Paulette McWilliams facts for kids

Paulette McWilliams is a talented American singer and songwriter. She started her music journey singing with bands like The American Breed and Rufus. She's also been a background singer for many famous artists, both in the studio and on tour. She's worked with music legends such as Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Quincy Jones. She was even part of Bette Midler's singing group, the Harlettes!

Early Life and First Steps

Paulette McWilliams grew up in Chicago, Illinois. From a very young age, she knew she wanted to be a singer. She loved music and went to many live shows with her older sisters. People often asked her to sing for them.

When she was just 11 years old, Paulette got her first big chance! She appeared on a TV show called Little Stars. On the show, she sang the song "Catch a Falling Star" alongside the famous entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.. Some of her early musical heroes included Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Starting Her Music Career

At 12, Paulette officially began her professional singing career. She got an agent and signed with Don Talty. Her very first recording was a song she wrote herself. It was released as a "B-side" on another singer's record. Later, her own group, Paulette and the Cupids, released it as "Teenage Dropout."

After high school, Paulette joined a rock band from Chicago called The American Breed in 1969. The band's sound started to change, moving more towards soul music and R&B. Over the next few years, the band's members and name changed several times. They finally became known as Ask Rufus in 1970.

Paulette was the main female singer for Ask Rufus for two years. But touring was very tiring, and she wanted to spend more time with her family. So, she decided to leave the group in 1972. She even suggested her good friend, Chaka Khan, as her replacement. Chaka Khan went on to lead the band during their most successful years!

Singing for the Stars

After leaving Rufus, Paulette moved to Los Angeles. There, she found a lot of work singing jingles for commercials on radio and TV. She sang for over 600 different ads!

A guitarist named Phil Upchurch recommended Paulette to the famous producer Quincy Jones. Quincy Jones hired her to sing background and lead vocals for his Body Heat tour. After the tour, she sang on his next album, Mellow Madness.

In 1977, Paulette released her first solo album, Feel Good All Over. She also started performing duets with the legendary singer Johnny Mathis for several years. She appeared on his 1980 album, Different Kinda Different.

Around the same time, she continued to work with Quincy Jones. She sang on Michael Jackson's huge album Off the Wall and its hit song "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"!

After working with Johnny Mathis, Paulette joined Bette Midler's backing group, the Harlettes. She toured with Bette Midler's show, The Divine Miss M, which even played on Broadway. Through Bette Midler, she met Luther Vandross. Paulette worked with Luther Vandross from 1982 until 2002, singing on every album he recorded during that time.

Throughout the 1980s, Paulette continued to sing background vocals for many artists. She sang on David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" and on Billy Idol's songs "Mony Mony" and "Hot in the City". She also toured with Aretha Franklin for her Jump to It album and with Marvin Gaye after his album Midnight Love. When she sang with Marvin Gaye, she performed all the duets that he originally sang with Tammi Terrell.

Paulette moved to New York in 1986. By then, Luther Vandross was a huge star, and she worked with him a lot, including on his album Power of Love. She toured with Luther Vandross on all his tours from 1984 to 2000. During this time, Luther also included Paulette in many background vocal sessions for other artists he produced, like Diana Ross and Whitney Houston.

Since 2000, Paulette has recorded and toured with many other famous singers. These include Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion, Michael Buble, Jennifer Lopez, and Steely Dan. With Steely Dan, she is part of their group of backing singers called "The Danettes."

Paulette's most recent solo album, These Are The Sweet Things, was released in 2023.

Family Life

Paulette McWilliams has a daughter named Brigette. Brigette used to be a singer herself and is now an interior designer.

Discography

• Never Been Here Before (1977)
• Flow (2007)
• Telling Stories (with Tom Scott) (2012)
• A Woman's Story (2020)
• These Are The Sweet Things (2023)