Deniece Williams

Deniece Williams (born Deniece Chandler on June 3, 1950 in Gary, Indiana) is an African-American singer and songwriter who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s. Williams, whose music has been influenced by Pop, Soul, Gospel, R&am

Deniece Williams (born Deniece Chandler on June 3, 1950 in Gary, Indiana) is an African-American singer and songwriter who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s. Williams, whose music has been influenced by Pop, Soul, Gospel, R&B and dance, is best known for her lyric soprano voice, which frequently accesses the whistle register, and hits such as "Let's Hear It For The Boy" and "Silly". She is also the mother of R&B and rap producer Jazze Pha.

William's career began in the 1970s when she bacame a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder, who was the opening act for The Rolling Stones at the time, and Minnie Riperton. She left Wonder in 1975 and teamed up with producer Maurice White, who was the leader of Earth, Wind & Fire. After signing to Columbia Records, her debut album entitled This Is Niecey was released. Hits included "Free", which reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The album also featured "Cause You Love Me Baby" and "That's What Friends Are For." She also shared a #1 hit on the Billboard Pop Charts with Johnny Mathis in 1978 with "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late".