Shirley Murdock | |
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Birth name | Shirley Murdock |
Born | Toledo, Ohio, U.S. [1] | May 22, 1957
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) |
|
Years active | 1986–present |
Labels | Elektra Records Dexterity Sounds/EMI Gospel Tyscot Records |
Shirley Murdock (born May 22, 1957) [1] is an American R&B singer-songwriter, who is best known for her 1986 R&B hit single "As We Lay" and for her vocals on Zapp and Roger's hit single "Computer Love". [2] Her lead vocal special guest appearance with Smooth Jazz artist Ben Tankard, climbed to #1 Gospel and #20 on Billboard Top 200 on WOW Gospel 2006 and is certified Gold. Their collaboration of the Lionel Richie song "Jesus Is Love" is one of the most played songs on Sirius XM Radio gospel channel for eight years since its initial release.
Murdock started out singing gospel music in her native Toledo. [2] Singer/musician Roger Troutman hired Murdock as a backing vocalist for his family's band Zapp, which had several hits on Warner Bros. (and its Reprise Records imprint). [2] Based on this success, Troutman began recording tracks with Murdock and lead singer Sugarfoot of the Ohio Players, among others, at his Dayton-based recording studio, Troutman Sound Labs. [2] Murdock and Troutman's first charted single was a Warner Bros. single issued as Roger (featuring Shirley Murdock), "Girl, Cut It Out", which charted at number 79 R&B in early 1985. [3]
Murdock signed with Elektra Records and released "No More", written by Shirley Murdock and Gregory Jackson (Cincinnati, Ohio funk keyboardist and member of Zapp), which made it to number 24 R&B in early 1986. [4] Then came her signature hit, "As We Lay", written by Zapp's Larry Troutman and keyboardist Billy Beck (of the Ohio Players). The tender, melancholy ballad made it to the R&B Top Ten in 1986 and peaked at number 23 pop and number 21 on the adult contemporary chart in early 1987. [4] Her debut album was certified gold, also helped along by the follow-up hits "Go on Without You" and "Be Free." She also released albums in 1988 (A Woman's Point of View) and 1991 ( Let There Be Love! ). In early 2000, Murdock toured in the inspirational/gospel play Be Careful What You Pray For with Cuba Gooding, Sr. and David Peaston. [1]
Murdock released Home, her gospel-music debut album, in 2002 on T.D. Jakes' Dexterity Sounds record label. She made her acting debut in the movie Sweating in the Spirit. Most recently, Murdock has signed with Tyscot Records and released her most recent album in March 2007. [5]
In 2009, Murdock collaborated with Teena Marie on the song "Soldier", from Marie's album Congo Square . [6] She also appeared in the 2009 stage play A Mother's Prayer, with Johnny Gill, Robin Givens, and Jermaine Crawford. She also appeared in "A Mother's Love" a stage play produced by Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker in 2014.
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B | US Gos | ||||||||||||
1986 | Shirley Murdock!
| 44 | 9 | — | ||||||||||
1988 | A Woman's Point of View
| 137 | 19 | — | ||||||||||
1991 | Let There Be Love!
| — | 22 | — | ||||||||||
2002 | Home
| — | — | 9 | ||||||||||
2007 | Soulfood
| — | 71 | 7 | ||||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Year | Album details | Peak |
---|---|---|
US Gos | ||
2011 | Live: The Journey
| 24 |
Year | Album details |
---|---|
2001 | The Very Best of Shirley Murdock |
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [4] | US R&B [4] | US A/C [4] | US Dan [4] | US Gos | UK [9] | |||||||||
1986 | "No More" | — | 24 | — | 27 | — | — | Shirley Murdock! | ||||||
"Truth or Dare" | — | — | — | — | — | 60 | ||||||||
"As We Lay" | 23 | 5 | 21 | — | — | — | ||||||||
1987 | "Go on Without You" | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
"Be Free" | — | 86 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
1988 | "Husband" | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | A Woman's Point of View | ||||||
"Oh What a Feeling" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
"Found My Way" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
1991 | "In Your Eyes" | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | Let There Be Love! | ||||||
"Stay with Me Tonight" | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
1992 | "Let There Be Love!" | — | 89 | — | 47 | — | — | |||||||
2007 | "I Love Me Better Than That" | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | Soulfood | ||||||
2011 | "Dream" | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | Live: The Journey | ||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Mary Christine Brockert, known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the stage name Teena Marie and later acquired the nickname Lady T, given to her by her collaborator and friend Rick James.
Roger Troutman was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and the founder of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the funk movement and influenced West Coast hip hop due to the scene's heavy sampling of his music.
"California Love" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring fellow American rapper-producer Dr. Dre and American singer Roger Troutman of the funk group Zapp. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist of Death Row Records. The original version is featured on the UK version of his fourth album, All Eyez on Me (1996), and is one of 2Pac's most widely known and most successful singles. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and also topped the charts of Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden. The song was posthumously nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.
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Zapp is an American funk band that emerged from Dayton, Ohio, United States, in 1977. Particularly influential in the electro subgenre of funk, Zapp were known for their trademark use of the talk-box effect. The original line-up consisted of four Troutman brothers—frontman Roger, Larry, Lester and Terry—first cousin, Sherman Fleetwood—and non-Troutman family members Bobby Glover, Gregory Jackson, Jerome Derrickson, Eddie Barber, Jannetta Boyce and Shirley Murdock. Zapp also worked closely with George Clinton and Bootsy Collins of Parliament-Funkadelic during its early stages, their support being a factor in the group gaining a record deal with Warner Bros. Records in 1979.
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Congo Square is the thirteenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Teena Marie. Released in the United States on June 9, 2009, it would be her only album for the revived Stax label and the final album released before her death in late December 2010.
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Bridging the Gap is the fourth and final solo studio album by American musician Roger Troutman. It was released on October 29, 1991, via Reprise Records. The production was handled by David Gamson and Troutman.
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"Slow and Easy" is a song performed by American rhythm and blues band Zapp, issued as the second and final single from their first greatest hits album All the Greatest Hits. It was written by Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman and Shirley Murdock; and was produced by Roger. The song is the band's highest chart appearance to date on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #43 in 1993.
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