Meli'sa Morgan
{{short description|American singer-songwriter}}
{{about|the R&B singer|the jazz pianist|Melissa Morgan}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Meli'sa Morgan
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Joyce Melissa Morgan
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|12|6}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-jIXAQAAMAAJ&q=meli%27sa+morgan+shelly+garrett|title=Who's Who Among African Americans|publisher=Gale / Cengage Learning|edition=21|location=University of Michigan|year=2008|first=Kristin B.|last=Mallegg|isbn=9781414400204}}
| birth_place = Queens, New York, U.S.
| origin = New York City, New York, U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|R&B|soul|pop}}
| occupation = Singer–songwriter
| instrument = Vocals
| years_active = 1982–present
| label = {{hlist|Capitol|Pendulum|Orpheus|}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|Shades of Love|High Fashion|Melba Moore|Janet Jackson|Kashif|Freddie Jackson|Miki Howard}}
| website =
}}
Joyce Melissa Morgan{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m8wDAAAAMBAJ&dq=joyce+meli%27sa+morgan&pg=PA140|title=Introducing: Sultry Singer Meli'sa Morgan|magazine=Ebony|date=April 1988|page=140|volume=43|issue=6|issn=0012-9011|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company}} (usually spelled Meli'sa; born December 6, 1964) is an American R&B/Soul singer–songwriter. Morgan had a string of urban contemporary hits from the mid–1980s to the mid–1990s. Most notable include her cover version of Prince's "Do Me, Baby" (1985), "Do You Still Love Me" (1986) and "Still in Love with You" (1992).
Early life
Born in Queens, New York, Morgan got her start in the music industry while singing with a church gospel choir called the Starlets of Corona. Morgan cites Chaka Khan as a major influence.
Career
=1982–1992=
Her initial chart entry was as the lead singer of the dance group, Shades of Love. They had a single entry at #26 on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1982 with "Body to Body (Keep in Touch)." This was re-popularized in 1994 by new remixes and reached number 1 on the same chart. That same year, music entrepreneur Jacques Fred Petrus asked her to join his newly created studio group, High Fashion, that featured Morgan and two other New York vocalists, Eric McClinton and Alyson Williams. High Fashion's sole hit, "Feelin' Lucky Lately," reached #32 on the US Black Singles chart.{{cite magazine|title=High Fashion|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/7122926/high-fashion/chart|accessdate=December 11, 2016|magazine=Billboard|date=July 10, 1982|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222090326/http://www.billboard.com/artist/7122926/high-fashion/chart|archive-date=22 December 2016}} In 1983, Morgan left, and was replaced in the group by the jazz vocalist, Marcella Allen. Morgan worked as a backing singer with Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, and Melba Moore.{{cite magazine|title=Record News|magazine=Sounds|date=December 14, 1985|page=6}}
As a solo artist, she topped the R&B chart with her cover version of Prince's "Do Me, Baby" for 3 weeks,{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/melisa-morgan-mn0000407331/biography|title=Biography: Meli'sa Morgan|last=Wynn|first=Ron|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=May 30, 2010}} (the title track from her debut album) which also became her only Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 46 in 1986.{{cite web|title=Meli'sa Morgan Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Meli%27sa+Morgan.art|website=Music VF|access-date=11 November 2021}} She also had a top 5 R&B single with "Do You Still Love Me" from her debut album. She had several solo hits on the US dance chart as well, including "Still in Love with You," which hit #3 in 1992.
A verse from Morgan's 1986 single "Fool's Paradise" was re-vamped, with modified lyrics, by Mary J. Blige as the chorus to the 1996 Jay-Z single "Can't Knock the Hustle."
=2005–present=
After a lengthy hiatus, Morgan released her fifth solo album, I Remember. The first single, "Back Together Again", a song originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, received moderate airplay on urban contemporary radio stations during early 2006 and peaked at number 46 on Billboard's R&B chart. The follow-up singles included "I Remember," "Will You?," and "High Maintenance" which were released in September 2006. New material by Meli'sa Morgan can be heard on a German release by Cool Million, which features Meli'sa Morgan on lead vocals on the opening track "Sweet Baby."
In 2014, Morgan was honored with an Unsung Heroine Award by the National R&B Music Society{{cite web|url=http://www.scoopusanewspaper.com/SCOOP9262014.pdf|title=National R&B Society 4th annual black tie gala, award ceremony|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905053203/http://www.scoopusanewspaper.com/SCOOP9262014.pdf|archive-date=5 September 2015}} at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.
Morgan was featured on an episode of TVOne's Unsung which aired in 2015.
On May 28, 2024, Morgan scored her first gold album, for the 1986 debut album entitled, "Do Me Baby." It was certified gold by the RIAA for sales reaching over 500,000 units.{{cite web |title=R&B star Meli'sa Morgan finally gets her gold after 37 year wait |url=https://www.soultracks.com/first-listen-melisa-morgan-gold-record |website=SoulTracks - Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews |access-date=6 June 2024 |language=en |date=31 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Meli'sa Morgan's Debut Album Is Now Certified Gold |url=https://www.wbls.com/news/melisa-morgans-debut-album-is-now-certified-gold/ |website=WBLS |access-date=6 June 2024 |date=1 June 2024}}{{cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/melisa-morgan-scores-her-first-riaa-certification-with-debut-album-do-me-baby/ar-BB1nlBua |website=www.msn.com |access-date=6 June 2024}}
Personal life
Morgan was married to playwright, writer, and director Shelly Garrett from 1993 until 1994.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MroDAAAAMBAJ&dq=meli+sa+morgan+shelly+garrett&pg=PA37|magazine=Jet|date=June 14, 1993|title=Making Wedding Plans|page=37|volume=84|issue=7|issn=0021-5996|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company}}
Discography
=Studio albums=
=Compilation albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of albums, with selected details ! scope="col" style="width:12em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Album details |
| scope="row" |Do You Still Love Me?: The Best of Meli'sa Morgan
|style="font-size:12px;"|
|
|---|
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles as a group member, with selected chart positions, showing year released ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Artist ! rowspan="2"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US R&B /HH {{cite web |via=Wayback Machine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222090326/http://www.billboard.com/artist/7122926/high-fashion/chart|archive-date=December 22, 2016|url-status=dead|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/7122926/high-fashion/chart|title=High Fashion Album & Chart History (R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)|publisher=Billboard.com|accessdate=7 August 2017}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US |
|---|
| scope="row"| "I'm in the Prime of Love"
| 1978 | — || — ! scope="row"| Business Before Pleasure (stylised as B.B.P.) | {{n/a}} |
| scope="row"| "Feelin' Lucky Lately"
| rowspan="2"| 1982 | 32 || — ! scope="row"| High Fashion | Feelin' Lucky |
| scope="row"| "Keep in Touch (Body to Body)"
| — || 1 ! scope="row"| Shades of Love | {{n/a}} |
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles as a lead artist, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="4"| Chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US {{cite web|via=Wayback Machine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117154838/https://www.billboard.com/artist/melisa-morgan/chart-history/hsi/|archive-date=November 17, 2021|url-status=dead|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/melisa-morgan/chart-history/hsi/|title=Meli'sa Morgan Album & Chart History (Hot 100)|publisher=Billboard.com|accessdate=October 19, 2021}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Do Me Baby"
| rowspan="1"|1985 | 46 || 1 || — || — | rowspan="4"| Do Me Baby |
| scope="row"| "Do You Still Love Me?"
| rowspan="3"|1986 | — || 5 || — || — |
| scope="row"| "Fool's Paradise"
| — || 24 || — || 41 |
| scope="row"| "Now or Never"
| — || — || — || — |
| scope="row"| "Deeper Love"
| rowspan="3"|1987 | — || 74 || — || — | The Golden Child |
| scope="row"| "If You Can Do It: I Can Too"
| — || 2 || 27 || 86 | rowspan="4"| Good Love |
| scope="row"| "Love Changes" (with Kashif)
| — || 2 || — || — |
| scope="row"| "Here Comes the Night"
| rowspan="2"|1988 | — || 17 || — || — |
| scope="row"| "Good Love"
| — || — || — || 59 |
| scope="row"| "Can You Give Me What I Want"
| rowspan="2"|1990 | — || 33 || — || — | rowspan="2"| The Lady in Me |
| scope="row"| "Don't You Know"
| — || — || — || — |
| scope="row"| "Still in Love with You"
| rowspan="3"|1992 | — || 9 || 3 || — | rowspan="3"| Still in Love with You |
| scope="row"| "Through the Tears"
| — || 18 || — || — |
| scope="row"| "I'm Gonna Be Your Lover (Tonight)"
| — || 68 || — || — |
| scope="row"| "Tell Me (How It Feels)" (with Mike Stevens)
|1995 | — || — || — || —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Tell Me (How It Feels)" did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but peaked at number 39 on the UK R&B Singles Chart.}} | rowspan="2"| Joy |
| scope="row"| "Searchin'" (with Mike Stevens)
|1996 | — || — || — || — |
| scope="row"| "Believe In Yourself" (with Soul Switch)
|1999 | — || — || — || — | {{n/a}} |
| scope="row"| "How" (with JT Taylor)
| rowspan="1"|2000 | — || 82 || — || — | rowspan="1"| A Brand New Me |
| scope="row"| "Don't Say Love" (with Soul Switch)
| rowspan="1"|2003 | — || — || — || — | {{n/a}} |
| scope="row"| "Back Together Again" (with Freddie Jackson)
| rowspan="1"|2005 | — || 46 || — || — | rowspan="2"| I Remember |
| scope="row"| "I Remember..."
| rowspan="1"|2006 | — || 86 || — || — |
| scope="row"| "Sweet Baby" (with Cool Million)
| rowspan="2"|2015 | — || — || — || — | {{n/a}} |
| scope="row"| "So Good"
| — || — || — || — |{{n/a}} |
| scope="row"| "Footprints of an Angel"
|2022 | — || — || — || — | {{tba}} |
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
See also
Notes
{{reflist|group=upper-alpha}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4956}}
- {{facebook|MissMelisaMorganM3/}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Melisa}}
Category:American soul musicians
Category:American dance musicians
Category:Musicians from Queens, New York
Category:American soul singers
Category:American contemporary R&B singers
Category:African-American women singer-songwriters
Category:American women singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century American women singers
Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century African-American women singers
Category:20th-century African-American musicians