Miki Howard was born in Chicago as Alicia Michelle Howard. She is also known to some as one of the greatest singers that ever lived. In the 1980's, she had a series of hit records. Her first number one hit came in 1989 "Ain't nuthin' in the World and "Ain't Nobody Like You", followed by three top 10 hits "Come Share My Love", "Imagination" and "Love Under New Management", which was created during her brief love affair with Gerald Levert. Although they did not stay together as a couple, they remained friends forever. "I loved Gerald very much I stayed very close to him and his brother Sean. I think in the end I was closer to Sean than Gerald. We were all like brothers and sisters after a while. I miss them both dearly."
Miki proved she was no ordinary R&B singer when she landed the role of Billie Holiday in the Malcolm X film written by Spike Lee. She followed with a featured role in Poetic Justice with Janet Jackson, produced by John Singleton.
The very bubbly Miki had nothing but positive things to say. She talked about her childhood memories of growing up around music. Her mother sang with the gospel group the Caravans and her father a singer with the Pilgrim Jubilees. "It was nothing for me to come home and see Billy Preston, Aretha Franklin or James Cleveland at my house. I grew up in a house dominated by music. Most people add music to their life, but in my world, I only knew how to add life to music."
She explained why she left the industry, "It was a combination of a bad marriage, management and me not willing to compromise and play the bureaucracy game", which eventually influenced her decision to go home and raise her children. She put her priorities in order stating, "show business will always be there."
She was right. By 2001, Miki made a comeback and released her first album in four years entitled "Three Wishes," which landed her a Grammy Nomination. "Every Grammy Nominee wants that Grammy, but whether I ever get one or not I am still happy with what I have accomplished."
Today Miki is still touring. "I am always doing concerts somewhere whether it's Jazz with Roy Ayers or R&B with Bobby Brown and Bell Biv Devoe. I have a great life! I don't see what I do as show business anymore. I am an established artist; it's more of an art form for me. I am just doing what I love to do," But when she comes home, she loves to be surrounded by family. "I enjoy my three natural children, my lovely granddaughter, and my many surrogate children," she laughs. "People have misconceptions concerning artists who are not on the media's radar. They think that if you're not in the public's eye, then you must not be doing anything. That's not true. I'm not super busy, but that's a good thing." She continues, "There is a place for artists, like me, that have fans that just love their music. There's a whole world out there that is not media driven."
What would you say to encourage others to follow their dreams to fruition?
"I would have to say love what you're doing. If you believe that it's great, somebody else will too."
Miki proved she was no ordinary R&B singer when she landed the role of Billie Holiday in the Malcolm X film written by Spike Lee. She followed with a featured role in Poetic Justice with Janet Jackson, produced by John Singleton.
The very bubbly Miki had nothing but positive things to say. She talked about her childhood memories of growing up around music. Her mother sang with the gospel group the Caravans and her father a singer with the Pilgrim Jubilees. "It was nothing for me to come home and see Billy Preston, Aretha Franklin or James Cleveland at my house. I grew up in a house dominated by music. Most people add music to their life, but in my world, I only knew how to add life to music."
She explained why she left the industry, "It was a combination of a bad marriage, management and me not willing to compromise and play the bureaucracy game", which eventually influenced her decision to go home and raise her children. She put her priorities in order stating, "show business will always be there."
She was right. By 2001, Miki made a comeback and released her first album in four years entitled "Three Wishes," which landed her a Grammy Nomination. "Every Grammy Nominee wants that Grammy, but whether I ever get one or not I am still happy with what I have accomplished."
Today Miki is still touring. "I am always doing concerts somewhere whether it's Jazz with Roy Ayers or R&B with Bobby Brown and Bell Biv Devoe. I have a great life! I don't see what I do as show business anymore. I am an established artist; it's more of an art form for me. I am just doing what I love to do," But when she comes home, she loves to be surrounded by family. "I enjoy my three natural children, my lovely granddaughter, and my many surrogate children," she laughs. "People have misconceptions concerning artists who are not on the media's radar. They think that if you're not in the public's eye, then you must not be doing anything. That's not true. I'm not super busy, but that's a good thing." She continues, "There is a place for artists, like me, that have fans that just love their music. There's a whole world out there that is not media driven."
What would you say to encourage others to follow their dreams to fruition?
"I would have to say love what you're doing. If you believe that it's great, somebody else will too."
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