Biography
Singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer Angela Winbush built an impressive résumé through her own chart-topping R&B single “Angel,” through the string of successes she scored as one half of the duo René & Angela—including the hits “Save Your Love (For #1)” and “Your Smile”—and through the material she supplied to Stephanie Mills and the Isley Brothers. Early in her career she collaborated with a circle of musicians that included Rufus bassist Bobby Watson, engineer and producer Bruce Swedien, and George Duke, in addition to her eventual partner Rene Moore.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Winbush sang gospel in her church choir and studied piano while still a child. She enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., as an architecture major with no thought of entering the music industry. To cover her expenses she began taking session work and put together a vocal trio that opened shows for Van McCoy and Al Jarreau; those experiences prompted her to switch her major to music education.
In 1977 she forwarded a demo tape to New York disc jockey Gary Byrd. Byrd played the tape for Stevie Wonder over the phone, and Wonder promptly contacted Winbush and asked her to come to Los Angeles. While performing in Wonder’s backup ensemble Wonderlove she absorbed the essentials of songwriting and production by observing his studio sessions. She met singer-songwriter Rene Moore in 1980 through Wonderlove vocalist Carolyn Dennis, and the two began composing together before launching the duo René & Angela. One of their early compositions, “Changes,” was recorded in 1978 by former Tower of Power frontman Lenny Williams. A mutual acquaintance introduced the pair to Capitol executive Dr. Cecil Hale, who signed them to the label; the resulting albums were Wall to Wall and Rise. Another of their songs, the ballad “I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love,” appeared on Alton McClain & Destiny’s self-titled 1978 Polydor release.
The duo moved to Mercury’s imprint in 1985. Their debut for the label, Street Called Desire, earned gold certification and spawned the R&B number-one singles “Save Your Love (For #1),” which included a guest rap by Kurtis Blow, and “Your Smile.” An earlier René & Angela composition resurfaced when Stephanie Mills included a passionate cover of “I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love” on the B-side of the 1985 single “Stand Back” from her album Stephanie Mills. Heavy radio airplay as an album track led to the track’s re-release as an A-side, where it held the top spot for two weeks during spring 1986.
Winbush stepped out as a solo artist by 1987 and landed her first production assignment on the Isley Brothers’ Smooth Sailing LP after lead singer Ronald Isley told Warner Bros. executive Benny Medina of his desire to work with the creators of “Your Smile.” The collaboration led to Isley becoming Winbush’s manager and later to their 1993 marriage, which eventually ended in divorce. Her third solo project, the self-titled album that reached the R&B Top 12, appeared in 1994; afterward she concentrated on behind-the-scenes work. In the early 2000s she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer yet ultimately prevailed. The TV One network spotlighted her achievements in a 2010 episode of its Unsung series.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Winbush sang gospel in her church choir and studied piano while still a child. She enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., as an architecture major with no thought of entering the music industry. To cover her expenses she began taking session work and put together a vocal trio that opened shows for Van McCoy and Al Jarreau; those experiences prompted her to switch her major to music education.
In 1977 she forwarded a demo tape to New York disc jockey Gary Byrd. Byrd played the tape for Stevie Wonder over the phone, and Wonder promptly contacted Winbush and asked her to come to Los Angeles. While performing in Wonder’s backup ensemble Wonderlove she absorbed the essentials of songwriting and production by observing his studio sessions. She met singer-songwriter Rene Moore in 1980 through Wonderlove vocalist Carolyn Dennis, and the two began composing together before launching the duo René & Angela. One of their early compositions, “Changes,” was recorded in 1978 by former Tower of Power frontman Lenny Williams. A mutual acquaintance introduced the pair to Capitol executive Dr. Cecil Hale, who signed them to the label; the resulting albums were Wall to Wall and Rise. Another of their songs, the ballad “I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love,” appeared on Alton McClain & Destiny’s self-titled 1978 Polydor release.
The duo moved to Mercury’s imprint in 1985. Their debut for the label, Street Called Desire, earned gold certification and spawned the R&B number-one singles “Save Your Love (For #1),” which included a guest rap by Kurtis Blow, and “Your Smile.” An earlier René & Angela composition resurfaced when Stephanie Mills included a passionate cover of “I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love” on the B-side of the 1985 single “Stand Back” from her album Stephanie Mills. Heavy radio airplay as an album track led to the track’s re-release as an A-side, where it held the top spot for two weeks during spring 1986.
Winbush stepped out as a solo artist by 1987 and landed her first production assignment on the Isley Brothers’ Smooth Sailing LP after lead singer Ronald Isley told Warner Bros. executive Benny Medina of his desire to work with the creators of “Your Smile.” The collaboration led to Isley becoming Winbush’s manager and later to their 1993 marriage, which eventually ended in divorce. Her third solo project, the self-titled album that reached the R&B Top 12, appeared in 1994; afterward she concentrated on behind-the-scenes work. In the early 2000s she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer yet ultimately prevailed. The TV One network spotlighted her achievements in a 2010 episode of its Unsung series.
Albums
Singles
