From Hair to Get Here to The Color Purple!
Canadian Brenda Russell met a soul band called The Soul Searchers at the age of 14, who would soon allow her to open up for them.
A few years later, she joined a Canadian ensemble performing the Musical Hair.
In her early 20s, she met and married her husband Brian Russell, as they were both in a band called Dr. Music.
As a couple, they produced Rufus (a funk band that worked closely with Chaka Khan). They also sang BV’s for Neil Sedaka, Elton John, and Robert Palmer.
With Elton, they released two albums on his label, Word Called Love (1976) and Supersonic Lover (1977).
By the late ‘70s, the couple divorced, leading Brenda to relocate to Los Angeles, pursue a solo career, and produce various artists and bands’ albums.
Her self-titled debut album was released in 1979 and did reasonably well, reaching the top 20, mainly thanks to the single So Good, So Right.
Having made a name for herself in the business, she next produced Earth, Wind & Fire‘s albums Faces (1989) and Raise! (1981).
This led to more work as a producer for, among others, Donna Summer, as well as another solo album, Two Eyes (1983), which did well in the charts, although no big hits are to be found here.
In the mid-’80s, Brenda Russell relocated to Stockholm, Sweden of all places and started writing her biggest hit and title track for her 1988 album, Get Here. It wasn’t actually a big hit for her; the opening track Piano In The Dark did much better, but once Oleta Adams covered Get Here, it became huge.
In the ‘90s and early 2000s, Brenda Russell continued to release solo albums and produce for big names such as Diana Ross, Phil Perry, Joni Mitchell, Yellowjackets, and Carole King.
In 2005, the hit Broadway Musical The Color Purple was launched, and Brenda Russell was responsible for the score.
Brenda Russell Tunes | Related Pages
Get Here
You can learn how to play Get Here by Oleta Adams using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, the original recording and covers.
| Csus2 | G/B Amadd2/E |
You can reach me by railway, you can reach me by railway…
Brenda Russell on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
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