Shirley Murdock

Singer/songwriter Shirley Murdock first gained wide recognition through the atmospheric ballad “As We Lay,” a track shaped in the studio by Roger Troutman. Raised in Toledo, she began her musical journey performing gospel locally before Troutman recruited her to supply backing vocals for his family’s band Zapp, whose string of Warner Brothers and Reprise successes opened further doors. Capitalizing on that momentum, Troutman invited her, alongside Ohio Players frontman Sugarfoot and additional vocalists, to lay down material at his Dayton facility, Troutman Sound Labs.

Her initial appearance on the charts arrived in early 1985 with the Warner Brothers single “Girl, Cut It Out,” credited to Roger Featuring Shirley Murdock and peaking at number 79 on the R&B list. Elektra Records then released her as a solo act with the energetic single “No More,” which climbed to number 24 R&B in the first months of 1986. Later that year came her defining release, “As We Lay,” co-written by Zapp’s Larry Troutman and Ohio Players keyboardist Billy Beck; the introspective ballad reached the R&B Top Ten while crossing over to number 23 on the pop side. The accompanying album Shirley Murdock earned gold certification, buoyed by subsequent singles “Go on Without You” and “Be Free.” Two further collections followed: A Woman’s Point of View in 1988 and Let There Be Love in 1991. In the opening months of 2000 she joined the cast of the inspirational stage production Be Careful What You Pray For, touring alongside Cuba Gooding and David Peaston.