[THROWBACK THURSDAY: MINNIE]

Let me count it off by saying - THIS IS MY GIRL RIGHT HERE! She has influenced so many singers, male and female. Most remembered for her five-and-a-half octave range, Minnie Julia Riperton [the youngest of eight] was born November 8, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. As a youngin' she dabbled in everything from ballet to modern dance, and also received operatic vocal training. While she attended Hyde Park High, Minnie sang lead in a girl group called The Gems [also known as Studio Three, Girls Three, and The Starlets]. They did session work for several acts housed at the Chess label, which exposed Minnie's talents to the music industry. After graduation, she enrolled at Loop College where she pledged Zeta Phi Beta Sorority before dropping out.

During this time she recorded under the pseudonym Andrea Davis, soon joining the eclectic group Rotary Connection. They went on to record six albums before she went solo with the Come To My Garden album. It is considered a masterpiece amongst music critics, but was not a success commercially. In the early 70's she sang backup with Stevie Wonder's band Wonderlove. Her album of 1974 Perfect Angel was executive produced by Stevie and contains her biggest hit Lovin' You.

In 1975, Leon Ware contributed to her third solo album Adventures In Paradise, which contains the sexy groove Inside My Love, later covered by Trina Broussard & Chanté Moore. In 1976, Minnie was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy. The cancer had paralyzed her right arm. In 1977 Riperton became the first black female to serve as spokesperson for the American Cancer Society and to receive the Society's Courage Award from President Jimmy Carter. Her last televised performance was on an episode of The Merv Griffin Show, her right arm would remain in a fixed position during her performances. On July 12, 1979 in Los Angeles, California, Minnie died while in her husband's arms, listening to a recording of a song Stevie Wonder had written for her. She was only 31 - Can you imagine dying at 31? My [big] cousin actually remembers the day they announced Minnie died, she was in college and they played her records all that day! After she died, several artists contributed to some tracks that she had been working on before her death, and was released as Love Lives Forever in 1980. Her husband Richard had written a tune for her entitled Now That I Have You which she never got to record. He then gave the song to Teena Marie for her Lady T album of 1980. Her daughter Maya Rudolph [of Saturday Night Live fame] can also be heard on a spoken dialogue with Teena during the last track of the album. Minnie is no longer here in body, but she will always be here in spirit! Watch the late & great Minnie Riperton perform her hits Seeing You This Way & Inside My Love [below]!

FINALLY - [the addicted.] Throwback Thursday is back & better than ever! Allow me to re-introduce you to my boy Chri$, Louisiana soul singer whom we featured back in March! Chri$ will now be using his music knowledge & writing skills to work with [the addicted.] on each week's Throwback Thursday article! We hope that you enjoyed our Feature Presentation [the addicted.] presents Throwback Thursday: Minnie & be sure to keep it locked right here for so much more!