Melba Moore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melba Moore
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Moore in 1999
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| Born |
Beatrice Melba Smith
October 29, 1945 New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1966–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Charles Huggins
(m. 1974; div. 1991) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | |
Beatrice Melba Smith (born October 29, 1945), known as Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. She has had a long and successful career in music and on stage, winning a special award called a Tony Award for her acting.
Contents
Melba Moore's Life Story
Growing Up and School
Melba Moore was born in New York City. Her mother, Gertrude Melba Smith (known as Bonnie Davis), was a singer, and her father, Teddy Hill, led a big band. Melba grew up in Harlem, a famous neighborhood in New York. When she was nine, her mother married jazz pianist Clement Leroy Moorman, and the family moved to Newark, New Jersey.
Melba went to Newark Arts High School. Later, in 1970, she earned a degree in music from Montclair State College.
Starting Her Career
Melba Moore began her music career in 1967. She recorded a song called "Magic Touch," but it wasn't released until 1986. Years later, this song became very popular in the "Northern Soul" music scene in the UK.
In 1967, Melba started acting on stage in the musical Hair. She played the role of Dionne and later took over the role of Sheila from Diane Keaton. In 1970, she won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Lutiebelle in the musical Purlie. She returned to Broadway in 1978 for Timbuktu!, acting alongside Eartha Kitt.
After her success in Purlie, Melba appeared in two movies and released two popular albums: I Got Love (1970) and Look What You're Doing to the Man (1971). She also had her own TV show in 1972 with actor Clifton Davis. Her career faced a challenge in 1973 when her managers left her, but it picked up again after she met Charles Huggins in 1974.
Music Success
In 1975, Melba Moore signed with Buddah Records. She released the album Peach Melba, which included the song "I Am His Lady." The next year, she had a big hit with "This Is It." This song reached the top 20 on the R&B charts in the U.S. and the top 10 in the UK, becoming her biggest hit there.
In 1976, she received her third Grammy nomination for the song "Lean on Me." She re-recorded this song in 1983 as a tribute to its writer, Van McCoy, who had passed away. Throughout the late 1970s, Melba continued to release R&B and dance hits, including "Pick Me Up, I'll Dance" and a cover of the Bee Gees' song "You Stepped into My Life."
In 1982, Melba joined Capitol Records. She had several top R&B hits, like "Love's Comin' at Ya" (1982) and "Mind Up Tonight" (1983). In 1985, her song "Read My Lips" earned her another Grammy nomination, this time for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
In 1986, she had two number one R&B hits: "A Little Bit More" with Freddie Jackson and "Falling." She also starred in a TV show called Melba that year. As the 1980s ended, she continued to have popular R&B songs like "Do You Really (Want My Love)" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing." In 1990, she appeared in the horror film Def by Temptation.
Later Career Highlights
Melba Moore returned to Broadway in 1995, performing in Les Misérables. A year later, she started her own one-woman show, which she called I'm Still Standing.
In 2003, Melba was in the movie The Fighting Temptations with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles. She also appeared in the musical Ain't Misbehavin' in 2007. In 2009, she released an album called The Gift of Love with Phil Perry. Her song "Love Is" was released in 2011.
Melba released the album Forever Moore in 2016. She continues to perform and tour. In 2019, she released The Day I Turned To You, an album of gospel music. In 2021, she worked with Stone Foundation on a song called "Now That You Want Me Back." In 2022, Melba performed in a gospel musical called Roll On in Washington, D.C.
Personal Life
Melba Moore has been married once and has a daughter. She was in a relationship with actor Clifton Davis in the early 1970s. In September 1974, she married Charles Huggins. Their marriage ended in 1991. Melba has said she is a "born-again Catholic."
Awards and Honors
Besides her Tony Award, Melba Moore has received many other honors for her music.
- She was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1971.
- In 1976, she received another Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Female for "Lean on Me."
- She was also nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1986 for "Read My Lips."
- In 2012, she received the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival Theatre Legend Award.
- Melba Moore was inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
- She also received the Sandy Hosey Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
- On August 10, 2023, Melba Moore received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in Live Theatre/Live Performance.
Stage Work
Melba Moore has performed in many stage productions:
- Hair (1967)
- Purlie (1970)
- Timbuktu! (1978)
- Inacent Black (1981)
- Broadway at the Bowl (1988)
- From the Mississippi Delta (1993)
- Les Misérables (1995)
- Brooklyn (2006)
- Straight 2the Head (2013)
- Great God A'Mighty (2013)
- Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (2018)
- After Midnight (2018)
Film and TV Roles
Melba Moore has appeared in several films and TV shows:
- Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) – Singer
- The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (1970) – Model
- Lost in the Stars (1974) – Irina
- The Doctors (1978) – Herself
- Charlotte Forten’s Mission (1985) – Charlotte Forten
- Christmas with Flicka (1987) – Herself
- All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) – Whippet Angel (voice)
- Yakety Yak, Take It Back (1991) – Herself and Tibi the Take it Back Butterfly (voice)
- The Fighting Temptations (2003) – Bessie Cooley
Images for kids
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Melba Moore in 1999
