Patrice Rushen

Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer.[2] She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.

Patrice Rushen
Rushen performing on March 2, 2010
Background information
Birth namePatrice Louise Rushen
Born (1954-09-30) September 30, 1954[1]
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • composer
  • record producer
  • music director
  • educator
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • keyboardist
  • flute
  • clarinet
  • percussion
Years active1973–present
Labels
Associated acts
WebsiteOfficial website

Her 1982 single "Forget Me Nots" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The instrumental "Number One" from her album Straight from the Heart earned an additional Grammy nomination for best instrumental. Her 12th album Signature also received a Grammy nomination for best instrumental in 1998.[3]

Rushen also serves as an ambassador for artistry in education at the Berklee College of Music and the chair of the popular music program at the USC Thornton School of Music.[4][5]

Biography

Rushen is the elder of two daughters born to Allen and Ruth Rushen.[1] Patrice was three years old when she began playing the piano, and by the time she was six, she was giving classical recitals.[6] In her teens, she attended Locke High School and later earned a degree in music from the University of Southern California.[7]

After winning a competition at the age of 17 that enabled her to perform with her band at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Rushen signed with the Prestige label, releasing three albums with them – Prelusion (1974), Before the Dawn (1975), and Shout It Out (1977).[6][8] In 1978, when she was 23, she began recording with Elektra.[6]

Rushen married Marc St. Louis, a concert tour manager and live show production specialist,[9] in 1986.[10] They have one son, Cameron and one daughter named Jadyn.[10][11] The name of her publishing company, Baby fingers Inc., is pulled from her nickname Babyfingers for her tiny hands.[12] In 2005, Rushen received an honorary doctorate of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. She is the chair of popular music at USC and the ambassador of artistry in Education at the Berklee College of Music.[13] She has served as the film composer for numerous movies television shows and documentaries. She has been a member of jazz fusion band CAB, The Meeting (GRP Records) with a Ndugu Chancelor, Alfonso Johnson and Ernie Watts.[14] Rushen is also a music director, having worked on various television events as well as Janet Jackson's world tour 'Janet'.

Her song "Hang It Up" was featured on the 2005 video game Fahrenheit.[15]

Cultural impact

Rushen's songs are sampled often in other artists music. The chorus from "Forget Me Nots" was used as the music for the 1997 song "Men in Black". Rushen was credited as writer and composer, along with Will Smith and Terri McFadden. The same chorus can be heard in George Michael's song "Fastlove".

Rushen was the first woman to serve as music director for the 46th, 47th, and 48th Grammy Awards. She was the only woman music director/conductor/arranger for a late-night show titled The Midnight Hour, which aired on CBS in 1990.

Awards

Grammy awards

Rushen has received three Grammy nominations.[3]

Year Category Nominated work Result
1983 Best R&B Instrumental Performance "Number One" Nominated
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female "Forget Me Nots" Nominated
1998 Best Contemporary Jazz Performance "Signature" Nominated

Other awards
  • ASCAP Songwriter's Award, 1988
  • USC Black Student Assembly, Legacy of Excellence Award, 1992
  • Crystal Award, American Women in Film, 1994
  • ASCAP Award, Most Performed Song in Motion Pictures for 1997 for "Men in Black," 1998
  • NAACP Image Award Nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Recording for “Signature”, 1998
  • Honorary Doctrate Berklee College of Music, 2005
  • The Ramo Music Faculty Award, 2020

Discography

Solo albums
Year Album Chart positions
US
Pop[16]		 US
R&B[17]		 US
Jazz[18]		 US Tra.
Jazz[19]		 AUS[20] UK Pop[21]
1974 Prelusion - - - - - -
1975 Before the Dawn - 48 14 - - -
1977 Shout It Out 164 - 16 - - -
1978 Patrice 98 27 5 - - -
1979 Pizzazz 39 11 2 - - -
1980 Let There Be Funk: The Best of Patrice Rushen - - 42 - - -
Posh 71 23 - - - -
1982 Straight from the Heart 14 4 - - 74 24
1984 Now 40 7 - 7 - 73
1985 Anthology of Patrice Rushen - - - - - -
1987 Watch Out! 77 19 - - - -
1994 Anything but Ordinary - - - - - -
1996 Haven't You Heard - The Best of Patrice Rushen - - - - - -
1996 Forget Me Nots and Remind Me - - - - - -
1997 Signature - - 11 - - -
2002 The Essentials: Patrice Rushen - - - - - -

Singles
Year Title Chart positions
US
Hot
100		 US
R&B		 US
Dance		 UK
[22]
1975 "Kickin' Back" - - - -
1977 "Let Your Heart Be Free" - - - -
"The Hump" - - - -
1978 "Changes in Your Life" - - - -
1979 "Hang It Up" - 16 - -
"When I Found You" - 87 - -
1980 "Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up" - 47 - -
"Haven't You Heard" 42 7 5 62
"Let the Music Take Me" - 50 - -
"Look Up" 102 13 2 -
"Don't Blame Me" - - - -
1981 "Never Gonna Give You Up (Won't Let You Be)" - - 2 66
1982 "Forget Me Nots" 23 4 2 8
"Breakout!" - 46 - -
"I Was Tired of Being Alone" - 79 - 39
"Number One" - - - -
1984 "Get Off (You Fascinate Me)" - 26 40 -
"Feels So Real (Won't Let Go)" 78 2 10 51
1987 "Watch Out" - 9 22 78
"Anything Can Happen" - 51 - -
"Come Back to Me" - 65 37 -
1994 "I Do" - - - -
2004 "Forget Me Nots / Number One" - - - 90

Appearances

With The Meeting

With Kenny Burrell

With Eddie Henderson

With Jean-Luc Ponty

With Wallace Roney

Filmography

Musical directing
  • The 48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006, musical director)
  • The 47th Annual Grammy Awards (2005, musical director)
  • The 10th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Smokey Robinson (2004, musical director)
  • The 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004, musical director)
  • The 9th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Aretha Franklin (2003, musical director)
  • The 8th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Stevie Wonder (2002, musical director)
  • The Best of Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime (1991, musical director)
  • "No Strings" by "Sheena Easton", Rushen as record producer (1993)
  • The Women of Brewster Place (1989, special musical consultant)
  • "The Midnight Hour" (unknown episodes, 1990)
  • Partners in Crime (1988, musical director)

References
  1. "California Birth Index, 1905–1995 (database on-line)". United States: The Generations Network. 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  2. "Film Academy Invites 819 New Members, With 36 Percent People of Color". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  3. "Patrice Rushen". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  4. "Patrice Rushen: Ambassador for Artistry in Education". berklee.edu. Berklee College of Music.
  5. "Patrice Rushen: Chair, Popular Music Program". usc.edu. University of Southern California.
  6. Russonello, Giovanni (July 17, 2019). "Patrice Rushen Found Success in Jazz and Dance Music. She Hasn't Been Forgotten". Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  7. "Patrice Rushen MM '76". University of Southern California. Archived from the original on November 28, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  8. "Patrice Rushen | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  9. "Celebrity Author". Toi Moore. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  10. "Rhythm & Blues Legend = Patrice Rushen". Mingle City. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  11. "Paid Notice: Deaths ST. LOUIS, MARIE – New York Times". Nytimes.com. June 15, 1999. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  12. "Baby Fingers, Inc". Discogs. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  13. "Honorary Degree Recipients". Berklee.edu.
  14. ""C.A.B." with Bunny Brunel and Tony MacAlpine Live at the Baked Potato". All About Jazz. May 29, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  15. Rack, Donald (November 22, 2005). "Indigo Prophecy – Soundtrack Lyrics FAQ". IGN. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  16. "Patrice Rushen (Billboard 200)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  17. "Patrice Rushen (Top R&B Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  18. "Patrice Rushen (Top Jazz Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  19. "Patrice Rushen (Traditional Jazz Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  20. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 262. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  21. "Patrice Rushen". officialcharts.com. Official Charts.
  22. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 476. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

Sources
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