Anita Denise Baker was born on January 26, 1958. She is an American singer who performs jazz and soul music. She is famous for singing emotional songs, especially during the quiet storm period in the 1980s.

She began her career in the late 1970s as a member of the funk band Chapter 8. In 1983, she released her first solo album called The Songstress. In 1986, she became famous after releasing her second album, Rapture, which sold many copies and included the Grammy-winning song "Sweet Love." As of 2017, Baker had won eight Grammy Awards and had four Platinum-selling albums and two Gold-selling albums. She has a contralto voice, which means she can sing over a wide range of musical notes.

Life and music career

Anita Baker was born on January 26, 1958, in Toledo, Ohio. When she was two years old, her mother left her, and she was raised by a foster family in Detroit, Michigan. At age 12, her foster parents passed away, and her foster sister helped care for her. By the time she was 16, she began singing R&B music at nightclubs in Detroit. After one performance, a bandleader named David Washington noticed her and gave her a card to audition for the funk band, Chapter 8.

Baker joined Chapter 8 in 1975, and the group toured until they signed a deal with Ariola Records in 1979. Their first album, Chapter 8, was released that year and included the songs "Ready for Your Love," a duet between Baker and bandmate Gerald Lyles, and "I Just Want to Be Your Girl," which Baker performed. After Ariola was bought by Arista Records in 1979, Chapter 8 was dropped by the label because they believed Baker, as the group’s lead singer, did not have "star potential." Baker returned to Detroit, working as a waitress and a receptionist until 1982, when Otis Smith, a former Ariola associate, encouraged her to start a solo career under his Beverly Glen label.

Baker released her first solo album, The Songstress, in May 1983. The album included four singles: "No More Tears" and its B-side "Will You Be Mine," "Angel," and "You're the Best Thing Yet." "Angel" reached number five on the R&B chart in late 1983, and "You're the Best Thing Yet" entered the R&B top 40 early the next year.

Despite early success, Baker later said she did not receive royalties from her work. The label also delayed making her next album. By 1984, after two years, Baker wanted to leave the label, but Smith sued her for breaking their contract in 1985. After months in court, it was decided that Baker could record for other labels. She signed with Elektra Records, part of the Warner Music Group, in 1985 and began working on her next album. Her contract allowed her to control the creative process and produce her own music.

In March 1986, Baker released her second album, Rapture. Sales were slow at first, but after the release of the song "Sweet Love," it became her first pop hit, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Top 20. The album also produced three more hit singles: "Caught Up in the Rapture," "No One in the World," and "Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year)."

Throughout 1986 and 1987, Baker promoted the album by touring, headlining her first tour, The Rapture Tour, which was later released as a home video titled A Night of Rapture. By 1988, the album had sold over eight million copies worldwide, five million in the United States alone. It earned Baker two Grammy Awards at the 1987 ceremony.

In 1987, Baker collaborated with The Winans on the song "Ain't No Need to Worry," which won her a third Grammy in the Best Soul Gospel Performance category.

Baker’s next album, Giving You the Best That I Got, was released in October 1988 and became a success, topping the Billboard 200 and selling five million copies worldwide, three million in the United States. The title track reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B and adult contemporary charts, becoming her highest-charting single. The album also produced two more hit singles: "Just Because" and "Lead Me Into Love." It earned Baker three additional Grammy Awards.

In 1990, Baker released Compositions, which included more of her own songwriting and production. The album featured the singles "Talk to Me," "Soul Inspiration," and "Fairy Tales," and sold over a million copies.

After finishing the Compositions tour in 1991, Baker took a break from music to focus on her family. During this time, Elektra reissued her first album, The Songstress.

In 1994, Baker returned to the charts with Rhythm of Love, which included "Body and Soul," her first top 40 pop hit since 1989. The album sold over two million copies and earned her an eighth Grammy for the single "I Apologize." Baker toured globally with the Rhythm of Love World Tour from 1994 to 1995. In 1996, she moved to Atlantic Records, part of the Warner Music Group.

After taking a break to care for her children, Baker returned to the studio in 2000. In 2001, she sued Zomba Recording and its Dreamhire division for damaging her recordings with a tape machine. Later that year, she was let go from Atlantic Records without releasing new music. In 2002, Rhino Records released a compilation album, The Best of Anita Baker, which was certified platinum by the RIAA.

In 2004, Baker signed with Blue Note Records and released the album My Everything in September 2004. The album reached number four on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B charts, and was certified gold.

In 2005, Baker released Christmas Fantasy and received a Grammy nomination for the song "Christmas Time Is Here." That same year, she earned an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music. From 2007 to 2009, she toured under the name An Evening with Anita Baker. She occasionally performed the American national anthem at sports events.

In 2010, Baker began working on a new album featuring the single "Only Forever." In 2012, she released her version of Tyrese’s hit "Lately," which made headlines when it was played every hour on urban adult contemporary radio, making her the first artist to debut this way. However, the album was delayed and never released.

In 2013, Baker performed "Lately" and "Same Ole Love" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and appeared at the Grammys, where "Lately" was nominated for a Grammy. In 2017, she confirmed her retirement but returned in 2

Personal life

Baker married Walter Bridgforth Jr. on December 24, 1988, at their home in Detroit. The next year, Baker lost a baby early in pregnancy. They had two sons: Walter Baker Bridgforth (born January 1993) and Edward Carlton Bridgforth (born May 1994). The couple separated in 2005 and officially ended their marriage two years later. Baker currently lives in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan.

More than five years after her divorce, Baker asked the court to legally change her last name back to her maiden name in her personal life.

In 2020, Baker supported presidential candidate Andrew Yang during the Democratic presidential primary.

Discography

• The Songstress (1983)
• Rapture (1986)
• Giving You the Best That I Got (1988)
• Compositions (1990)
• Rhythm of Love (1994)
• My Everything (2004)
• Christmas Fantasy (2005)

Tours

• The Rapture Tour (1986–1987)
• The Heat: Luther & Anita Live! (featuring Luther Vandross) (1988)
• Anita Baker in Concert (1989)
• Compositions World Tour (1990)
• Rhythm of Love World Tour (1994–1995)
• Anita Live! (2002–2004)
• An Evening with Anita Baker (2007–2009)
• Anita Baker: Farewell Concert Series (2018–2019)
• The Songstress Tour (2023)

Awards and honors

In 2013, Anita Baker was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

The BET Awards were created in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to recognize African Americans who have made achievements in music, acting, sports, and other areas of entertainment in the past year. The awards are given every year and are shown live on BET.

The Grammy Awards are given annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Baker has won eight awards out of 18 nominations.

The American Music Awards is an annual event started by Dick Clark in 1973. Baker has won four awards out of nine nominations.

The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual show that began in 1987. It is broadcast on national TV and honors the best in African American music and entertainment.