External links
  | This article about a United States singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Sheila Horne (also known professionally as Sheila Brody, Blackwood, and Amuka) is an American singer and songwriter best known for her work as a member of the Brides of Funkenstein, Parliament-Funkadelic, and for her solo career in dance and house music. [1]
Sheila Horne was born in Syracuse, New York. [1] She began singing as a teenager and moved to Detroit, where she connected with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective in the late 1970s. [2]
In 1978, Horne joined the P-Funk universe as a backing vocalist, initially performing as a “Bridesmaid” for the Brides of Funkenstein, an all-female group formed by George Clinton. [1] After founding member Lynn Mabry left the group, Horne became a full member alongside Dawn Silva and Jeanette McGruder. [1]
She sang co-lead vocals on the Brides’ second album, Never Buy Texas from a Cowboy, which has since been acclaimed as one of the strongest P-Funk spin-off records. [3] One single from the album led by Horne, "Didn't Mean To Fall in Love", won a rhythm and blues award for "Best New Female Group" in 1981. The group won a Cashbox Rhythm & Blues award for Best New Female Artist in 1979. [1] Horne toured extensively with the Brides and Parliament-Funkadelic during this period. [1]
Following her time with the Brides, Horne continued recording with George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. She contributed backing vocals to Parliament’s hit single Atomic Dog. [4]
In 1981, she joined Rick James’ band as an original member of his Mary Jane Girls touring ensemble. [1] She performed backup vocals on James’ Street Songs tour but left the group after a dispute and later won a legal case against James. [1]
During the mid-1980s, Horne, credited under her married name Sheila Washington, co-wrote several songs with George Clinton. She co-wrote Do Fries Go with That Shake? from Clinton’s album R&B Skeletons in the Closet. [5] She also contributed to the Federation of Tackheads project. [6]
She collaborated with the funk band Aurra alongside her then-husband Steve Washington, recording Satisfaction in the mid-1980s, which was released in 2013. [7]
In the 1980s and 1990s, Horne performed as a session and touring vocalist for various artists, including Cyndi Lauper [1] and Was (Not Was). [8] She also continued to appear with the P-Funk All-Stars. [2]
In the late 1990s, Horne reinvented herself under the alias Blackwood and found success in the European dance scene. [9] She fronted the Italian dance-pop project Blackwood and released the album Friday Night in 1998. [10] The single "Peace" reached number one on the Italian pop charts. [11]
She also recorded the song "Everything Changes" for the 1999 Pokémon 2.B.A. Master soundtrack, credited as Sheila Brody. [12]
In the early 2000s, Horne launched her solo dance career as Amuka, collaborating with DJ Peter Rauhofer. [11] She released the single "Appreciate Me" in 2003, which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart [13] and appeared on the Queer As Folk: Club Babylon soundtrack. [14]
Her follow-up single, "U Ain’t That Good," reached number three on the same chart in 2004. [15] Amuka scored a number one Billboard dance hit with "I Want More (Cling On to Me)" in 2006 and continued to release dance singles that charted in the Top 10. [16]
Horne contributed vocals to Public Enemy’s albums The Evil Empire of Everything (2012) and Man Plans God Laughs (2015). [17] [18] She has also released music under her own name and with the dance collective Discomind. [19]
She has stated she is working on a memoir titled Dancing in Heels which will cover her multi-genre career. [1]
| | This article about a United States singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |