Recently featured in the historic 'The Black Issue' of VOGUE Italia, Jody Watley in July 2008, Jody Watley is Grammy Award Winning Singer-Songwriter, Producer and President/CEO of Avitone Recordings. She has had 6 Top Ten Pop Hits, 15 Top 40 R&B Hits, 13 Dance Hits. 9 #1 Singles. (Pop, R&B or Dance - 80?s, 90?s 00?s). 9 solo albums, two Greatest Hits and various compilation appearances. Notable singles include; 'Looking For a New Love', 'Don't You Want Me', and the groundbreaking R&B/Pop/Hip Hop collaboration with Eric B and Rakim on 'Friends'. Watley's sultry vocals and engaging onstage aura delight diverse fans around the world.Fast forward-2007 and 2008. Watley was honored by Billboard Magazine with their prestigious 'Lifetime Achievement Award' after scoring her 9th #1 Single in the US and and her first in decades in the UK;'I Want Your Love', a cover of the CHIC classic.In August 2008, Watley launched her online music store.www.jodywatleymusicstore.com, in addition to 'A Beautiful Life Remixes', which will be exclusive to the store.
She?s an innovative music maker, a style-forging pioneer: since the mid-90s, Grammy-winning multi-talented Jody Watley has led the way as an entrepreneur working in the independent music world as one of the few already-established female best-selling artists to produce, create and own her recordings.
With an amazing 32 Top Ten Singles and 13 No. 1 Singles in the R&B, pop and dance music genres over the past three decades ? including such classics as ?Looking For A New Love,? ?Don?t You Want Me? and her groundbreaking collaboration with Eric B and Rakim on ?Friends? ? Jody has consistently broken new ground in music, video and fashion: her 2006 album ?The Makeover? benefited from an exclusive collaboration with the Virgin Megastore Music Chain that debuted as the No 1 nationwide store best-seller and No. 3 track on iTunes Electronic Chart.
In 1996, Jody took a slight detour from the journey as an indie artist with a brief tenure with Atlantic Records (resulting in the Top 40 dance/R&B hit ?Off The Hook?) but returned in 2000 with ?Saturday Night Experience,? an experimental electronic album released only in Japan (where Jody has maintained a constant presence going back to the early ?80s).
After licensing some of her music to renowned tastemaking company Giant Step and working with dance music writer/producers Masters At Work, Jody released ?Midnight Lounge? also in Japan; making it available for U.S. release through Shanachie Records, with the key dance cut ?Photographs? released in the U.K. on uber cool indie label Chillifunk. Her original ingenious, stylish videos raised the standards for female artists around the globe after she launched her solo career in 1986 following six years as an original member of chartmaking trio Shalamar.
Known for combining beauty and style as integral aspects of her career as a recording artist and dynamic live performer, Jody?s list of accomplishments and achievements is indeed impressive: she's received Billboard Magazine's 'Lifetime Achievement Award', nominations for the MTV VMA's, NAACP Image Awards and American Music Awards. She?s been featured in VOGUE, ITALIAN VOGUE (including the Historic "The Black Issue), Harper's Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Essence and has been named one of America's Most Beautiful People by People Magazine. The first black woman to appear on a Japanese fashion magazine cover (specifically Japan's most elite, SPUR), Jody has performed by special invitation at The White House, participated in Bob Geldof's historic "Do They Know It's Christmas" recording session and video, Force of Nature?s Tsunami Relief in Malaysia as well as working on one of the first global HIV/AIDS awareness projects, ?Red Hot and Blue? for which she performed the Cole Porter jazz classic ?After You Who?. Watley continues to work with charities promoting tolerance, as well as prevention and care for those living with HIV and AIDS.
Beyonce Knowles and Destiny's Child recorded one of Jody?s compositions ?Sweet Sixteen? on their best-selling ?Writings on The Wall' album and Jody?s special guest appearances have included work with Roy Ayers, 4Hero, Rahsaan Patterson and George Michael. An update of the Shalamar hit ?For The Lover In You? by Kenny ?Babyface? Edmonds featured Jody and LL Cool J.
She continues to explore new ways to share her music, and acknowledges fellow modern-day entrepreneurs such as Russell Simmons, Sean (Puff Daddy) Combs and Jay-Z (?for their work as an artists, label executives, clothing ventures marketing savvy and philanthropy?).
Entrepreneur, label owner, recording artist, producer, songwriter and performer, she celebrates three decades in the world of entertainment carving her own destiny.
From Wikipedia:Jody Vanessa Watley (born January 30, 1959, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul. In 1987, she won the Grammy Award for "Best New Artist." Along with Janet Jackson and Madonna, she ranks as one of MTV Video Music Awards most nominated female artists ever, with 6 nominations for her ?Real Love? video.
To date, she is best known for her role in setting trends and standards for style, music and video in the late '80s. Early in her solo career she was also noted for her commercial dance pop stylings with a funky edge. Jody Watley is also noted as being one of the first Pop/R&B singers to include a rapper on the specialized verse/bridge with their collaboration on "Friends" featuring Eric B. & Rakim, which would become a popular formula in commercial Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop.
Watley has sold over twenty million albums and singles worldwide. In 2008, she was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard magazine, and was also prominently featured in the historic black issue of Vogue Italia in 2008.
Her early music influences are Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, The Carpenters, Roberta Flack, Prince, Grace Jones and various jazz artists including Nancy Wilson.