Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast

Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Anita Baker" hosted by DJButterrock  Anita Baker was born on January 26, 1958, in Toledo, Ohio. When she was two, her mother abandoned her and Baker was raised by a foster family in Detroit, Michigan.[9] When Baker was 12, her foster parents died and her foster sister raised her afterwards.[9] By the time Baker was 16, she began singing R&B at Detroit nightclubs. After one performance, she was discovered by bandleader David Washington, who gave her a card to audition for the funk band, Chapter 8.[citation needed]

Baker joined Chapter 8 in 1975 and the group toured until securing a deal with Ariola Records in 1979.[10] The group's first album, Chapter 8, was released that year and featured the singles "Ready for Your Love", a duet between Baker and bandmate Gerald Lyles, and the Baker-led "I Just Want to Be Your Girl."[11] After Ariola was bought out by Arista Records in 1979, Chapter 8 was dropped by the label who were convinced that Baker, as the group's lead singer, did not have "star potential."[12] Baker returned to Detroit, working as a waitress and a receptionist until, in 1982, Otis Smith, a former associate of Ariola, convinced Baker to start a solo career under his Beverly Glen label.[13]