Melba Moore: Living to Give (1970) ...plus

Tony Award winning and two-time Grammy nominee, Melba Moore’s enduring talent has earned her a rewarding career in recording, theater, television, music and film. For over 30 years, her powerful and beautiful four-octave voice has endeared her to music lovers around the world as a great virtuoso singer on a variety of genres, including rhythm and blues, gospel, rock and roll, jazz and pop. She hit it big when she joined the cast of the Broadway musical ‘Hair’. One day while working in the studio, a barefoot gentleman asked her if she wanted to be in the play. Moore accepted and eventually won the lead role. It was the first time in history that a black actress replaced a white actress (Diane Keaton) for the lead role on Broadway. That followed with another Broadway hit, ‘Purlie’, which earned her a Tony Award and rave reviews. Moore also forged a successful singing career. Her very early experience in the industry saw her working as a singer/pianist with a group called Voices, Inc., and performing at clubs in New Jersey and the Catskills. In addition, she was able to supplement her income by doing background vocals for a whole host of names including Jerry Butler, Dionne Warwick, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis and Aretha Franklin. One of her colleagues at the time was none other than Valerie Simpson. She released her debut album, Living to Give, on Mercury Records in 1970, followed a year later by Look What You're Doing to the Man. She also had a UK Top 10 (and a minor US hit) in 1976 with ‘This Is It’, and although her pop chart placings were inconsistent, she remained a fixture on the R&B lists over the following decade. Moore has been and is currently focusing on gospel recordings while still appearing in an occasional Broadway show. Today I am posting that promising first album, Living to Give, augmented by 7 bonus tracks from her 1971 release Look What You're Doing to the Man. Enjoy! http://www.musicianguide.com/

aa

Melba singing 'Purlie' on the Broadway musical of the same name:

Performing 'Lean on Me' on an episode of Soul Train, in 1976: