Freda Charcilia Payne, 19 September 1945, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Schooled in jazz and classical music, this urbane singer attended the Institute Of Musical Arts and worked with Pearl Bailey prior to recording her debut album in 1963 for MGM Records. Payne signed to Holland/Dozier/Holland’s label Invictus Records and her first recording, ‘The Unhooked Generation’, introduced a new-found soul style, but it was the magnificent follow-up, ‘Band Of Gold’ (1970), that established Payne’s reputation. This ambiguous wedding-night drama was a US number 3 and UK number 1 and prepared the way for several more excellent singles in ‘Deeper And Deeper’, ‘You Brought The Joy’ and ‘Bring The Boys Home’, an uncompromising anti-Vietnam anthem. Ensuing releases lacked her early purpose and were marred by Payne’s increasingly unemotional delivery. The singer moved to ABC / Dunhill Records (1974), Capitol Records (1976) and Sutra (1982), but Payne was also drawn to television work and would later host a syndicated talk show, For You Black Woman. In 1990, she recorded for Ian Levine’s Motor City label.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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Freda Charcilia Payne, 19 September 1945, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Schooled in jazz and classical music, this urbane singer attended the Institute Of Musical Arts and worked with Pearl Bailey prior to recording her debut album in 1963 for MGM Records. Payne signed to Holland/Dozier/Holland’s label Invictus Records and her first recording, ‘The Unhooked Generation’, introduced a new-found soul style, but it was the magnificent follow-up, ‘Band Of Gold’ (1970), that established Payne’s reputation. This ambiguous wedding-night drama was a US number 3 and UK number 1 and prepared the way for several more excellent singles in ‘Deeper And Deeper’, ‘You Brought The Joy’ and ‘Bring The Boys Home’, an uncompromising anti-Vietnam anthem. Ensuing releases lacked her early purpose and were marred by Payne’s increasingly unemotional delivery. The singer moved to ABC / Dunhill Records (1974), Capitol Records (1976) and Sutra (1982), but Payne was also drawn to television work and would later host a syndicated talk show, For You Black Woman. In 1990, she recorded for Ian Levine’s Motor City label.