Tamia

A Canadian-born vocalist steeped in soul and R&B, Tamia entered the industry as a teenager by contributing “You Put a Move on My Heart” to Quincy Jones’s 1994 album Q’s Jook Joint. That track earned a Grammy nomination and opened the door to her self-titled debut, issued in 1998. Subsequent Elektra releases—A Nu Day in 2000 and More in 2004—yielded additional successes, among them “Imagination,” “So Into You,” and “Stranger in My House,” which reached number three on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Dance Club Songs tally. In 2012 her album Beautiful Surprise brought fifth and sixth Grammy nominations.

Born Tamia Marilyn Washington in Windsor, Ontario, in 1975, she displayed an early passion for performance. Childhood acting and vocal lessons led to appearances with local choirs and theater productions; by 1993 she had collected the YTV Vocal Achievement Award and, the following year, the Steve Ross Music Scholarship presented at the American Academy of Achievement’s Annual Salute to Excellence. Also in 1994, at a gathering organized by her manager Brenda Richie to honor Luther Vandross, she was introduced to Quincy Jones, who quickly recognized her ability.

Before year’s end she recorded “You Put a Move on My Heart” for Q’s Jook Joint; the single became a Top Ten R&B hit and earned a Grammy nod for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Another album track, the Babyface duet “Slow Jams,” received a nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group. Tamia further appeared on the 1995 Set It Off soundtrack alongside Brandy, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan for “Missing You,” a recording likewise nominated for a Grammy and bringing her total to three nominations prior to any solo album.

These placements, together with NAACP Image Award and Soul Train Music Award nominations, positioned her as a sought-after artist. Between 1996 and 1997 she shaped her debut while taking a supporting role in Speed II: Cruise Control and recording “Make Tonight Beautiful” for its soundtrack. Released in April 1998, Tamia featured contributions from Jermaine Dupri, Keith Crouch, Tim Kelly and Bob Robinson, Stevie J., Mario Winans, and Quincy Jones; it reached number 18 on Billboard’s R&B chart. In 1999 she married basketball player Grant Hill and adopted the name Tamia Hill.

Signed to Elektra, she issued A Nu Day in 2000, working with Missy Elliott, Dallas Austin, and Shep Crawford. “Stranger in My House” became an unexpected Top Ten Hot 100 single, propelling the album into the R&B Top Ten. More (Elektra, 2004) and Between Friends (Image Entertainment, 2006) continued the pattern of Top Ten R&B entries. During this span Tamia received a multiple-sclerosis diagnosis and began treatment; she later entered remission yet maintains regular medical injections.

In 2012 she launched Beautiful Surprise on her Plus One imprint. Its title track earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song and secured a Def Jam contract. Love Life appeared in 2015, led by the single “Sandwich and a Soda,” a collaboration with Andrew “Pop” Wansel and Warren “Oak” Felder. Passion Like Fire, her seventh studio album, followed in 2018 and included production and songwriting input from Shep Crawford, Lil Ronnie, and Salaam Remi. The album’s “Leave It Smokin’” climbed to number two on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.