Miki Howard

She is the daughter of gospel singers Josephine Howard (1937–1978) of The Caravans and Clay Graham (1936–2018) of The Pilgrim Jubilees.

Howard's mother took her to the homes of various stars such as Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples.

At the age of nine, Howard and her family moved to Los Angeles where Howard's mother sang in a choir led by Caravans member and arranger James Cleveland.

Among those who visited Howard's Los Angeles residence were Albertina Walker, Shirley Caesar, Billy Preston and Fats Domino.

Howard was also influenced by jazz greats, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson.

As a teenager, she often visited Maverick's Flat, a popular night club in Los Angeles and a venue for music acts such as Rufus and Chaka Khan and Earth, Wind & Fire, who were influential in her pursuit of a professional singing career.

At the age of 16, she performed in a teen pageant.

After the show, she met singer Augie Johnson, leader and member of R&B group Side Effect, who happened to be in the audience and began working with Howard on music.

Johnson charmed Howard and later chose her as the vocalist for the group.

By the fall, the follow-up single was a cover version of Glenn Miller's 1940's tune "Imagination", peaked to number 13 on the R&B Singles and would become Howard's first video.

Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard (born September 30, 1960) is an American R&B singer who had a string of top 10 hit songs in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, including "Baby, Be Mine" (1987), "Come Share My Love" (1986) and "Love Under New Management" (1990).

After a period of time, Howard became a Side Effect member in 1979—replacing the departure of Sylvia St. James.

Howard's tenure with the group lasted a few years.

With Miki as new female vocalist, Side Effect's After the Rain was released in 1980.

The album did not do well on the charts as well as the next two Elektra albums Portraits and All Aboard.

As a member of Side Effect, the group's best remembered "I Can't Play" and a cover of Toto's "Georgy Porgy" were minor R&B hits in 1983/84.

During this time, she also had one child by Johnson.

In addition to singing with Side Effect, she did background vocals for Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, Stanley Turrentine, and several other artists.

By 1985, Howard decided she was ready to begin a solo career, and left the group.

She put together a demo that landed her a recording contract with Atlantic Records.

Howard begin recording songs for her debut album, Come Share My Love released in 1986.

The album was produced by LeMel Humes, would peak to number 19 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums.

The first single, "Come Share My Love" would become her first U.S. hit single.

The song peaked to number five on the Billboard R&B Singles chart.

With two hit singles from the album, she embarked on her first concert tour in 1987, opening for funk band Cameo.

The final single, "Come Back to Me Lover" was released charting to number 33, on the R&B singles chart.

In November 1987, Howard released her second album, Love Confessions.

LeMel Humes produced several tracks and became a close friend, working with Howard on future albums throughout her career.

Her success continued with two more Top 10 R&B singles from the album, Nick Martinelli produced, soul ballad "Baby, Be Mine" climbed to number five on the R&B Singles chart.

The second single "That's What Love Is", a duet with hit-making R&B crooner Gerald Levert (lead singer of R&B group Levert), peaked to number five on the R&B Singles chart.

Levert produced the duet and final single "Crazy", which peaked at number 38 on the R&B singles.

Howard and Gerald's group LeVert, embarked on a U.S. tour in support of their album's. The pair was also romantically involved and that romance would spawn one of Howard's biggest hits from her third album.

On March 30, 1988, Howard won a Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist.

In November 1989, Howard released her third album, the self-titled Miki Howard, which would become her final album on Atlantic.

Following the release, the album became a hit, charting at number four on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.

The album would become Howard's most successful to date.

During recording, Howard and Gerald Levert's romantic relationship, spawned the song's "I'll Be Your Shoulder", "Mister" and "Just The Way You Want Me To"; written-produced by Levert.

Howard secured her first chart-topper, the first single, "Ain't Nuthin' in the World", peaked at number-one on the R&B Singles.

"Ain't Nobody Like You" (1992) and "Ain't Nuthin' in the World" (1989) both peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B Singles chart.

Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois.