Biography
c. 1975, Joliet, Illinois, USA. Withers’ father is a church deacon and she sang in a Mount Zion Baptist Church choir from the age of six. She later attended the Chicago Academy for the Arts and won a scholarship to Berklee College Of Music. After graduation in 1997, she extended her studies still further at New York University from where she graduated in 2000. Meanwhile, she also appeared on television, including Between The Lions (2000). Withers worked as backing singer and appeared with artists including Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Brenda Russell and Luther Vandross. She also made some dance singles, using the name Elle Patrice, including ‘Rising’ and ‘Emotions’, which she co-composed. Withers first attracted wide attention through her performance as Shug Avery in the Broadway musical, The Color Purple (2005). The music for the show was composed by Russell, Allea Willis and...
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