Penny Ford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Penny Ford
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| Also known as | Pennye Ford |
| Born | June 11, 1964 Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
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Penny Ford (born June 11, 1964), also known as Pennye Ford, is a talented American singer, songwriter, and music producer. She can also play many instruments! Penny Ford was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but now lives in Germany.
She became famous in the 1980s. She signed a music contract and released her first solo album, Pennye. This album included popular songs like "Change Your Wicked Way" and "Dangerous." Penny wrote and produced these songs herself.
Penny Ford became known around the world as the lead singer of the Eurodance group Snap!. The group's first album, World Power, came out in 1990. It sold over seven million copies worldwide, becoming one of the most successful dance albums ever! This album featured huge hits like "The Power", "Ooops Up", "Cult of Snap", and "Mary Had a Little Boy". Together, these songs sold over nine million copies.
When Snap! took a break, Penny Ford released her second solo album, Penny Ford, in 1993. This album helped her become a well-known solo artist. It included the songs "Daydreaming" and "I Lose Control". Penny Ford has also been a member of the groups Klymaxx and Soul II Soul. In 2006, she rejoined Snap! and has been touring with them around the world. Throughout her career, Penny Ford has sold more than 16 million records!
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Early Life and Music Beginnings
Penny Ford was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her mother, Carolyn Griffith, was an evangelist. Her father, Gene Redd, Sr., was a record company executive and producer. Penny's older half-sister, Sharon Redd, was also a singer.
Penny went to St. Mark Catholic School in Cincinnati. There, she took dance and music classes. She loved music and performing. When she was young, she won a talent show. She read a piece by Maya Angelou and sang "Summertime" by George Gershwin.
In 1979, when she was 14, Penny snuck into a local club. She got a job singing background vocals for the electro-funk group Zapp. They were part of a big tour called the Parliament-Funkadelic World Funk Tour. After finishing high school at 16, she moved to Los Angeles. She auditioned at a studio for Motown and became a demo singer. This meant she sang songs for other artists to hear before they recorded them.
Penny Ford's Music Career
Starting Out in the 1980s
After singing backup for the Gap Band, Penny Ford released her first album, Pennye, in 1984. Two songs from this album became popular in the UK. "Change Your Wicked Ways" reached number 76, and "Dangerous" reached number 43 on the music charts.
In 1986, Penny became the lead singer for the group Klymaxx. She toured with them for a year. After that, she joined the S.O.S. Band for six months. She even recorded the song "It's Time to Move" for the Police Academy movie soundtrack. In 1988, Penny became friends with singer Chaka Khan. They sang background vocals together on a song called "Our Day Will Come." Penny also toured with Chaka Khan in Europe in 1988.
Joining Snap! and International Success
In late 1989, Penny Ford was in Germany. She was asked to fill in for Chaka Khan at a recording session. This session was for a new electronic dance group called Snap!. The first members of Snap! were Penny Ford, rapper Turbo B, and producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti.
In early 1990, Snap! released their first song, "The Power." It quickly became a huge hit around the world, selling over a million copies in America. In May 1990, Snap! released their first album, World Power. It was very successful, reaching high spots on music charts in many countries. The album sold millions of copies and earned gold and platinum awards.
Snap!'s second song, "Ooops Up," was also a big international hit. The group continued their success with songs like "Cult of Snap" and "Mary Had a Little Boy." They also went on a world tour. After the tour, the group started working on their second album. Penny Ford decided to leave the group in 1991.
Solo Work and Soul II Soul
After leaving Snap!, Penny Ford signed a new music contract with Columbia/Sony in June 1991. Around this time, she started working with the British music group Soul II Soul. She sang background vocals for their song "Move Me No Mountain," which came out in 1992.
In March 1993, Penny released her second solo album, Penny Ford. The main song from the album, "Daydreaming," reached number 40 on Billboard's R&B singles chart. The album also had two other songs, "I'll Be There" and "I Lose Control." The song "I Lose Control" was written by Mariah Carey. In 1994, Penny worked with Soul II Soul again. She sang lead vocals on their song "Love Enuff," which was released in 1995. She also performed this song with the group on the TV show Top of the Pops.
Recent Career and Achievements
In 2003, Penny Ford appeared on a TV show called Judge Mathis. In 2006, Penny Ford returned to Snap! as the original singer. She reunited with the producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilloti. Since then, she has been performing with Snap! all over the world. She lives in Offenbach, Germany. In 2022, Penny Ford was honored by being added to the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.
Penny Ford's Musical Talents
Penny Ford is a very talented musician who can play many instruments. She is known for playing the guitar, flute, drums, percussion, bass, keyboards, and synthesizer. She played all these instruments when she was a demo singer early in her career. On her first album, she played all the instruments on the song "Serious." She also played three instruments on the other songs. Penny Ford has also produced and arranged songs for other famous artists like Natalie Cole, the Gap Band, Chaka Khan, Victoria Wilson-James, and Snap!.
Discography
- Pennye (1984)
- Penny Ford (1993)
