Freda Payne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Freda Payne
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Payne in 1997
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Freda Charcilia Payne
September 19, 1942 |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1961–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Partner(s) | Edmund Sylvers (1979–1983) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Scherrie Payne (sister) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | |
Freda Charcilia Payne (born September 19, 1942) is an American singer and actress. She is famous for her music career from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. Her biggest hit song was "Band of Gold" in 1970. Freda Payne also acted in musicals and movies. She even hosted a TV talk show. Her younger sister, Scherrie Payne, was also a singer with the famous group the Supremes. Freda also appeared on the TV show Living Single.
Contents
Freda Payne's Life and Career
Early Years and Music Beginnings
Freda Payne was born in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up, she loved listening to jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. As a teenager, she went to the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts. Soon, she started singing for radio commercials. She also won many local TV and radio talent shows.
In 1963, Freda moved to New York City. There, she worked with many famous entertainers. These included Quincy Jones and Bill Cosby. The next year, she released her first album. It was a jazz recording called After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!!. In 1965, she toured Europe for the first time.
In 1966, she released her second American jazz album, How Do You Say I Don't Love You Anymore. She also appeared on TV shows like The Merv Griffin Show.
Becoming a Star
Freda also started acting in plays. In 1967, she was an understudy for the Broadway show Hallelujah Baby. In 1969, her friends from Detroit, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, asked her to join their new record label, Invictus.
Her first song with Invictus was "Unhooked Generation". It was a small hit. Soon after, Eddie Holland offered her a song called "Band of Gold". This song became a huge pop hit in early 1970. It reached No. 3 in the US and No. 1 in the UK for six weeks! It also became her first gold record. About two million copies were sold worldwide.
Other popular songs from Invictus included "Deeper and Deeper" and "You Brought the Joy". She also sang the Vietnam War protest song "Bring the Boys Home" in 1971. This song also became a gold record. Her other albums with Invictus were Contact (1971) and Reaching Out (1973).
In 1973, she left Invictus. She recorded albums for ABC and Capitol. But she did not have the same big success as before. She recorded a duet called "I Wanna See You Soon" with the group Tavares. From 1977 to 1979, she released three disco albums for Capitol. These included Stares and Whispers and Hot.
Later Career and Acting
In 1981, Freda briefly hosted her own talk show called Today's Black Woman. She also found work acting in movies and plays throughout the 1980s. Even though she was acting more, she kept singing. In 1986, she recorded a new version of "Band of Gold" with Belinda Carlisle.
In the mid-1990s, she released more albums. One was An Evening with Freda Payne: Live in Concert, which featured her sister Scherrie Payne singing background vocals. She also released a Christmas album. Freda continued her acting career in films like Ragdoll (1999) and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000).
In 2001, Freda released a new album called Come See About Me. In 2003, she performed in a show called Love & Payne with Darlene Love.
In 2009, Freda Payne appeared on American Idol and sang "Band of Gold". In 2010, she joined many stars like Kanye West and Barbra Streisand to sing "We Are the World" for Haiti Relief. In 2011, she recorded a duet called "Saving A Life" with British pop star Sir Cliff Richard. She also joined him on his tour in the UK.
In 2018, she performed a special show called "A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald".
Personal Life and Awards
Freda Payne was married to American singer Gregory Abbott from 1976 to 1979. They had a son, Gregory Abbott Jr., who was born on Freda's 35th birthday in 1977. Later, Freda had a relationship with musician Edmund Sylvers from 1979 to 1983.
In 1974, she was honored as a Dame of Justice of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. This was given to her by the Prince of Rumania.
In 2017, Freda Payne was added to the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in her hometown of Detroit. In 2023, the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame gave her a Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Award.
Filmography
Concerts
- 2006: Flashbacks: Soul Sensation
- 2009: Freda Payne: High Standards with Stanley Turrentine
- 2009: Live in Concert with The Stylistics
As an Actress
- 1973: Book of Numbers
- 1993: Living Single
- 1997: Sprung
- 1999: Ragdoll
- 2000: Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
- 2001: Deadly Rhapsody
- 2007: Cordially Invited
- 2014: Ella: First Lady of Song
- 2014: The Divorce
- 2017: Kinky
- 2021: Family Reunion (Ursula) S4.E5 Remember My Funny Valentine? Netflix TV Show
See also
- List of soul musicians
- List of disco artists (F–K)
- List of people from Detroit
- List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
- List of people who appeared on Soul Train
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
