Ikusasa likaStephanie Mills esiteji kungenzeka labikezelwa lapho, eneminyaka engu-9, ewina i-Amateur Hour eHarlem Apollo Theatre izikhathi eziyisithupha zilandelana. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, umsebenzi wakhe waqala ukuthuthuka ngokushesha.
Lokhu kwenziwe lula ngethalente lakhe, ukukhuthala nokubekezela. Lo mculi uwine Indondo Ye-Grammy Ye-Best Female R&B Vocalist (1980) kanye ne-American Music Award for Best Female R&B Vocalist (1981).
UStephanie Mills: Ubuntwana bomculo
Indodakazi kababa (isisebenzi sikamasipala) nomama (umlungisi wezinwele), uMills wazalwa ngoMashi 22, 1957 endaweni yaseBrooklyn (New York) futhi wakhulela endaweni yaseBedford-Stuyvesant. Okuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe kokuqala komculo kwakuhlanganisa nokucula ekwayeni yaseCornerstone Baptist Church eBrooklyn. Kodwa uthando lwakhe lokudlala lwaqala ekuqaleni. UMills wayengumncane phakathi kwezingane zakubo eziyisithupha futhi wayeyisikhungo sokunakwa eseyingane.
Wabonisa ithalente lomculo kusukela ekuqaleni - wacula futhi wadansa umndeni lapho eneminyaka engu-3 kuphela ubudala. Mhlawumbe ukuhlanganyela kwakhe ekwayeni yeCornerstone Baptist Church eBrooklyn kwamvumela ukuba acije ikhono lakhe njengomculi wevangeli. Izwi lentombazane elinamandla nelicacile lalihlaba umxhwele. Izingane zakubo zazihamba naye njalo emibukisweni yethalente eBrooklyn.
UMills wakhulela esiteji. Wakhonza umculi wezwi u-Diana Ross futhi akazange angabaze ukuthi wayefuna ukuba umculi ngokwakhe. Lapho eneminyaka engu-9 ubudala, umndeni wabona isikhangiso ephephandabeni esinikeza ukuhlolwa kwe-Broadway kwabadlali abasha.
Ngemuva kwemizamo eminingana, uMills wabamba iqhaza emculweni uMaggie Flynn. Lo mbukiso wawuyi-"flop". Kodwa uMills wahlangana nabantu abalungile ababexhumene nebhizinisi lombukiso kanye nabadlali abancane abathembisayo.
Uphinde walingisa nakweminye imidlalo. Lapho eneminyaka engu-11 ubudala, wagibela isiteji ethempelini elihlonishwa isikhathi eside leDolobha laseNew York lobuciko obudlalwayo base-Afrika naseMelika, i-Harlem Apollo Theatre, umncintiswano wokucula wehora lonke we-ateur. Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile, uMills wathuthela eshabhu yeqembu lamaNegro ensembles off-Broadway. Esemusha, wacula ne-Isley Brothers kanye ne-Spinners futhi waqopha i-albhamu yakhe yokuqala, i-Movin 'in the Right Direction.
UStephanie Mills: Impumelelo esheshayo yokudala
Ukuphumelela kobuciko kukaMills kwenzeka ngo-1974 lapho i-mezzo-soprano yakhe emangalisayo ye-gospel-tinged imnika indima ephambili ka-Dorothy efilimini ethi The Magician. Lena inguqulo yesiteji yenganekwane yakudala ka-L. Frank Baum ethi The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Lo mbukiso wawuyi-blockbuster eyaqala ngo-1974 kuya ku-1979. eCarnegie Hall, eMetropolitan Opera naseMadison Square Garden.
Ngenxa yalokho, umculi omncane onezwi elinamandla waqala ngokushesha ukuya enkanyezini ye-Olympus edume umhlaba wonke. UMills usevele njalo ezinhlelweni zezingxoxo zikamabonakude nezinhlelo ezahlukahlukene, futhi ukhiphe uchungechunge lwama-albhamu e-R&B adumile. Uphinde wawina amarekhodi egolide futhi waklonyeliswa ngezindondo zikaTony kanye neGrammy. Naphezu kwempumelelo esemncane, umdwebi wayenokudumazeka ngokomsebenzi nokomuntu siqu. Ukuphoxeka kokuqala kochwepheshe kwakuhlotshaniswa nokuhlala isikhashana komculi njengomculi we-studio oqophayo eMotown Records.
Ngesikhathi esavakasha neThe Wiz, uJermaine Jackson (Jackson Five) wenza uBerry Gordy (isikhulu esiphezulu saseMotown) ukuthi amnike inkontileka. UMills uqophe eyodwa ye-albhamu ethi Motown (1976). Yabhalwa futhi yakhiqizwa ithimba elidumile likaBert Bacharach noHal David. I-albhamu ayizange ithengise kahle kakhulu, futhi i-Motown Records yenqaba ukusebenzisana noStephanie.
