Biography
Vanessa Farley, a Camden, New Jersey native, pursues a career as a soul and gospel vocalist while maintaining ties to the late R&B great Phyllis Hyman as her cousin. Public schools in her hometown provided her education, and she remains deeply engaged in local artistic circles, church activities, and neighborhood initiatives. In addition to those commitments, she works as an electrical engineer and balances the roles of wife and mother to four children. From early childhood, music held her complete attention, as she absorbed eight-track recordings by the Spinners, the Stylistics, Blue Magic, Al Green, and the Delfonics; her vocal timbre closely mirrors that of her celebrated relative. Under Hyman’s guidance she took up singing, dancing, and acting, later assuming lead parts in multiple Camden musical theater productions. For ten years she served as member and principal singer in the Camden County Community Gospel Choir, directed by J. Teddy Johnson, Jr. It was during this span that she met and wed musician William Y. Farley, Jr.; the couple has since sustained a partnership performing in gospel concerts, stage plays, studio sessions, and tributes honoring Hyman. She has contributed lead and backing vocals to numerous recordings, among them a period spent with the female contemporary gospel group NUDAUN, which operated under Yergy Music & Productions. She has also appeared alongside former members of Hyman’s band, Terry Burrus, Ron Richardson, and Kyle Hicks. In late 2016 she collaborated with producer and arranger Butch Ingram on a collection of classic soul covers and original compositions written by Ingram. The resulting album, One Last Memory, appeared on Society Hill Music via Essential Media Group.
Albums