Will Jody Watley perform clubby hip hop hits at the Birchmere

Grammy® award winner Jody Watley

On July 30, 2009, Jody Watley is appearing at the Birchmere. Tickets are $45.00. Watley, a recording artist and performer, won a Grammy® for Best New Artist in 1987. Also, a 30 year industry veteran, Watley has produce a number of classic hit singles such as “Looking For a New Love” and “Friends” on which she collaborated with Eric B. Rakim. Over the years, Watley has ventured out into owning a record label, producing, and songwriting. In 2006, Watley achieved great success with the release of “The Makeover” which debuted at #1 for the U.S. Virgin Megastore chain. The international dance hit  “I Want Your Love” produced three top Ten Billboard Hot Dance/Club Party Singles.

Watley got her start in the music business when she appeared as a regular on the hit television show “Soul Train” at the tender age of 14. She was known as a trendsetter, influencing young girls with her hairstyles and dance moves. Don Cornelius, founder of "Soul Train," regarded her as one of the most “interesting” dancers on the show in a 1980 interview with JET Magazine.

From 1977 to 1984, Watley recorded songs with the R&B group Shalamar. As an original member of the group, she worked with Howard Hewitt and Jeffrey Daniel. In 1986, Watley took the world by storm with her debut album "Jody Watley." Her 1989 release of “Larger Than Life” sold four million copies hitting the Top 5 U.S. R&B/Hip Hop chart. The first release “Real Love” hit #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart and the Hot Dance Music/Club Party Chart, while catapulting to #2 on the BillBoard Hot 100.

Watley confused fans with her subsequent 1991 release “Affairs of the Heart” because it was very deep and introspective as opposed to having the club groove of her previous hits. "Affairs of the Heart," her third album, debuted at #124 on the Billboard 200, though Watley justified the weak showing to little marketing and promotional efforts. Still, the 1993 debut of “Intimacy” appeared at #164 on the Billboard 200.

Throughout the 1990’s Watley found success on Broadway as the first African-American to play Rizzo in the hit musical Grease, as well as as a record label owner. In 1995, Watley founded Avitone Recordings and produced her own sounds, having distancing herself from bigger outlets such as MCA. Avitone Recordings is currently engaged in an exclusive partnership with the Virgin Megastore chain. Since branching out on her own, most of her highly acclaimed successes have been through guest vocalist for artists such as on Baby Face’s platinum single “This Is For The Lover In You,” which was a remake of one of Shalamar’s former hits.

Slowly however, Watley has drifted back into the club-styled music which is again showing to be very successful for her. In 2007, she remade Madonna’s “Borderline” which debuted at #19. The “Borderline” remake hit #2 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. She also remade Chic’s “I Want Your Love” which reached #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart that same year. Since 2008, Watley has been lingering at the top of the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart both in the U.S. and internationally with various releases.

The Birchmere is well-known for it’s soulful, folksy, bluesy, contemporary jazz, and electric jazz acts. Though Watley’s program is not yet published, it’s quite doubtful she will sing many of her more popular clubby dance songs at the Birchmere. The introspective personal lyrics of the 1990’s will most likely be the theme of the evening at the Birchmere.