Minnie Riperton

Minnie Riperton

MINNIE RIPERTON d1979. American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin You" and her five-octave vocal range. She is also widely known for her use of the whistle register and has been referred to by the media as the "Queen of the whistle register". In her teen years, she sang lead vocals for the Chicago-based girl group, The Gems. Her early affiliation with the legendary Chicago-based Chess Records afforded her the opportunity to sing backup for various established artists including ; Etta James / Bo Diddley / Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters. On April 5th 1975, she reached the apex of her career with her No1 single "Lovin' You". In January 1976, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. By the time of diagnosis her cancer had metastasized and she was given only six months to live. Despite this grim prognosis she continued recording and touring. In 1977, she became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society and in 1978 she received the Society's Courage Award which was presented to her at the White House by President Jimmy Carter. She died aged just 31 in Los Angeles on July 12th 1979.

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