1980–1985: Side Effect At the age of 16, she performed in a teen pageant. After the show, she met singer Augie Johnson, leader and member of
R&B group
Side Effect, who happened to be in the audience and began working with Howard on music. Johnson charmed Howard and later chose her as the vocalist for the group. After a period of time, Howard became a Side Effect member in 1979—replacing the departure of Sylvia St. James. Howard's tenure with the group lasted a few years. With Miki as new female vocalist, Side Effect's
After the Rain was released in 1980. The album did not do well on the charts as well as the next two
Elektra albums
Portraits and
All Aboard. As a member of Side Effect, the group's best remembered "I Can't Play" and a cover of
Toto's "
Georgy Porgy" were minor R&B hits in 1983/84. During this time, she also had one child by Johnson. In addition to singing with Side Effect, she did background vocals for Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, Stanley Turrentine, and several other artists. By 1985, Howard decided she was ready to begin a
solo career, and left the group. She put together a
demo that landed her a recording contract with
Atlantic Records.
1986–1990: Come Share My Love, Love Confessions and Miki Howard Howard began recording songs for her debut album,
Come Share My Love released in 1986. The album was produced by
LeMel Humes, would peak to number 19 on the
Billboard Top R&B Albums. The first single, "Come Share My Love" would become her first U.S. hit single. The song peaked to number five on the
Billboard R&B Singles chart. By the fall, the follow-up single was a
cover version of
Glenn Miller's 1940's tune "
Imagination", peaked to number 13 on the R&B Singles and would become Howard's first video. With two hit singles from the album, she embarked on her first concert tour in 1987, opening for funk band
Cameo. The final single, "Come Back to Me Lover" was released charting to number 33, on the R&B singles chart. In November 1987, Howard released her second album,
Love Confessions. LeMel Humes produced several tracks and became a close friend, working with Howard on future albums throughout her career. Her success continued with two more Top 10 R&B singles from the album,
Nick Martinelli produced, soul ballad "Baby, Be Mine" climbed to number five on the R&B Singles chart. The second single "That's What Love Is", a
duet with hit-making R&B
crooner Gerald Levert (lead singer of R&B group
Levert), peaked to number five on the
R&B Singles chart. Levert produced the duet and final single "Crazy", which peaked at number 38 on the R&B singles. Howard and Gerald's group
LeVert, embarked on a U.S. tour in support of their album's. The pair was also romantically involved and that romance would spawn one of Howard's biggest hits from her third album. On March 30, 1988, Howard won a
Soul Train Music Award for
Best New Artist. In November 1989, Howard released her third album, the self-titled
Miki Howard, which would become her final album on
Atlantic. Following the release, the album became a hit, charting at number four on the
Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The album would become Howard's most successful to date. During recording, Howard and Gerald Levert's romantic relationship, spawned the song's "I'll Be Your Shoulder", "Mister" and "Just The Way You Want Me To"; written-produced by Levert. Howard secured her first chart-topper, the first single, "Ain't Nuthin' in the World", peaked at number-one on the
R&B Singles. Howard scored two more Top 5 R&B hits from the album. The songs "Love Under New Management", penned during her affair with Gerald Levert, peaked to number two and a cover of "
Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", at number three on the R&B singles chart.
1992–1997: Femme Fatale, Miki Sings Billie and ''Can't Count Me Out'' By 1992, Howard was no longer a recording artist with
Atlantic, she was now signed as an artist with
Giant Records. On September 15, Howard's fourth
studio album,
Femme Fatale was released. The album peaked at number seven on the
Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.
Producer/songwriter LeMel Humes produced the majority of the album, including the first single, "
Ain't Nobody Like You". The song peaked at number one on the
R&B Singles chart, Howard's second R&B chart-topper and number 64 on the
Billboard Hot 100. A second single and music video for "
Release Me", was released, the song received modest radio airplay and peaked at number 43 on the R&B singles chart and also peaked at number 35 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts. More singles were released as 'promotional, radio-only', the
David Foster produced, "Shining Through" and "But I Love You", produced by LeMel Humes. In director
Spike Lee's 1992 bio-pic film
Malcolm X, Howard portrayed jazz singer
Billie Holiday, performing Holiday's "
I Cover the Waterfront". She had always been strongly influenced by Holiday's vocal technique and music. In the fall of 1992, Miki decided to pay tribute to Billie by recording covers of her favorite classic songs by Holiday. During recording, she also landed a role in
John Singleton's 1993 film
Poetic Justice starring pop singer
Janet Jackson and hip-hop artist/actor
Tupac Shakur. In December 1993, Miki's fifth studio album,
Miki Sings Billie was released under Giant Records, the album peaked at number 74 on the
Billboard Top R&B Albums, her lowest charting album.
David Foster and LeMel Humes produced the cover tracks. Official singles were not released, only a radio promo of "
Don't Explain" was played on R&B and jazz stations in the U.S. By 1997, Howard was no longer signed to Giant Records. Her sixth studio album and her first in four years, ''
Can't Count Me Out, was released under a new label, Hush, in May. The album was her first to not chart on the Billboard'' 200 or the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album includes duets, a cover of
Stevie Wonder's "I Love Every Little Thing About You" with singer
Terence Trent D'Arby, "Can't Count Me Out" duet with father Clay Graham and a remake of
Janis Ian's "
At Seventeen". LeMel Humes produced most of the album, including a cover of the jazz standard "
You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Sunshine" penned by singer
Brenda Russell.
2001–2008: Three Wishes, Pillow Talk and Private Collection In March 2001, Howard released her seventh album,
Three Wishes under
Peak Records. Although no official singles were released,
Nobody received radio airplay. The album peaked at number 60 on the
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 25 on the
Independent Albums chart. All the tracks were produced by new producers, except "Bring Your Loving Home" produced by Howard's close friend LeMel Humes. The album received a nomination for
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album at the
2002 Grammy Awards. After five years had past since
Three Wishes, in September 2006 Howard was now signed with
Shanachie Records. Her eighth studio album,
Pillow Talk was released. The album peaked at number 60 on the
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. All songs were cover tracks of her favorite R&B classic songs, of
Ann Peebles,
George Benson,
Nancy Wilson to
Natalie Cole,
The Main Ingredient and
Boz Scaggs. Howard contributed as the album's
producer, along with Kim Waters, Danny Weiss and Chris Davis. Howard is currently working on regenerating her career after taking some time out to raise her children. She undertook a world tour with
Roy Ayers and the Jazz Allstars. In June 2008, she released her ninth studio album,
Private Collection under her legally owned new independent label, Branicka Records. The album contained ten tracks, with five new
smooth jazz and
R&B songs co-written and co-produced with
Chuckii Booker, and five
jazz standards co-produced with Brandon McCune. Besides Booker, composers included on the album included
Hoagy Carmichael and
Johnny Mercer for "
Skylark",
Sammy Fain and Paul-Francis Webster for "
Secret Love",
Henry Mancini and
Johnny Mercer for "
Days of Wine and Roses",
Elisse Boyd and
Murray Grand for "
Guess Who I Saw Today", and
Irving Berlin for "
Counting Your Blessings". On November 1, 2010,
Unsung: Miki Howard was televised on
TV One. In February 2011, TV One televised
Way Black When which showcased African Americans' impact in entertainment through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Howard was featured during the 1980s segment, hosted by comedian
Niecy Nash. Howard performed her number-one R&B hit, "
Ain't Nobody Like You". In March she embarked on a U.S. tour, Throwback Unplugged Tour. with
Dru Hill,
K-Ci & JoJo and
Bell Biv DeVoe.
2014-present: I Choose to Be Happy and touring Howard released an EP,
I Choose to Be Happy in 2015, which includes four new songs, also the new single "Panther" which features rapper
Too Short and some of her greatest hits re-recorded live. "I Choose to Be Happy" will also include a new song, the title track, "I Choose to be Happy" and a tribute to Marvin Gaye titled "
Soon I'll Be Loving You Again" which features son Brandon Howard and David Ruffin Jr. While recording, Howard has been touring throughout the U.S. and overseas, performing the album's first single, "Panther" as well as her classic hit songs. On September 25, 2015, Howard released her second
live album titled
Miki Howard: Live in Concert. The release features her performance of hits throughout her music career, and cover versions of "
My Man", "Pillow Talk", "
This Bitter Earth", and Marvin Gaye's "Soon I'll Be Loving You Again". == Discography ==