Regina Belle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Regina Belle
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Belle in concert on the Holland America Line ship, 2008
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| Born | July 17, 1963 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Rutgers University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse(s) |
John Battle
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Bernard Belle (brother) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
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Regina Belle, born on July 17, 1963, is an American singer and songwriter. She began her music career in the mid-1980s. Regina is famous for her hit songs like "Baby Come to Me" and "Make It Like It Was".
She is also well-known for her amazing duets with Peabo Bryson. These include "Without You" from the movie Leonard Part 6. Another big hit was "A Whole New World" from Disney's Aladdin. This song won Regina Belle and Peabo Bryson a Grammy Award. She also sang "I Just Can't Imagine" with him.
In 1995, the song "Far Longer than Forever" from the animated movie The Swan Princess was nominated for a Golden Globe award. She sang this song with Jeffrey Osborne.
Contents
About Regina Belle
Early Life and Music Start
Regina Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey. She started singing in church at a young age. Her vocal talent was noticed at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Englewood. Later, she sang at Friendship Baptist Church in Paterson, led by her uncle. Regina sang her first solo in church when she was eight years old.
She went to Dwight Morrow High School. There, she learned to play the trombone, tuba, and steel drums. After high school, Regina studied opera at the Manhattan School of Music. She also attended Rutgers University. At Rutgers, she became the first female singer in the school's jazz band.
Regina was inspired by singers like Phyllis Hyman, Billie Holiday, and Nancy Wilson. A New York radio DJ introduced her to the music group the Manhattans. She started opening their shows. She sang a duet with them called "Where Did We Go Wrong". This song helped her get noticed by Columbia Records. She later signed a record deal with them.
Music Career Highlights
In 1987, Regina Belle released her first album, All by Myself. It featured her first hit songs, "So Many Tears" and "Show Me the Way". That same year, she recorded "Without You" with Peabo Bryson. This song was a love theme from the movie Leonard Part 6. It became her first song to reach the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Her next album, Stay with Me, came out in 1989. In 1991, she sang "Better Together" with Johnny Mathis. Regina continued to sing duets with Peabo Bryson. They sang "I Can't Imagine" in 1991 and "A Whole New World" in 1992.
In 1993, she released her third album, Passion. This album sold over a million copies. It included the famous Disney song "A Whole New World". The song "Far Longer than Forever" from The Swan Princess was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1995. She released Reachin' Back in 1995 and Believe in Me in 1998.
In 2001, Regina Belle signed with Peak-Concord Jazz. She released the album This Is Regina!, which had the hit song "Ooh Boy". She also released a jazz album in 2004 called Lazy Afternoon. This album featured covers of popular songs.
In 2008, Regina released her first gospel album, Love Forever Shines. It included songs with other gospel artists. In 2012, she released her second gospel album, Higher. Regina has performed with many famous musicians. These include Ray Charles, Al Jarreau, and Stephanie Mills.
Personal Life
Regina Belle has been married twice. Her first marriage was to saxophonist Horace Alexander Young from 1985 to 1990. They adopted a daughter named Tiy. In 1991, Regina married John Battle, a former NBA basketball player.
Regina and John have four children together. Two of their children, Winter and Jayln, are adopted. They also have two daughters, Sydni (born 1994) and Nyla (born 1995). Regina is also a grandmother to Winter's two children, Thea and Joshua.
In 2009, Regina Belle had a brain tumor. She successfully recovered from it. However, she is now deaf in her left ear. Regina and her husband live in Atlanta, Georgia. John Battle is a pastor at a church in Atlanta.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Certifications |
Record label | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
US Jazz |
US Gospel |
UK |
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| 1987 | All by Myself | 85 | 14 | — | — | 53 | Columbia | |
| 1989 | Stay with Me | 63 | 1 | — | — | 62 |
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| 1993 | Passion | 63 | 13 | — | — | — |
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| 1995 | Reachin' Back | 115 | 18 | — | — | — | ||
| 1998 | Believe in Me | — | 42 | — | — | — | MCA | |
| 2001 | This Is Regina! | — | 61 | — | — | — | Peak | |
| 2004 | Lazy Afternoon | — | 58 | 12 | — | — | ||
| 2008 | Love Forever Shines | 119 | 15 | — | 3 | — | Pendulum | |
| 2012 | Higher | — | 44 | — | 15 | — | ||
| 2016 | The Day Life Began | — | — | — | 11 | — | Shanachie | |
Compilations
- 1997: Baby Come to Me: The Best of Regina Belle
- 2001: Super Hits
- 2006: Love Songs
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
US A/C |
US Dance |
US Gospel |
UK |
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| 1986 | "Where Did We Go Wrong?" (with The Manhattans) | — | 42 | — | — | — | — |
| 1987 | "Show Me the Way" | 68 | 2 | — | — | — | 97 |
| "So Many Tears" | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Without You" (with Peabo Bryson) | 89 | 14 | 8 | — | — | 85 | |
| 1988 | "How Could You Do It to Me" | — | 21 | — | — | — | — |
| "After the Love Has Lost Its Shine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "You Got the Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | "All I Want Is Forever" (with James "J.T." Taylor) | — | 2 | 34 | — | — | — |
| "Baby Come to Me" | 60 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Good Lovin'" | — | — | — | — | — | 73 | |
| "Make It Like It Was" | 43 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | "What Goes Around" | — | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| "This Is Love" | — | 7 | 29 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | "Better Together" (with Johnny Mathis) | — | 68 | — | — | — | — |
| "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)" (with Peabo Bryson) | 1 | 21 | 1 | — | — | 12 | |
| 1993 | "If I Could" | 52 | 9 | 12 | — | — | — |
| "Quiet Time" | — | 47 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Dream in Color" | — | 63 | — | — | — | — | |
| "The Deeper I Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | "Far Longer than Forever" (with Jeffrey Osborne) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995 | "Love T.K.O." | — | 29 | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | "Don't Let Go" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "I've Had Enough" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2001 | "Oooh Boy" | — | 63 | — | — | — | — |
| 2004 | "For the Love of You" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008 | "God Is Good" | — | 83 | — | — | 2 | — |
| "I Call on Jesus" | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | |
| 2012 | "Make an Example Out of Me" | — | — | — | — | 19 | — |
Awards and Nominations
Regina Belle has received several awards and nominations for her music.
- American Music Award
- 1991, Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist (Nominated)
- Grammy Award
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Make It Like It Was" | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | Nominated |
| 1994 | "A Whole New World" (with Peabo Bryson) | Record of the Year | Nominated |
| Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | Won | ||
| 1999 | Believe in Me | Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album | Nominated |
| 2002 | This is Regina | Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album | Nominated |
- MTV Movie Awards
- 1993, Best Song From a Movie: "A Whole New World" (with Peabo Bryson) (Nominated)
See also
In Spanish: Regina Belle para niños
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100
