Joan Armatrading In-depth Biography
Born on the island of St. Kitts, British singer/songwriter Joan Armatrading} was her country's first Black woman to make commercial inroads into her chosen genre, spicing her take on folk with bits of soul and reggae, and has had a remarkably long, consistent career. Emigrating to England in 1958, Armatrading} met lyricist Pam Nestor} in a touring production of Hair}, and the two began collaborating on material later featured on Armatrading's} 1972 debut, Whatever's for Us}. The two ended their partnership afterwards, and Armatrading} resurfaced in 1975 with Back to the Night}. Featuring former members of Fairport Convention}, Joan Armatrading} catapulted the singer into the U.K. Top 20 and produced her only Top Ten single, "Love and Affection." Armatrading's} subsequent albums sold well in the U.K. to her newly established fan base, but only respectably in the U.S., where it took her until 1980 to have a real hit (the all-electric Me Myself I}). The Key} also did quite well, but Armatrading} remained largely a cult artist with a small but devoted following in America, never quite achieving the stardom she had in Britain. Armatrading} has been successful enough to record regularly into the new millennium and tour. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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