Shirley Murdock facts for kids

Shirley Murdock (born May 22, 1957) is a talented American singer and songwriter. She is famous for her amazing voice in R&B (Rhythm and Blues) music. You might know her from her song "Computer Love" with Charlie Wilson and the band Zapp and Roger in 1986. She also had a big hit with her own song "As We Lay" in 1986. This song became very popular, reaching number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Both songs came from her first album, called Shirley Murdock!, which came out in 1986.

Shirley Murdock's Music Journey

Shirley Murdock began her singing career in her hometown of Toledo, Ohio. She started by singing gospel music, which is a type of music with religious themes.

Joining Zapp

A famous singer and musician named Roger Troutman noticed Shirley's talent. He asked her to join his family's band, Zapp, as a backing vocalist. Zapp was a very successful band and had many hit songs. Because of Zapp's success, Roger Troutman started working on new songs with Shirley and other artists. They recorded music at his studio in Dayton, Ohio.

Shirley and Roger's first song together that appeared on the music charts was "Girl, Cut It Out" in 1985. It was released under Roger's name but featured Shirley's vocals.

Becoming a Solo Star

Shirley Murdock then signed with Elektra Records, a big music company. Her first song with them was "No More," which she helped write. It became a hit in 1986.

After that, she released her most famous song, "As We Lay." This song was a gentle and emotional ballad. It quickly became a top ten hit on the R&B charts in 1986. It also reached number 23 on the main pop chart and number 21 on the adult contemporary chart in early 1987.

Her first album, Shirley Murdock!, was very successful and sold enough copies to be certified gold. Other popular songs from this album included "Go on Without You" and "Be Free." She continued to release albums, including A Woman's Point of View in 1988 and Let There Be Love! in 1991.

Acting and Gospel Music

In the early 2000s, Shirley started performing in plays. She toured in a gospel play called Be Careful What You Pray For with other actors like Cuba Gooding, Sr..

In 2002, Shirley released her first gospel music album called Home. This album was released on T.D. Jakes' record label. She also made her acting debut in a movie called Sweating in the Spirit. Later, she signed with Tyscot Records and released another album in March 2007.

Recent Work

Shirley Murdock has also worked with other artists. In 2009, she sang on a song called "Soldier" with Teena Marie for her album Congo Square. Shirley also appeared in several stage plays, including A Mother's Prayer in 2009 and "A Mother's Love" in 2014.