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Felicia Michele Collins (born April 10, 1964 in Jackson, Tennessee) is an American vocalist, guitarist and occasional percussionist. She is best known for her work on the CBS television program Late Show with David Letterman , as part of the CBS Orchestra.
Collins was "born in Jackson, Tennessee and brought home to The Bronx (New York) two months later". [1]
Collins spent time as a young girl in Albany, NY, living with her mother in the Arbor Hill district in downtown Albany, where she bought her first guitar. [2]
While enrolled in school as a graphic design major in the 1980s, Collins began playing with local musicians in New York City. When playing with a band called The Take, she met and became friends with producer and artist Nile Rodgers. He offered her studio work on various projects. The Thompson Twins invited Collins to play guitar on their world tour in 1985. Collins made her live debut with the band that summer at Live Aid.
Soon after, Collins toured with Al Jarreau, after being featured on his L is for Lover album (1986), on a song called "Pleasure." She quickly found herself an integral part of the Jarreau set. While she was still on tour with Jarreau, Nile Rodgers suggested that she record an album with him and Philippe Saisse, in a trio called Outloud. An album of the same name was released in 1988 on the Warner Bros. label.
As Collins was completing work on Cyndi Lauper's Hat Full of Stars tour in 1993, Paul Shaffer asked that she join the house band for David Letterman's program, which was in the process of moving from NBC to CBS. She accepted and performed with the CBS Orchestra for the entire duration of Letterman's tenure as host of Late Show. [3] [4]
Collins has toured and recorded with artists such as Madonna, Vonda Shepard, George Clinton, Thompson Twins and P-Funk. [5]
Collins originated and leads the New York City band Felicia Collins & the Life, formerly known as Bitchslapp. [6]
Collins musical influences range from Stevie Wonder, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, Mandrill, Larry LeVan, Jef Lee Johnson, KRS-One, The Roots, Luminous Flux. [1]
Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. is an American musician, composer, guitarist, and record producer. The co-founder of Chic, he has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide.
Anthony Terrence Thompson was an American session drummer best known as the drummer of the Power Station and a member of Chic.
Bernard Edwards was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the 53rd greatest bassist of all time by Bass Player magazine.
Chester Thompson is an American drummer best known for his tenures with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, Weather Report, Santana, Genesis and Phil Collins. Thompson has performed with his jazz group, the Chester Thompson Trio, since 2011.
Sara Lee is an English-American bassist and singer-songwriter, who came to prominence when replacing Dave Allen on bass guitar in the post-punk band Gang of Four, of which she was a member from 1982 to 1984. She was also a member of Robert Fripp's short-lived band The League of Gentlemen and is also notable for work with the B-52s, Ani DiFranco, and Indigo Girls. As of October 2021, Lee rejoined Gang of Four with founding members Hugo Burnham and Jon King as well as David Pajo, to tour in 2022.
KooKoo is the debut solo album by American singer Debbie Harry, released on July 27, 1981, by Chrysalis Records. Produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, the album was recorded whilst Harry took a break from her band Blondie. It was a moderate commercial success, reaching number 25 on the US Billboard 200 and number six on the UK Albums Chart.
Jennifer Batten is an American guitarist who has worked as a session musician and solo artist. From 1987 to 1997, she played on all three of Michael Jackson's world tours, and from 1999 to 2001, she toured and recorded with Jeff Beck.
Anton Fig is a South African session drummer, perhaps best known as the drummer and second-in-command for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. David Letterman, for whom the band served as house band on his late-night talk shows, often referred to Fig as "Anton Zip" or "Buddy Rich Jr." Fig is also well known for his work with Kiss, Ace Frehley and Joe Bonamassa.
Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band is an American musical ensemble led by Paul Shaffer. It was David Letterman's house band for 33 years.
Alannah Joy Currie is a New Zealand artist based in London. She is a musician and activist, best known as a former member of the pop band Thompson Twins.
Tessa Margaret Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of contemporary artists. She began her professional singing career in 1979.
Oliver Thompson is an English guitar player, songwriter and singer. He has toured with Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry since 2005, playing with guitarists including Phil Manzanera, Chris Spedding and Johnny Marr. He has played on Ferry's solo tours, festival dates and recording projects since he began working with him at age 17.
Philippe Saisse is a French jazz musician, composer, record producer, and arranger.
Here's to Future Days is the fifth studio album by the British pop group Thompson Twins, released on 20 September 1985 by Arista Records. It was the third and final release for the band as a trio, which was their most successful and recognisable line-up. It peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 20 on the US Billboard 200.
Chic, currently called Nile Rodgers & Chic, is an American disco band that was formed in 1972 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It recorded many commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " (1977), "Everybody Dance" (1977), "Le Freak" (1978), "I Want Your Love" (1978), "Good Times" (1979), and "My Forbidden Lover" (1979). The group regarded themselves as a rock band for the disco movement "that made good on hippie peace, love and freedom". In 2017, Chic was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the eleventh time.
Elizabeth Cook is an American country music singer and radio host. She has made over 400 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry since her debut on March 17, 2000, despite not being a member. Cook, "the daughter of a hillbilly singer married to a moonshiner who played his upright bass while in a prison band", was "virtually unknown to the pop masses" before she made a debut appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in June 2012. The New York Times called her "a sharp and surprising country singer" and an "idiosyncratic traditionalist".
Michael Thompson is an American guitarist and songwriter.
L Is for Lover is the eighth studio album by American R&B singer Al Jarreau, released on September 8, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records. It peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart, No. 9 on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart, and No. 17 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Kiki Ebsen is a singer/songwriter/keyboard player from Southern California. She has performed and toured nationally and internationally with many award-winning musicians, including Boz Scaggs, Al Jarreau, Christopher Cross, and Tracy Chapman. From 1987 to 2021, she released one single and eight full length solo CDs, issuing her sixth CD, Scarecrow Sessions on September 30, 2014. The result of a successful Kickstarter project, the Scarecrow Sessions album is a collection of jazz standards, a tribute to her father, Buddy Ebsen's, life and career. Today, Ebsen divides her time among writing, recording and performing music, and works with rescued horses, developing educational programs with her California nonprofit organization, The Healing Equine Ranch.
Alfonso "Fonzi" Thornton is an American vocalist, songwriter, producer and vocal contractor. In a career spanning 40 years, Thornton has sung backing vocals for top artists across many genres of music. His vocal credits can be found on the recordings of Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Mick Jagger, Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music, Chic, Diana Ross, Garth Brooks, Ray Charles, Mariah Carey, Steely Dan, David Bowie, Robert Palmer, Patti LaBelle, Al Jarreau, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Phoebe Snow, Scritti Politti, Bette Midler, Lady Gaga and many others. In 2008, Thornton joined the musical entourage of Aretha Franklin as backing vocalist and vocal contractor and continued to accompany her in concert, on recordings and TV until her death in 2018.
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