Lisa Lisa

Lisa Velez (born January 15, 1967),[1] better known by her stage name Lisa Lisa, is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in the 1980s as one-third of the band Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.

For the 1977 American film originally titled "Lisa, Lisa", see Axe (film).

Lisa Lisa
Lisa Lisa performs in 1987
Born
Lisa Velez

January 15, 1967 (1967-01-15) (age 54)
New York City
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actress
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1984–present
Labels
  • Pendulum
  • Mass Appeal
Associated actsLisa Lisa and Cult Jam

Early life

According to Spin magazine, Velez was born in 1967 in Hell's Kitchen in New York City as the youngest of ten to a religious mother, who supported the family by babysitting, and an absentee father. Of Puerto Rican descent, Velez learned to speak Spanish at home and English in school. She sang in her church choir, at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, along with her six sisters, and was an A student at Julia Richman High School in Manhattan. In school she was also part of a traveling singing group that sang Motown hits and songs from old Broadway musicals.[2]

Career

Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam was founded when Velez successfully auditioned for the Brooklyn production team Full Force. She met drummer Mike Hughes at Funhouse, a Manhattan underage club that she frequented to be discovered. She described the atmosphere as, "a young place, no liquor served in that place at all, so I kinda liked it. I used to dance a lot, but I was always aware of where I was turning, so I would watch and find out who's who, where's where." Hughes spotted her, finding her attractive and asked her to audition for the production team. She took the subway to a house in Brooklyn, her first trip to the borough, without her protective older brother, who was to later become her bodyguard.[2]

With Hughes and Alex "Spanador" Moseley, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam recorded their debut single, "I Wonder If I Take You Home," soon after forming in 1985, releasing it as an independent single. The group quickly signed to Columbia Records, which re-released the single, and it climbed into the R&B top ten in the US and the top 20 in the UK. The group amassed a number of hit songs throughout the 1980s.

Velez said of her moniker "I guess they had the type of idea like, okay, [the U.T.F.O. hit] 'Roxanne, Roxanne' worked, why not Lisa Lisa? I thought it was cute because I knew it would cause controversy, talk." About getting paid, Velez expressed "I don't think about the money. I'm not doing this for the money. I was pulling in 600 to 700 a week when I was working at Benetton, so it doesn't mean shit to me. I'm just doing this 'cause I want to sing."[2] By the end of the '80s, however, the group's success had begun to decline. Their fourth and final album, Straight Outta Hell's Kitchen, was less of a commercial success, though it did include a hit with "Let the Beat Hit 'Em," which reached the top 40 on the US pop chart and was a hit on both the R&B and club charts. The group disbanded in 1991, and Velez pursued both solo singing and acting careers, and Moseley and Hughes went on to do other projects.

Lisa Lisa released a solo album called LL77 in 1994,[3] which included the moderate club hit "When I Fell in Love" (which was remixed by Junior Vasquez) and the notable single "Skip to My Lu", which hit No. 38 on the R&B chart. She resurfaced circa 2001 on the Nickelodeon series Taina, in which she played the title character's mother. On June 24, 2008, Lisa Lisa presented an award at the BET Awards sparking interest that she may be plotting a comeback. In 2009, she released Life 'n Love, a full-length album of new material on Mass Appeal Entertainment featuring the single "Can't Wait" with guest rapper Pitbull. The album also features a cover version of the song "Stand" which was originally performed by Taylor Dayne on her 1998 album Naked without You. In March 2014, she appeared with Stevie B., TKA, Sa-Fire, and others at the eighth annual Forever Freestyle showcase at the Lehman College Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx.[4]

In June 2019 Lisa Lisa signed with Snoop Dogg's Army, part of the Snoop Dogg Entertainment Company. [5]

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details
LL77
  • Release: January 25, 1994
  • Formats: LP, CD
  • Label: Pendulum
Life 'n Love
  • Release: July 14, 2009
  • Formats: CD, digital download
  • Label: Mass Appeal

Singles
List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
[6]		 US
R&B
[6]		 US
Dance
[6]		 CA
[7]		 NL
[8]		 UK
[9]
"Skip to My Lu" 1993 10538—164234 LL77
"When I Fell in Love" 1994 —9628———
"Can't Wait"
(feat. Pitbull) 		2009 —————— Life 'n Love
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2001–02 Taina Gloria Elana Morales Main role
2003 Law & Order Lucy Mireles Episode: "Smoke"

Personal life

She bid against Michael Jackson for the remains of Joseph Merrick, saying she wanted the public to be able to access them.[2]

Velez married Antonimar Mello in 2005.[10]

References
  1. LLC, SPIN Media (January 1988). SPIN. SPIN Media LLC.
  2. Leland, John (January 1988). "Angel Heart: The Making of Lisa Lisa". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC.
  3. Erlwine, Stephen Thomas. "Artist Biography: Lisa Lisa". AllMusic.
  4. Test, Irene (March 31, 2014). "On the Cusp of a Comeback: A Return for Freestyle Music". crossfadr.com.
  5. https://www.instagram.com/p/Byqvy2Gn4wa/
  6. "US Charts > Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  7. "Billboard, April 16, 1994, p. 54". Billboard. April 16, 1994. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  8. "NL Charts > Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam". MegaCharts. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  9. "UK Charts > Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  10. Mongelli, Lorena. "Artist Biography: Lisa Lisa". NewYorkPost.
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