Deniece Williams (born June Deniece Chandler; June 3, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter and document producer who achieved success within the Seventies and Eighties. Williams is understood for hits resembling “Free” (1976), “Foolish” (1981), “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” (1982), “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” (1984), and for her duets with Johnny Mathis.

Born in Gary, Indiana, Williams attended Morgan State College in Baltimore, Maryland, within the hopes of changing into a registered nurse and an anesthetist, however dropped out after a yr and a half. “You must be pupil to be in faculty, and I wasn’t.”[1] She additionally carried out on the aspect throughout that point. (“I obtained a part-time job singing at a membership, On line casino Royal, and I preferred it. It was lots of enjoyable.”) Throughout these years Williams labored additionally in a phone firm and as a ward clerk within the Chicago Mercy Hospital.

As Deniece Chandler, she recorded for The Toddlin’ City group of labels and a type of early information, “I’m Strolling Away”, launched on Toddlin’ City’s Lock Information subsidiary within the late Sixties, is a favourite on England’s Northern Soul scene. Within the Seventies she turned a backup vocalist for Stevie Marvel as a part of “Wonderlove”.

She left Marvel in 1975 and after signing to Columbia Information, she teamed up with two famed producers: Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fireplace, and his frequent collaborator, Charles Stepney. Her 1976 debut album entitled This Is Niecy was launched. The only “Free” reached No. 2 on the Black Singles chart, No. 25 on the Billboard Sizzling 100, and No. 1 on the British Singles chart.

The album additionally featured “Trigger You Love Me Child” (which charted individually on the R&B chart because the flip aspect of “Free”) and “That’s What Mates Are For”. She additionally shared a number-one hit on the Billboard Sizzling 100 chart with pop singer Johnny Mathis in 1978 with the duet “Too A lot, Too Little, Too Late”.

The duet additionally topped the Black Singles and Grownup Up to date charts. Williams additionally topped the dance charts along with her disco single “I’ve Bought the Subsequent Dance”. Mathis and Williams additionally recorded the favored theme to the Eighties sitcom Household Ties, “With out Us”.

Williams moved on to the American Recording Firm (ARC) within the early Eighties the place she scored the highest ten R&B smash hit “Foolish” in 1981. The next yr, one more famed producer, Thom Bell, helped Williams rating one other number-one R&B chart-topper along with her remake of The Royalettes’ “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle”, which turned a Prime 10 pop hit as nicely, reaching No. 10.  Wiki