Patti Austin

b. 10 August 1948, New York City, New York, USA.

b. 10 August 1948, New York City, New York, USA. Austin first sang on stage at the age of three at the famous Apollo Theatre in New York City during Dinah Washington's set. As a child performer, she appeared on television, including Sammy Davis Jnr.'s programme, and in the theatre. Her stage work included Lost In The Stars and Finian's Rainbow. At the age of nine, she travelled to Europe with the bandleader/arranger Quincy Jones. As a 16-year-old, she toured with Harry Belafonte and began recording at the age of 17. Austin's first recordings were for Coral Records in 1965. "Family Tree", recorded in 1969 for United Artists Records, was an R&B hit.
Austin's immaculate vocals brought her work on television jingles and during the 70s she was one of the busiest session singers in New York, with credits for Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Frankie Valli, Joe Cocker, George Benson and Roberta Flack. Her solo albums included material she had written herself, and revealed some jazz influences. Further session work during 1980 saw Austin working with Marshall Tucker, Steely Dan, and the Blues Brothers. Her long-standing association with father figure Quincy Jones continued; his composition "The Dude' featured her lead vocal, and won a Grammy in 1982. Austin had another hit with the title track of Every Home Should Have One on Jones" Qwest label. Although it only just made the US Top 100, "Razzamatazz" (with Jones) was a UK number 11 hit in June 1981. Her duet with James Ingram, "Baby Come To Me", became the theme music for the television soap opera General Hospital and was a US number 1 and a UK number 11 in 1983. Another Austin/Ingram duet, "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?", from the movie Best Friends, was nominated for an Oscar. She also sang the theme tunes for Two Of A Kind (1984) and Shirley Valentine (1988), and had an R&B hit with "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" (a duet with Narada Michael Walden). The Real Me was a collection of standards ranging from Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo" to "How Long" by the UK band Ace. Her 1990 set Love's Gonna Getcha was produced by Dave Grusin for GRP Records, while Austin was a guest vocalist on an album of George Gershwin songs released in 1992 by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. After two further studio albums for GRP in the early 90s, Austin subsequently recorded well-received sets for Concord Vista and Intersound. Already commercially successful, this smooth-toned vocalist has yet to receive the critical acclaim her achievements merit.

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