Jennifer Warnes facts for kids

Jennifer Jean Warnes, born on March 3, 1947, is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for singing on many movie soundtracks. Jennifer has won two Grammy Awards. One was in 1983 for her duet with Joe Cocker, "Up Where We Belong". The other was in 1987 for her duet with Bill Medley, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life". She also worked closely with the songwriter Leonard Cohen.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Jennifer Warnes was born in Seattle, Washington, on March 3, 1947. She grew up in Anaheim, California. Jennifer loved to sing from a very young age. When she was just seven, she was offered her first chance to record music, but her dad said no.

She sang in church and local shows as she grew up. At 17, she got a scholarship to study opera at Immaculate Heart College. For a short time after high school, she even joined a convent because of her strong Catholic faith.

Jennifer decided to sing folk music as it became popular in the mid-1960s. In 1968, she signed with Parrot Records and released her first album. That same year, she joined the TV show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Early on, some people suggested she change her name to "Warren". But there was already an actress named Jennifer Warren. So, for a short time, she used just 'Jennifer'. She soon went back to using her birth name, Jennifer Warnes. In 1968, she also played the main female role in the musical Hair in Los Angeles.

Music Career Highlights

Working with Leonard Cohen

In 1971, Jennifer met Canadian songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen. They became good friends and worked together for many years. She toured Europe with Cohen's band in 1972 and 1979. She started as a back-up singer and later helped arrange vocals for his albums.

She sang on many of Cohen's albums, including Recent Songs (1979) and I'm Your Man (1988). In 1987, Jennifer released her own album of Cohen's songs called Famous Blue Raincoat. This album was highly praised by critics.

Breakthrough Songs

In 1972, Jennifer released her third album, Jennifer. Later, in 1976, she released the album Jennifer Warnes. This album included her big hit song, "Right Time of the Night". This song reached number 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart in 1977. It also reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Jennifer sang the song "It Goes Like It Goes" for the 1979 movie Norma Rae. This song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her 1979 song "I Know A Heartache When I See One" was also a Top 10 hit on the Country music charts.

Movie Soundtrack Success

In 1981, Jennifer sang "One More Hour" for the movie Ragtime. This song was also nominated for an Academy Award.

A big moment came in 1982 when she teamed up with Joe Cocker. They recorded "Up Where We Belong" for the movie An Officer and a Gentleman. This song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe Award. It also won Jennifer and Joe Cocker a Grammy Award. The song became a number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold over two million copies.

In 1985, she sang a duet with B. J. Thomas called "As Long As We Got Each Other". This song was the theme for the popular TV show Growing Pains.

Jennifer also sang with Bill Medley on the song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" for the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing. This was the third song Jennifer sang that won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It also won a Golden Globe Award and a Grammy Award for Jennifer and Bill Medley. The song hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Later Career

In 1991, Jennifer recorded "Golden Slumbers" with Jackson Browne. This song was on an album called For Our Children, which helped raise money for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Her seventh studio album, The Hunter, came out in 1992. It included the song "Way Down Deep," which she wrote with Leonard Cohen. She also recorded "Cold Enough To Snow" for the 1993 movie Life With Mikey.

In recent years, some of her classic albums like Famous Blue Raincoat and The Hunter have been re-released. These new versions often include extra songs or special features.

In 2018, Jennifer released her first new album since 2001, called Another Time, Another Place. It included a new version of "Just Breathe", originally by Pearl Jam. The album also featured songs by other artists like John Legend and Mark Knopfler, plus one she wrote herself.

Discography

Albums

Compilation albums

• Best of Jennifer Warnes (Arista, 1982)
• Just Jennifer (Deram, 1992)
• Love Lifts Us Up: A Collection 1968–83 (Raven, 2004)

Singles

Awards and Nominations

Jennifer Warnes has won several important awards for her music.

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Warnes para niños