Brenda Russell

Brenda Russell is an American singer-songwriter and pianist whose style embraces R&B, dance, jazz, pop and soul. Born in New York, she spent her teenage years in Toronto, Canada, where she had a stint with the all-female group The Tiaras and performed in the musical 'Hair'. With then husband Brian Russell, she co-wrote songs for Rufus and Elton John and they released two albums on John's Rocket Records label as Brian & Brenda.

Her 1979 eponymous debut solo album went to number 26 on Billboard's R&B Albums Chart. She followed with 'Love Life' (1981), 'Two Eyes' (1983) and 'Get Here' (1988), which was nominated for a Grammy Award and peaked at number 20 on the R&B Albums Chart. Other releases include 'Kiss Me With the Wind' (1990), 'Soul Talkin'' (1993), 'Paris Rain' (2000) and 'Between the Sun and the Moon' (2004). Singles include 'So Good, So Right' (1979) featuring Joe Esposito, which went to number 15 on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs Chart and number 30 on the Hot 100. 'Piano in the Dark' (1988) was nominated for two Grammy Awards. It reached number six on the Hot 100 and number eight on the Hot R&B Songs Chart.

She performed on the television series 'Diff'rent Strokes' in the 1980s and appears in the 1999 feature film 'Liberty Heights'. In 2005, she wrote the music for the Broadway production of the musical 'The Color Purple' with Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. The show was nominated for a Tony Award and the album was nominated for a Grammy Award. Her 2020 schedule included an appearance at the Barbican Centre in London, England.