Angela Winbush Ready To Perform Again, Plans New CD

Winbush is ready to return to performing now that her health is restored.
Last year, fans learned that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in
December 2002. Winbush underwent six months of chemotherapy she describes
as "radical," losing her hair in the process. But she's in complete
remission today.
"I went through horrible changes, but I'm fine now," Winbush says. "When
people look at me, they say I don't look like I've ever been sick. I
didn't lose weight, and my skin didn't change. It was a horrible
experience, but the Lord walked me through it."

Winbush's latest CD was her 1994's self-titled effort, and she has mostly
worked on Isley Brothers CDs since then. But she plans to work on a CD of
her own later this year after lending her services to rapper/producer
KayGee's camp. Winbush says her music "will be contemporary, but with my
chord changes. It's gonna be me. It will be recognizable. It won't be
hip-hop. It'll be in my vein and of whoever came after me, the Jill Scotts
and the India.aries."

Recently Angela performed with The Isley Brothers at the Fox Theatre in
St. Louis which may have caused some eyebrows being raised.
Sure, Angela has performed with the Isley Brothers many times over the
years, but this time she was doing so as the ex-wife of singer Ron Isley,
aka Mr. Bigg.
Winbush says she has no problem dealing with the situation: "God gave me
the strength to roll on," says Winbush, who moved to Las Vegas after the
divorce. "This is straight business. We can work together still because we
always worked together."
It's likely Ron Isley just couldn't resist putting a triple-threat talent
such as Winbush - singer, producer, songwriter - back onstage.

After singing in Stevie Wonder's backing band in the late '70s, Winbush
hooked up with Rene Moore, and they became Rene & Angela, an Ashford &
Simpson-like pair specializing in strong, meaty ballads. Hits such as "My
First Love," "Your Smile" and "You Don't Have to Cry" came before a nasty
breakup that involved disputes over who contributed what.
"We split because he got so greedy," says Winbush. "God gave me those
songs at a particular time in life. They all had to do with something
happening to me, and they mean a lot to me. They're songs people like and
that've become classics, I'm told. And I had to fight for them and share
50 percent with a person who didn't write them. I had to do that to move
on. Everybody in the industry has a story like that."
Winbush spent years correcting the situation legally and learned from it.
"Watch who you get into business with," she says. "I was very gullible and
naive. I was straight out of school and the church, and had never dealt
with people in the industry. They'll use anybody and anything to get over.
That was my lesson."
After Rene & Angela ended, Winbush worked behind the boards at a time when
African-American female producers were nowhere to be found. She produced
such artists as Janet Jackson (her first album), Sheena Easton, Rufus &
Chaka Khan, Evelyn "Champagne" King and the Isley Brothers.
Winbush says it was difficult working as a producer then. "There were no
females controlling the budgets, putting the records together. Even when I
was producing the Isleys, I was given a lesser budget. I had to fight. It
was really something. It was tough. It's easier now for Missy (Elliott)
and other people. For me, it was absolutely no."
During this time, she also set her solo career in motion. "Rene told
everybody I didn't know how to do anything. I had to re-prove myself, as
usual. In this business, you have to re-prove and reinvent yourself all
the time. I don't take it personally."

She kicked off her solo career with the 1987 album "Sharp," which featured
the signature single "Angel." "That was my transition song from Rene &
Angela to Angela Winbush. I started growing up. By that point Ron and I
had already worked together and we started dating."
Winbush and Isley popped up on each other's albums, perhaps most notably
on "Hello Beloved," also from "Sharp." She wrote the song while working
with Wonder, though she didn't record it until almost a decade later.
"Since Ron and I were together at that point, he almost had a hard time
with the duet. But it wound up one of those special songs."
Another special song was "I've Learned to Respect (the Power of Love)"
from 1989's "The Real Thing." Winbush wrote the song as a teenager, and
she was told it would be her torch song one day. But Stephanie Mills
scored a huge hit with it first. "It started off being a gospel song, 'I
Learned to Respect the Power of God.' I don't know where the song came
from. It was the spirit. I was going through a lot, and the Lord gave it
to me."

It's bout time and long overdue for her album. She can sing her butt off. Recently, I read her artcile in Sister 2 Sister. She had ovarian cancer and beat with Chemo. I really admire her and can't wait to listen to her album.

BOUT DAMN TIME!!!

Thank you Harle!!!!

yep! thanks for the info

They just showed her performing "Angel" on The Apollo on TV One the other day. I'm glad she's coming back out....she did great work on past Isley Brothers albums as well.

Here's Angela's official board at Elektra
http://discussions.elektr...-a_winbush
Maybe she's still with the company since her site is still up!

Here's her most recent pic with Brent Carter (??)


A Lovely live shot of the diva!