Minnie Riperton(1947-1979)
Born in 1947, Riperton grew up musically inclined. She studied music, drama and dance as a child and in her teens was the lead singer for the Chicago girl group, The Gems. Riperton was a backup sing for many artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Ramsey Lewis, etc. She also sang for Rotary Connection for four years and in 1969 they performed at a Catholic Rock Mass. The height of her career was reached with her number one single, Lovin' You, the last release from her 1974 gold album, Perfect Angel. She quickly became famous for her whopping five and a half octave vocal range. In 1976, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and originally given six months to live. During this time, she continued to record and tour and went public about her diagnosis, being one of the first celebrities to do so. In 1977, she became a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society. In 1978, President Carter presented to her the American Cancer Society's Courage Award. In 1979, Riperton died of cancer at age 31.
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