Debra Laws

Debra Laws, sibling to flutist Hubert Laws, saxophonist Ronnie Laws, and vocalist Eloise Laws, lent her voice to an array of landmark sessions across jazz, funk, and R&B. Early appearances on her brothers’ projects preceded further contributions to Richard Roundtree’s The Man from Shaft and Aquarian Dream’s Fantasy. She then joined Elektra and issued the 1981 album Very Special, helmed by Hubert and Ronnie. The set climbed to number 13 on Billboard’s R&B chart, propelled by three charting singles anchored by the title track. A quiet-storm staple, that song later supplied samples for recordings by Big Daddy Kane, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez, and K. Michelle, among others. Although she maintained an active career, Laws waited until 1993 to release her next album, Moments, on Japan’s Polystar imprint. Her résumé encompasses performances in premier concert venues and at major international jazz festivals, plus session work with Jeffrey Osborne, Betty Wright, and Stevie Wonder. She has also taken acting roles on Broadway and in additional stage and television productions, and her film appearances include Crossroads and Jailbird Rock.