brothers' next album. She produced, wrote, and arranged their Smooth Sailin' album. This helped the group, now with just Ronald and Rudolph Isley, get a top 10 R&B hit with the song "Smooth Sailin'."

Solo Success and Collaborations

Ronald Isley decided to manage Angela Winbush. He helped her release her first solo album, Sharp, in 1987. The album featured the hit song "Angel." This song showed off Angela's amazing four-octave vocal range. "Angel" reached number one on the R&B chart for two weeks in 1987. Other popular songs from the album included "Run to Me," "C'est Toi (It's You)," and a duet with Ron Isley called "Hello Beloved." The album stayed on the Billboard charts for many weeks.

In 1988, Angela wrote and produced two songs for Sheena Easton's album The Lover in Me. In 1989, Winbush released her second solo album, The Real Thing. The main song, "It's The Real Thing," reached number two on the R&B chart. Other hits like "No More Tears" and "Lay Your Troubles Down" also did well. Angela was a regular on the R&B charts. The album also included her own version of "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love." That same year, Angela wrote and produced another number one R&B hit for Stephanie Mills called "Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)."

In 1989, Angela Winbush wrote and produced all the songs for The Isley Brothers' album Spend the Night. This included the hit song "Spend the Night (Ce Soir)." The next year, she wrote and produced more top 20 R&B hits for the group Body and for Lalah Hathaway. In 1992, Angela worked with Ronald Isley again. They co-wrote and co-produced another album for The Isley Brothers, Tracks of Life.

On June 26, 1993, Angela Winbush and Ronald Isley got married. A year later, Angela released her third solo album, also called Angela Winbush. It included the R&B hit "Treat U Rite." This song reached number six on the R&B chart. In 1996, Angela produced most of The Isley Brothers' album Mission to Please. This album had the hit song "Floatin' on Your Love," a duet between Angela and Ron Isley. Angela continued to work with The Isley Brothers until 2001. In 2002, Angela and Ronald divorced.

In 2003, Angela Winbush shared that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. After successful surgery, the cancer went away. Angela returned to performing her music.

Angela's Impact on Music

Angela Winbush and René Moore have influenced many R&B and hip-hop artists. Their music has been used in songs by artists like The Notorious B.I.G. and Foxy Brown. Singer Avant re-recorded René & Angela's song "My First Love" in 2000. In 2001, Angela surprised the audience by singing with Avant on TV.

Angela is known for her gospel-influenced humming in her songs. She has inspired singers like Syleena Johnson and Chante Moore. Angela Winbush is also one of the few female artists who has been very successful as a songwriter, arranger, producer, and musician. She plays piano and keyboards.

Personal Life and Health

In a 2006 interview, Angela Winbush shared that she overcame Stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2003. She said her strong faith helped her through this challenge. She also shared that her faith helped her when she had a benign cyst removed from her breast, when her marriage ended, and when she struggled with depression.

TV Appearances

After being away from mainstream TV for some years, Angela Winbush performed "Angel" live on The Mo'Nique Show in March 2010. She was also featured in the TV One documentary Unsung, which aired in October 2010. The documentary mentioned that René Moore became violent with Angela Winbush later on. This led Angela to stop working with René. René Moore chose not to be interviewed for "Unsung."

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

• Ultimate Collection (2001, Hip-O)
• Greatest Love Songs (2003, Hip-O)

Singles

Other Appearances

With Donald Byrd

• Thank You...For F.U.M.L. (Funking Up My Life) (Elektra, 1978)

Awards and Nominations