Something for Thursday

Continuing an exploration of Black Music of the 1970s, we have Minnie Riperton today.

Riperton was a native of Chicago who tragically hit it big with her soprano voice, enormous range, and an airy tone that gave her songs an ethereal tone and then died of breast cancer when she was just 31. Her legacy endures, not just because of her music, but because of her influence on artists after her like Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur. Her legacy also endures because her daughter is famed actress and comedian Maya Rudolph.

Here is Minnie Riperton’s biggest hit, “Loving You”.