Sala kahle ngomgwaqo wezitini ophuzi
Ngemva kokushiya i-The Wiz, lo mculi waqala ukucula njengesenzo sokuvula u-Teddy Pendergrass, ama-Commodores kanye nama-O'Jays. Ngokushesha yaba isihloko esikhulu futhi yahlaba umxhwele izethameli nabagxeki ngokufanayo. Ngemuva kokukhululwa kwakhe kuMotown Record, uMills wasayina ne-20th Century Records.
Ukhiphe ama-albhamu amathathu nochungechunge lwamahithi alungele umsakazo we-R&B. I-albhamu ethi What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin ifinyelele inombolo yesi-8. Emashadini e-R&B ngo-1979. I-albhamu elandelayo yesihlabani, i-Sweet Sensation, ishaye amahithi aphezulu ayi-10. Futhi uthathe indawo yesithathu eshadini le-R&B. Ngo-3, uMills wakhipha i-albhamu yakhe yokugcina ye-1981th Century Records. Futhi ushaye amashadi futhi nge-Two Hearts, i-duet no-Teddy Pendergrass. Ngenxa yokuthandwa kwakhe, uthole indondo yeGrammy. ngo-20 kanye ne-American Music Award ngo-1980.
Kodwa-ke, ngenkathi isihlabani sebhizinisi sombukiso sijabulela udumo esiteji nasemsakazweni. Umshado wakhe wokuqala kwemithathu noJeffrey Daniels wawungaphumeleli. Lo mbhangqwana washada ngo-1980 futhi wahlukanisa ngemva komshado ongajabulisi. Ngemuva kwama-albhamu amathathu aphumelele nge-20th Century, uStefani usayine neCasablanca Records. Nodumo lwakhe selunciphile. Ama-albhamu akhe amane alandelayo, akhishwe phakathi kuka-1982 no-1985, akhiqize eyodwa kuphela i-R&B top 10 single, The Medicine Song. Lo mculi wafika ohlelweni lwethelevishini lwasemini ku-NBC ngo-1983, nakuba ungazange uhlale isikhathi eside. UMills wabe esebuyela empumelelweni yakhe yokuqala njengoDorothy emvuselelweni ka-1984 ye-The Wizard.
UStephanie Mills: Ukuzabalaza esiteji nasempilweni yangempela
Ngo-1986 nango-1987 UMills ubuyele phezulu eshadini le-R&B izikhathi ezintathu ngezingoma ezithi “Ngifunde Ukuhlonipha Amandla Othando”, “I Feel Good About Everything”. Naphezu kwalokhu, uMills wabhekana nobunzima. Umshado wesibili waphela ngesehlukaniso, futhi abaqaphi abangathembekile bamphuca izigidi.
Ngo-1992, i-albhamu ethi Something Real yashaya izingoma eziphezulu ezingu-20 ze-R&B ethi All Day, All Night. Lo mculi waphinde washada noMichael Saunders, umdidiyeli womsakazo waseNorth Carolina.
Waziwa kubadlali betiyetha abaningi njengomlingisi omncane, uStephanie Mills wahlala eyinkanyezi ye-R&B ngeminyaka yawo-1980 nasekuqaleni kwawo-1990. Izwi lakhe elimnandi kodwa elinamandla le-mezzo-soprano liyinsimbi ebonakala ngokushesha. Futhi ukuqopha umculo wesimanje wasemadolobheni kanye nokuvakasha kuye kwahlala kuwukugxila kwamandla akhe okudala phakathi neminyaka. Kodwa-ke, ngasekupheleni kwawo-1990, uMills waqala ukuqhela kancane emculweni we-pop. Ngemuva kokubhekana nezinkinga zezimali ngenxa yabalingani bebhizinisi abangathembekile. Ngo-1992, umculi wafaka icala ngokumelene nomphathi wakhe wezezimali, uJohn Davimos. Njengoba imisebenzi yakhe yamholela ekubeni acwile. Umndeni wakwaMills usatshiswe ngokuxoshwa endaweni yawo yaseMount Vernon. Kodwa ijaji lenhlangano engenzi nzuzo yezezindlu ezinze eNew York layigwema leyo nkinga.
UMills ukhiphe i-albhamu yevangeli ethi Personal Inspirations ngo-1995. Futhi ngo-2002 wabuyela emculweni wezwe ngengoma ethi Latin Lover. Ivele ku-CD yeqembu ethi Masters at Work Our Time Is Coming.
Izilingo zokuphila, ukudumazeka okuningi kanye nokuphazamiseka kwemizwa okungapheli kwaholela ekucindezelekeni. Ukube bekungengenxa yokuzimisela, odokotela abaqeqeshiwe nezazi zokusebenza kwengqondo, kanye nesifiso esikhulu sokuqhubeka nokucula esiteji, ngabe umculi ukhohliwe. Namuhla, imali yakhe yonyaka evela ekudaleni icishe ibe yizigidi ezi-2 zamaRandi. Usadlala, ubamba iqhaza kumaphrojekthi ahlukahlukene kanye nezinhlelo ze-TV futhi ujabulela ukuphila.
