René & Angela

Originating from Los Angeles, the soul duo René & Angela first came together in 1977. Prior to that union, René Moore—brother of Rufus bassist Bobby Watson—had performed alongside the Brothers Johnson, while Angela Winbush contributed backing vocals to recordings by Dolly Parton, Lenny Williams, and Jean Carn. Their debut R&B single on Capitol Records arrived in 1980, followed by seven additional chart entries across the ensuing three years. Teaming with Watson, the pair also supplied songs and production for Rufus & Chaka Khan, Janet Jackson, and Plush. Signing with Mercury in 1985, they scored an immediate number-one R&B smash with “Save Your Love (For #1),” the opening single from their album Street Called Desire. During the following twelve months the act placed three further singles inside the R&B Top Ten, among them the chart-topping “Your Smile” and the runner-up “You Don’t Have to Cry,” before each member embarked on an individual path. Moore issued a solo album in 1988 and co-authored Michael Jackson’s “Jam,” whereas Winbush sustained greater commercial momentum from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. She likewise wrote and produced for Ronald Isley, the Isley Brothers, Stephanie Mills, and Lalah Hathaway, and was briefly married to Isley.