Kim Weston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kim Weston
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Kim Weston in 1965
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Agatha Nathalia Weston |
| Born | December 20, 1939 |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | |
Kim Weston is an American soul singer. She was born on December 20, 1939. In the 1960s, Kim Weston became famous for her hit songs. These included "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)". She also had a very popular duet with Marvin Gaye called "It Takes Two".
Contents
Kim Weston's Music Journey
Early Career and Motown Hits
Kim Weston's real name is Agatha Nathalia Weston. She was born in Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. She signed with Motown Records in 1961. Her first small hit was "Love Me All the Way". This song was originally on the back side of another record. But a DJ liked it so much that it became the main song.
Kim Weston had bigger solo hits with Motown. These included "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)". Many other artists later sang this song too. Another hit was "Helpless".
In 1966, she sang the famous song "It Takes Two" with Marvin Gaye. This song was a huge success. Because of this, Motown decided to pair Marvin Gaye with another singer, Tammi Terrell. This led to even more successful songs for the record label.
Moving On and New Music
Kim Weston left Motown in 1967. She later sued the company. This was because of disagreements about royalties. Royalties are the payments artists get when their music is sold or played.
After leaving Motown, Kim and her husband, William "Mickey" Stevenson, moved to Los Angeles. Mickey Stevenson used to be in charge of finding new artists at Motown. They started working with MGM Records. Kim released some songs there, but they were not widely noticed.
She also made an album called This Is America. On this album, she sang her popular version of the Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing". This song was later featured in a movie called Wattstax. All the money from this song was given to the United Negro College Fund. This fund helps students go to college.
Kim Weston recorded more albums for other record companies, like Stax/Volt. She also made an album of duets with Johnny Nash. Over time, her new songs did not become as popular on the music charts. She reportedly moved to Israel for a while. There, she worked with young singers. She also performed in a musical.
Later Career and Achievements
Kim Weston appeared on The Bill Cosby Show in 1971.
In the 1980s, she joined Ian Levine's Motorcity Records. Many other former Motown artists also signed with this label. She released a song called "Signal Your Intention". This song reached number one on the UK Hi-NRG chart. She then released an album called Investigate in 1990. This album had new songs and new versions of her old Motown hits.
In August 2013, Kim Weston received a special honor. She was inducted into the first group of artists in the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. This event took place at Cleveland State University.
Famous Songs
Kim Weston has released many albums and singles throughout her career. Here are some of her most well-known studio albums:
- 1966: Take Two (a duet album with Marvin Gaye)
- 1967: For the First Time
- 1968: This Is America
- 1969: Johnny Nash & Kim Weston (a duet album with Johnny Nash)
- 1990: Investigate
Some of her most famous songs that appeared on music charts include:
- "Love Me All the Way" (1963)
- "What Good Am I Without You" (1964, with Marvin Gaye)
- "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" (1965)
- "Helpless" (1966)
- "It Takes Two" (1967, with Marvin Gaye)
- "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" (1970)
See also
In Spanish: Kim Weston para niños
