Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph was an American soul singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1970s.
She is best known for her 1975 single “Lovin’ You,” which showcased her extraordinary five-octave vocal range and masterful use of the whistle register.
Riperton began studying music, drama and dance at a young age and attended the famous Abraham Lincoln Center in his hometown.
Her early training and talent laid the foundation for the vocal excellence she would later display professionally.
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- Full name: Minnie Julia Riperton
- Stage name: Minnie Riperton
- Date of birth: November 8, 1947
- Date of death: July 12, 1979
- Age: 31 years old
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Nationality: United States
- Occupation: American soul singer and songwriter
- Height: unknown
- Parents: Thelma and Daniel Riperton
- Siblings: Sandra Riperton
- Spouse: Richard Rudolph (married 1970–1979)
- Children: Maya Rudolph and Mark Rudolph
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: $3 million
early life and education
Minnie Julia Riperton was born on November 8, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. She was the daughter of Thelma Inez (née Matthews) and Daniel Webster Riperton, a Pullman porter.
Minnie was the youngest of eight children, including her sister Sandra Riperton. Riperton received her early arts education at the Abraham Lincoln Center in Chicago, where she studied music, drama, and dance.
After graduating from Hyde Park High School (now Hyde Park Academy High School), she attended Loop College (now Harold Washington College) and became a member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority.
However, she eventually decided to drop out of college to pursue her music career. Minnie Riperton is African-American and a Christian.
Profession
Minnie Riperton’s first professional singing gig was with the Chicago girl group The Gems when she was just 15 years old. Raynard Miner was a blind pianist who heard Riperton singing with an acapella choir in Hyde Park and became her musical patron, helping to support her musical education .
As a child, Riperton studied music, drama, and dance at the Abraham Lincoln Center in Chicago, setting the stage for her future success.
During her teenage years, Riperton continued to hone her craft as the lead singer of the Gems.
Early career experience gave her the opportunity to provide backing vocals for several well-known artists, including Etta James, Fontella Bass, Ramsey Lewis, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters.
The Gems eventually became known as the “Studio Three” band, during which time they provided backing vocals on Fontella Bass’ 1965 classic hit “Rescue Me.”
In 1964, the Gems released a local hit, “I Can’t Help Myself,” and their final single, “He Makes Me Feel So Good,” was released the following year. In 1966, shortly after her solo single, Andrea Davis began receiving radio
Riperton joined the funky rock-soul band Rotary Connection, founded by Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. Rotary Connection, consisting of Riperton, Chess, Judy Hauff, Sidney Barnes and Charles Stepney, released six albums between 1968 and 1971.
While with Rotary Connection, Riperton also sang lead vocals for the psychedelic soul band of the same name from 1967 to 1971. During this time, she released her debut solo album, Come to My Garden, in 1970, which was arranged and arranged by her Rotary Connection bandmate Charles Stepney.
Riperton’s breakthrough came in 1975 with her first single, “Lovin’ You,” which was the final release from her gold album, “Perfect Angel.” Tragically, just a year later, in January 1976, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy in April of that year.
Following the success of “Perfect Angel,” Riperton collaborated with her husband, songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph, on her third album, Adventures in Paradise (1975). The title track was co-written by Joe Sample of the Crusaders. Riperton’s fourth album, Stay in Love (1977), contained another funky disco song, “Stick Together”, a collaboration with Stevie Wonder.
social media
Minnie Riperton does not have any active social media accounts.
personal life
Minnie Riperton was married to composer and music producer Richard Rudolph from August 1970 until his untimely death in July 1979. They have two children. Their first child was music engineer Marc Rudolph, born in 1968.
Their second child is actress and comedian Maya Rudolph, born in 1972, who became a cast member on the iconic sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” from 2000 to 2007. However, Minnie Riperton sadly passed away on July 12, 1979, at the age of 31, due to breast cancer.
discography
Studio album:
- Come to my garden(1970)
- Perfect Angel(1974)
- Adventures in Paradise(1975)
- Stay in Love(1977)
- Minnie(1979)
- Love Lasts (1980)
Compile:
- The Best of Minnie Riperton (1981)
- Her Chess Years (1997)
- Petals: The Minnie Riperton Series (2001)
- Flowers: Selected Works by Minnie Riperton (2001)
- The Best of Minnie Riperton: Anthology (2002)
- Minnie Riperton: Legend (2010)
- Only When I Dream (2012)
singles:
- love you(1974)
- My Love(1975)
- Baby, I’ve got this love (1975)
- I am a woman(1976)
- Memory Lane(1979)
- Lovers and Friends(1979)
- Light My Fire(1979)
- United (1977)
net worth
Minnie Riperton, the famous American singer-songwriter who died young in 1979, had an estimated net worth of about $3 million.
This massive wealth is primarily due to her highly successful music career, particularly the massive popularity and commercial success of her iconic hit single “Lovin’ You.”
