N'Dea Davenport

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

N'Dea Davenport is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and producer, born on 22 September 1966. She was the lead singer of the British acid jazz band The Brand New Heavies and made a pioneering contribution to the genre. She graduated from Clark Atlanta University and then moved to Los Angeles, where she worked in stage productions and music videos.

Music and breakthrough

In 1988 she began as a session singer and sang backing vocals for various artists. In 1989 came her debut as a guest singer on rapper Tone Lōc's Cheeba Cheeba, from the album Lōc-ed After Dark. This earned her a contract with his label Delicious Vinyl. That year she also sang on albums by, among others, Malcolm McLaren, Def Jef and Belinda Carlisle.

Influence

In 1990 the band The Brand New Heavies chose her, on the advice of the owners of Delicious Vinyl, as their singer to replace Jaye Ella Ruth. The group re-recorded its debut album with Davenport. In 1991 that re-recording was released on Delicious Vinyl. The album reached number twenty-four in the British album chart. The singles Dream Come True, Stay This Way and Don't Let It Go to Your Head were re-released with her vocals and all three reached the British top forty. Thanks to this success the band appeared on Soul Train, Showtime at the Apollo and Top of the Pops. In 1998 her solo album N'dea Davenport was released. Her warm, soulful voice helped give acid jazz, a mixture of jazz, funk and soul, a large audience.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1998N’dea Davenport

In School of Rock

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• After Hours: Session 4^NL Reader