The music business can be a funny one as many talented and gifted singers fight for a chance to be discovered or carve a place of notoriety. For over the last three decades, we’ve witnessed gradual changes as technology has forced record companies to adjust their tactics to keep up with a younger generation of music lovers. But, as labels fought against digital pirates and declining physical sales—many artists waded through the murky waters struggling to remain relevant while others went under water.
R&B singer and songwriter, Deborah Cox kept her head above the waters and consistent—releasing six albums since her self-titled debut in 1995 on Arista Records. Her second, platinum selling album, One Wish swept the charts with the #1 R&B song, “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here”. Cox has shown an impressive career igniting additional singles, “We Can’t Be Friends” and blazing the dance charts with Hex Hector’s remix of “Absolutely Not”.
Before she was signed to one of the leading major record companies—Cox was traveling on the road, singing background and doing recording sessions.
“I was sort of the session girl—the one that producers and songwriters would call for sessions. I was also working on my own demo. Me and my boyfriend which is now my husband—traveled to L.A. to meet with Clive Davis and he loved the songs and the demo.”
Davis, the CEO of Arista Records at the time, had the impeccable reputation for being the music industry ‘crown-maker’. His work with Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and Whitney Houston is legendary as well as his love for strong Black female vocalists.
After signing Cox, they moved to L.A. three months later.
“He would talk about producers he wanted me to work with—Babyface, Dallas Austin and songwriter, Diane Warren. He put me with the 'best of the best'. We put that first album together which had three top three hits on the Billboard Charts. I've had a lot of great success with Clive and thank him for his support of great success with Clive and thank him for his support,” said Cox.
Having grown up in Scarborough, Toronto she studied musical theater and was raised in a home where her parents often played Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder but it was the beautiful, strong voice of Franklin’s younger cousin that Cox was drawn to.
“I was influenced by a lot of different styles so Whitney Houston became that person. She was the first, Black female artist that was on pop radio. In Canada, at the time—we didn't hear a lot of R&B. The R&B stations were out of Buffalo, NY. I remember hearing “You Give Good Love” and “Saving All My Love For You”,” she said. “All those records and asking who is this person and this voice. What I saw here, I was amazed that it was tangible—that I would be able to have a career doing music that was going to have longevity. That's what I was interested in. I wasn't interested in this transient career. I wanted to hear everything because I grew up hearing everything.”
After years of recording projects, touring and maintaining her brand—her love for theater came to her doorstep.
She had an opportunity to check out the new Elton John and Tim Rice’s production of Aida in 2004. “When they approached me about doing that role—I jumped at that opportunity because that was a great chance to do Broadway and continue doing music. That's when it reignited when I did Aidaand later did Jekyll & Hyde. That was a role that wasn't written for a Black woman. I found some good gems along the way.”
To the pleasant surprise of her thousands of fans who followed the R&B sensation to gaining new ones on Broadway.
In 2015, Lifetime Networks debuted the biopic of Whitney Houston, directed by actress—Angela Bassett. Cox was asked to lend her vocals to the television adaption.
“I got a call from the music supervisor who thought they were looking for someone to do the music. He had been familiar with my voice and what I had done before, he suggested that I would be a good fit. He didn't know that Angela and I was friends. They called me and we literally talked about the film—they knew they had a short timeline to do the reprise. It worked out in my schedule,” Cox explained. “Two weeks later, I was on a plane to L.A. to Miami straight to the studio to cut the five songs they needed for the film—
everything came together.”
Over the years, Cox and Houston’s vocals have often been compared to one another as two of the strongest versatile vocalists in the business. It is not a surprise that the production of The Bodyguard musical would come knocking at her door.
She says she was familiar with production taking place in London—six years ago. “I found out later that year, there were going to bring it here to the U.S. and wanted to know if I was interested. I said, 'Sure, let me check out the script.'” Knowing not everything translates well from film to stage, once she read the script, she was immediately hooked.
Coming on board to play the role of Rachel Marron she says fans will be happily surprised at the creative efforts to bring the story to the stage.
“I think attendees are going to be chillingly surprised that it's way more suspenseful than the film. They’ll see the exchange and the unfolding of the stalker and Frank Farmer trying to pin down who this stalker is. It's happening before your eyes. There's moments where we break the fourth wall—you'll feel like you're at a Rachel Marron concert,” she says. “I think that's one of the brilliant ways that the show is designed. You just feel that you're in her world. The world of super stardom and chaos. This world of passionate love.”
A mother of three and married to songwriting partner, Lascelles Stephens—Cox has been recognized for her longstanding commitment to various social issues in the LGBTQ community. She received The Civil Rights Award from the New York Senate for her efforts in the fight for Human Rights and Equality, The Harvey Milk Foundation at the 2015 Diversity Honors, and she was given the Liberty Bell and Proclamation in Philadelphia by Mayor James Kenney.
The Bodyguard kicked off January 31 and will run in a limited engagement through February 12 at the Oriental Theatre.
During her stay in Chicago, the Grammy-award nominee will enjoy some of the city’s best foodie hangouts, as well as some community outreach work.
“There's a couple of high schools we plan on visiting and speaking to students who are interested in getting into the business. We're working with the Starlight Foundation to bring awareness on the work they do with terminally-ill children—helping them build play areas within their hospitals. I'm looking forward to doing this because it's an amazing platform—to reach out.”
Originally Published by The Chicago Defender February 2017
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