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Deniece "Niecy" Williams (born June
3, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the
1970s and 1980s. Williams, whose music has been influenced by pop, soul, gospel, R&B and dance, is known for her hits such as "Let's
Hear It for the Boy," "It's Gonna Take a Miracle", and for her many vocal
duets with Johnny
Mathis.
Born June Deniece Chandler in 1950 (some sources list her birth year
as 1951) in Gary, Indiana, Williams' career began in the 1970s when she
became a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder as part of "Wonderlove", along with
Minnie Riperton. She
left Wonder in 1975 and teamed up with producer Maurice White, who was the leader of Earth, Wind
& Fire. After signing to Columbia Records, her 1976 debut album
entitled This Is Niecy was released. The single "Free" reached #2 on the
Black Singles chart, #25
on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the British Singles chart. The album also
featured "Cause You Love Me Baby" (which charted separately on the R&B chart
as the flip side of "Free") and "That's What Friends Are For". She also shared a
#1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with pop singer Johnny Mathis in 1978 with
the duet "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". The duet also topped the Black
Singles and Adult Contemporary charts. Williams also topped the dance charts
with her disco single "I've Got The Next Dance".
Williams moved on to the American
Recording Company (ARC) in the early 1980s where she scored the top ten
R&B smash hit "Silly." in 1981. The following year, famed producer Thom Bell helped Williams score
another #1 R&B chart-topper with her remake of The Royalettes' "It's Gonna Take a Miracle,"
which became a Top 10 pop hit as well. In 1984, Williams released the album
Let's Hear It for the Boy, in which the title track reached #1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 and was featured on the soundtrack to the motion picture, Footloose.
Williams continued releasing albums during the 1980s such as Hot On The
Trail (1986), Water Under The Bridge (1987), and As Good As It
Gets (1988), which featured her last Top Ten hit to date, "I Can't Wait",
written by Skylark. However, in part due to a lack of promotion from her record
company, her mainstream popularity faded.
Since 1996, Williams has presented her own BBC radio show in the
UK, showcasing the
best in new gospel and inspirational
music.
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