Patrice Rushen

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Patrice Rushen
Patrice Rushen 2010 (cropped).jpg
Rushen performing in 2010
Background information
Birth namePatrice Louise Rushen
Born (1954-09-30) September 30, 1954 (age 69) [1]
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • composer
  • record producer
  • music director
  • educator
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • keyboards
  • flute
  • clarinet
  • percussion
Years active1957–present
Labels
Formerly of
Website Official website

Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer. [2] She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.

Contents

Her 1982 single "Forget Me Nots" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The instrumental "Number One" from her album Straight from the Heart earned an additional Grammy nomination for best instrumental. Her 12th album Signature also received a Grammy nomination for best instrumental in 1998. [3]

Rushen also serves as an ambassador for artistry in education at the Berklee College of Music and the chair of the popular music program at the USC Thornton School of Music. [4] [5]

Biography

Rushen is the elder of two daughters born to Allen and Ruth Rushen (former Director of California Department of Corrections). [1] Patrice was three years old when she began playing the piano, and by the time she was six, she was giving classical recitals. [6] In her teens, she attended Locke High School and later earned a degree in music from the University of Southern California. [7]

After winning a competition at the age of 17 that enabled her to perform with her band at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Rushen signed with the Prestige label, releasing three albums with them – Prelusion (1974), Before the Dawn (1975), and Shout It Out (1977). [6] [8] In 1978, when she was 23, she began recording with Elektra. [6]

Rushen married Marc St. Louis, a concert tour manager and live show production specialist, [9] in 1986. [10] They have one son, Cameron and one daughter named Jadyn. [10] [11] The name of her publishing company, Baby fingers Inc., is pulled from her nickname Babyfingers for her tiny hands. In 2005, Rushen received an honorary doctorate of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. She is the chair of popular music at USC and the ambassador of artistry in Education at the Berklee College of Music. [12] She has served as the film composer for numerous movies, television shows and documentaries. She has been a member of jazz fusion band CAB, The Meeting (GRP Records) with Ndugu Chancler, Alphonso Johnson and Ernie Watts. [13] Rushen is also a music director, having worked on various television events as well as Janet Jackson's world tour 'Janet'.

Her song "Hang It Up" was featured on the 2005 video game Fahrenheit . [14]

Cultural impact

Rushen's songs are sampled often in other artists' music. The chorus from "Forget Me Nots" was used as the music for the 1997 song "Men in Black". Rushen was credited as writer and composer, along with Will Smith and Terri McFadden. The same chorus can be heard in George Michael's song "Fastlove". "Forget Me Nots" previously found its way into the trampolining scene in the film Big. Her song "Haven't You Heard" was sampled in Kirk Franklin's Looking For You from the Norbit soundtrack. In 2021 her song "Forget Me Nots" was used in a dance challenge on TikTok. [15]

Rushen was the first woman to serve as music director for the 46th, 47th, and 48th Grammy Awards. She was the only woman music director/conductor/arranger for a late-night show titled The Midnight Hour, which aired on CBS in 1990.

Awards

Grammy awards

Rushen has received three Grammy nominations. [3]

YearCategoryNominated workResult
1983 Best R&B Instrumental Performance "Number One"Nominated
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female "Forget Me Nots"Nominated
1998 Best Contemporary Jazz Performance "Signature"Nominated

Other awards

Discography

Solo albums

YearAlbumChart positions
US Pop
[17]
US R&B
[18]
US Jazz
[19]
US Tra. Jazz
[20]
AUS
[21]
UK
[22]
1974 Prelusion
1975 Before the Dawn 4814
1977 Shout It Out 16416
1978 Patrice 98275
1979 Pizzazz 39112
1980 Posh 7123
1982 Straight from the Heart 1447424
1984 Now 407773
1987 Watch Out! 7719
1994 Anything but Ordinary
1997 Signature 11
2000Jazz Straight Up
2006Standards
2016A Place In Time
"—" denotes the album failed to chart

Compilations and collections

YearAlbumChart positions
US Pop
[17]
US R&B
[18]
US Jazz
[19]
AUS
[21]
UK
[22]
1980 Let There Be Funk: The Best of Patrice Rushen 42
1985Anthology of Patrice Rushen
1996Forget Me Nots and Remind Me (Japan)
Haven't You Heard – The Best of Patrice Rushen
2002The Essentials: Patrice Rushen (US)
2003Forget Me Nots & Other Hits (US)
2013Patrice + Pizzazz + Posh (UK)
2013Straight from the Heart + Now (UK)
2019Remind Me (The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978–1984) (UK)
2022Feels So Real (The Complete Elektra Recordings 1978–1984) (UK)
"—" denotes the album failed to chart

Singles

YearTitleChart positions Certifications
US Hot 100
[23]
US R&B
[23]
US Dance
[23]
UK
[24] [22]
1975"Kickin' Back"
1977"Let Your Heart Be Free"
"The Hump"
1978"Changes in Your Life"
1979"Hang It Up"16
"When I Found You"87
1980"Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up"
"Haven't You Heard"427562
"Let the Music Take Me"50
"Look Up"102132
"Don't Blame Me"
1981"Never Gonna Give You Up (Won't Let You Be)"30266
1982"Forget Me Nots"23428
"Breakout!"46
"I Was Tired of Being Alone"7939
"Number One"
1984"Get Off (You Fascinate Me)"2640
"Feels So Real (Won't Let Go)"7831051
1987"Watch Out"92278
"Anything Can Happen"51
"Come Back to Me"6537
1994"I Do"
2004"Forget Me Nots / Number One"90
"—" denotes the single failed to chart

Appearances

With CAB

With Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter

WithThe Meeting

With Kenny Burrell

With Herbie Hancock

With Eddie Henderson

With Sadao Watanabe

With Jean-Luc Ponty

With Letizia Gambi

With Wallace Roney

With Cindy Blackman

Filmography

Musical directing

Television awards and specials

Television series and miniseries

Albums

Notes

  1. For unknown episodes.

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Sources