Syreeta Wright

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Syreeta Wright bigraphy, stories - American singer-songwriter

Syreeta Wright : biography

August 3, 1946 – July 6, 2004

Syreeta Wright (August 3, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter most notably known for her work with ex-husband Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston.

Trivia

Syreeta and her Stevie Wonder peer Minnie Riperton both died as a result of developing breast cancer.

Rapper Currensy’s hip-hop group, Jet Life, takes a sample of her song "I Am Too Waiting" with their song "1st Place", released as the first single from Jet Life’s collaboration album Jet World Order (2011).

Biography

Early life and career

Syreeta was born Syreeta Wright in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1946, and started singing at age four. Her father died while serving in the Korean War and Wright and her two sisters,Yvonne and Kim, were raised by their mother Essie and their grandmother. The Wrights moved back and forth from Detroit to South Carolina before finally settling in Detroit just as Wright entered high school. Money problems kept Wright from pursuing a career in ballet so Wright focused her attention on a music career joining several singing groups before landing a job as a receptionist for Motown in 1965. Within a year, she became a secretary for Mickey Stevenson, just as Martha Reeves had done before her.

A year later, Edward Holland of the famous Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team noticed Wright’s singing and decided to try her out for demos of Supremes songs. Motown CEO Berry Gordy shortened her birth name to "Rita," and Wright released her first solo single, "I Can’t Give Back the Love I Feel for You", in January,1968.. Last.fm (2012-03-22). Retrieved on 2012-04-26. The song was initially written for the Supremes (by then billed as "Diana Ross & the Supremes"). They later recorded the song in 1968 and Diana Ross re-recorded the song for her solo album, Surrender. Wright’s version became a hit for Northern soul audiences in the United Kingdom, a country where Wright would enjoy success.

Wright also performed demo vocals for the Supremes hit "Love Child" and Ross’s "Something’s On My Mind", which Ross later recorded for her self-titled debut album. When Diana Ross left the Supremes in early 1970, Motown boss Berry Gordy considered replacing her with Syreeta, but offered the place in the group to Jean Terrell. According to several sources, Gordy then changed his mind and tried to replace Terrell with Syreeta, but this was vetoed by Supreme Mary Wilson.Wilson, Mary (2000). Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith, Updated Edition: My Life as a Supreme. New York: Cooper Square Press. ISBN 0-8154-1000-X

Wright also sang background on records by the Supremes and by Martha and the Vandellas, notably singing the chorus to the group’s modest hit single, "I Can’t Dance to That Music You’re Playing". Wright met labelmate Stevie Wonder in 1968, and the two began dating the following year. On the advice of Wonder, Wright became a songwriter. Their first collaboration, "It’s a Shame", was recorded by The Spinners, in 1969. Motown withheld its release until July 1970. The song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wright also began singing background for Wonder, most notably on the hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)", which Wright co-wrote with Wonder. In September 1970, after a year-long courtship, Wright, 24, and Wonder, 20, married in Detroit. The couple then wrote and arranged songs from Wonder’s Where I’m Coming From, which was released much to Berry Gordy’s chagrin in the spring of 1971. The Wonder-Wright composition "If You Really Love Me" (which also featured Wright prominently singing background vocals) reached number 8 in the US that year. In 1971, following Wonder’s exit from Motown, the couple relocated to New York where Wonder worked on two independent albums.

Solo career

Wonder returned to Motown in 1972 after being promised creative control for his recordings, allowing Wonder to set up a company called Black Bull Productions. Wonder and Wright came with songs for Wonder’s next album, Music of My Mind. Following a tour opening for The Rolling Stones in the summer of 1972, Wonder issued his follow-up, Talking Book, which turned out to be Wonder’s breakthrough album. In between the albums, Wright decided to return to her own singing career. Motown reassigned the singer from Motown’s Gordy imprint, where "I Can’t Give Back the Love I Feel for You" was released, to Motown’s L.A.-based MoWest subsidiary. Wonder and Wright had marriage troubles and divorced in the summer of 1972, ending their 18-month marriage. Following their divorce, Wonder oversaw the production of Wright’s first solo album, Syreeta, which included Wright’s take of Wonder’s "I Love Every Little Thing About You" from Music of My Mind, the Smokey Robinson classic "What Love Has Joined Together", and The Beatles’ "She’s Leaving Home", which featured both Wonder and Wright applying background vocals via the talk box. MoWest issued "I Love Every Little Thing About You" in the late winter of 1972, but it failed to chart. Material from Syreeta and Wonder’s Talking Book were deemed autobiographical due to the rise and fall of the ex-couple’s marriage. Remaining best friends, Wright would continue to provide background vocals and compositions with Wonder for the next two decades.