Jody Watley Biography

The American singer and songwriter Jody Watley was born in 1959 in Chicago, Illinois. Young Jody grew up in an environment which fostered her musical talents; her godfather was none other than Jackie Wilson, who encouraged the young Jody to sing when she was only a child. Her first appearance in performance was at his side, at the age of eight, and by the time she was a teenager, she’d begun appearing on the TV dance show Soul Train.

Watley was selected to join the R&B group Shalamar in 1977, and she remained with the group until 1983. Shalamar scored a number of hits in the late 70’s and early 80’s, including the songs “Second Time Around” and “A Night to Remember.” After leaving Shalamar, Jody Watley moved to England, where she pursued a number of other projects before returning to the United States as a recording artist with MCA Records.

Watley’s self-titled debut album arrived in 1987 and was an instant hit, in part due to the strength of the single “Looking for a New Love,” which rose into the top ten on the mainstream charts and the number one spot on the R&B charts. The album also spawned the hits “Still a Thrill,” “Don’t You Want Me,” “Some Kind of Lover,” and “Most of All.” Ultimately, the album earned Jody Watley a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1988, in addition to multiple Soul Train Awards and MTV Video Music Award nominations.

Since that time, Jody Watley has released the albums: Affairs of the Heart (1991), Intimacy (1993), Affection (1995), Flower (1998), The Saturday Night Experience (1999), Midnight Lounge (2001), and The Makeover (2006.) Additional hit singles include: “Real Love,” “Friends,” “Everything,” and “I’m the One You Need.” Although she hasn’t released a new album in almost a decade, Jody Watley has not faded from the scene; she recently released the single “Nightlife” in 2013, which rose to the top of the dance charts internationally.