Minnie Riperton - A Love Story

She said, “I just don’t want to leave my kids. I don’t want to leave my babies”

In January 1976, Minnie Riperton went to the doctor, worried there was a problem. The doctor diagnosed her with breast cancer and shortly afterward she underwent a radical mastectomy. At the time of diagnosis, the doctors gave her about six months to live. Her cancer had metastasized. It was in her lymph nodes.

Less than one year before this diagnosis, on April 4, 1975, Minnie enjoyed a breakthrough hit with her song “Lovin’ You”.

“Lovin’ You” hit number 1 on the charts in 24 countries around the world. This was a song that Minnie and her husband Richard Rudolph wrote a couple of years before and they didn't expect that kind of success.

At that time, life was good. Minnie and Richard were deeply in love and enjoying family life with their two young children, Marc and Maya Rudolph. They now lived in L.A. and were close friends with Stevie Wonder, who produced her album (for free) and dropped by their home frequently. She was finally being recognized for her amazing voice with a 5-octave range and beautiful tone.

Suddenly, their life changed. Now she was being diagnosed with terminal cancer, given six months to live, and undergoing breast removal. How did she react to this change of circumstances? With love.

Minnie loved her husband and children very much. She loved her music and her fans. So she went right back to work, creating more beautiful music for the world to enjoy. She told the world about her mastectomy at a time when celebrities didn’t do that sort of thing and became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society to bring awareness to this dreaded disease. 

Minnie Riperton outlived their expectations and died from cancer on July 12, 1979, at only 31 years old. She had always put others ahead of herself and shared her love for family and music with the world.  

A love story

This is a love story. The story of Minnie Riperton, who grew up in South Chicago and shared her beautiful voice with the world. 

She’s an inspiration, not only for her beautiful melodic voice of 5 octaves but also for her generosity and love. Minnie told others about her experience with cancer but never revealed the terminal prognosis. She continued to think of others when she knew she would soon be gone.

As a black woman in the music industry, she faced formidable challenges and stereotyping. Despite those obstacles, her love and her voice shone through. As a singer, a songwriter, and a wife/mother, she left a legacy of love. 

Her life story

Minnie Riperton was born on November 8, 1947, into a family of 8 children in Chicago’s Southside. She was very energetic and loved to sing. When the family had company over, she would ask if she could perform for them. She was that kind of child.

They lived close to Abraham Lincoln Centre, a performing arts centre, where they learned modern dance, drama, and music. This is where Minnie studied Opera and trained her voice to sing into the upper registers. When she went to Hyde Park High School, she naturally joined the Choir.

In 1963, songwriter Raynard Miner had a girl group called The Gems. One girl had to leave, so he went to the high school to look for a singer. He found Minnie Riperton. Though she was only 15 years old, she joined the group and recorded with them at Chess Records. Raynard said, “Her range was fantastic.”

The Gems became The Studio Three, the main background singers at Chess Records in Chicago. They sang background vocals for Ramsey Lewis, Etta James, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley. Minnie once said:

“When I was a teenager, Etta James really turned me on to singing. She’s outta sight.”

In 1966, at the age of 19, Minnie went solo under the name Andrea Davis. She had a popular song called “Lonely Girl”. An amazing range for such a young girl. Check out this recording.

1967 was a year of change in the music industry. It was the year of psychedelia. The Beatles’ music was changing with Strawberry Fields Forever and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd were hot.

Marshall Chess (President of Chess Records) started a new band called the Rotary Connection, and he had Minnie join as a lead singer along with R&B singer Sidney Barnes. They opened for Janice Joplin, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. The Rotary Connection was the hottest band on the circuit.

Charles Stepney was a very talented arranger and producer who worked with Chess Records. Marshall Chess asked him to produce the Rotary Connection. He saw something special in Minnie Riperton and worked with her to expand her vocals even more. He had her practise scales repeatedly to develop her voice.

The Rotary Connection recorded together from 1967 to 1971

Later, Charles Stepney produced albums by Earth, Wind and Fire, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and more. Unfortunately, his life was cut short on May 17, 1976, by a heart attack. That was only a few months after Minnie received the bad news that she had cancer. Imagine how she felt.

While performing for the Rotary Connection, Minnie met the man who would change her life forever. Richard Rudolph, who would become her husband, writing partner, and the love of her life. 

This is what Richard said:

“She was at the top of the stairs and I was at the bottom. We made one of those eye-contacts that you hear about. It was pretty electric”

Minnie said: “He looked at me, I looked at him... I knew”

Minnie and Richard started writing beautiful music together. In 1970 they teamed up again with Charles Stepney for Minnie’s solo album debut “Come to my garden”, an unusual mix of Opera, Pop, R&B and Gospel. Stepney wrote the music while Richard wrote the lyrics. 

The album included the song “Les Fleur”. Richard said that when he wrote the lyrics, “I envisioned her as the flower. So I’ll write this from the first person point of view of a flower.” 

It was a masterpiece of a song, but unfortunately, the album did not take off. It was ahead of its time and underappreciated. Listen to it here.

In 1971, frustrated with the music industry, Minnie and Richard moved to Gainesville, Florida, where they would spend the next two years raising their children and writing songs. 

Two years later, in 1973, Steve Slutzah from CBS Records, found them in Gainesville, Florida, and they signed Minnie with the Epic Record label. 

With a new album to record, they decided to move to L.A. and find Stevie Wonder to produce. When Stevie heard their demo, he fell in love with Minnie’s songs and voice. He wanted to produce her album for nothing, he wouldn’t take payment. He also recorded parts on her album. He loved her. 

Minnie said of her experience recording that album: “It was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had in a recording studio.”

During this time, Stevie was starting to record his legendary album "Songs in the Key of Life" and working with other artists. Minnie recorded some background vocals on that album too.

Stevie became a close friend of the family and would come over to visit and play with the kids. Minnie’s daughter Maya Rudolph (today an actress/comedian on Saturday Night Live) said:

“Stevie Wonder used to come over to our house and thumb wrestle with my Dad and brother and me.” 

One day in the studio, John Lennon came over to talk to Stevie Wonder and he was spell-bound listening to Minnie singing the vocal on “Reasons”. 

When the album “Perfect Angel” was released in 1974, nobody bought it. The first single from the album was the song “Reasons”. It should have been a hit, but it fell flat. Then they released the song “Seeing you this way”. Again, nothing. 

Lovin' You

Minnie and Richard were out touring to promote the record and they saw something happening when she sang the song “Lovin’ You”. 

Here’s Richard Rudolph: 

“Every time we played it, you could feel something very tangible was happening. Some weird chemistry. We watched all these people, all these couples, physically come together. We saw it and didn’t just feel it.”

To this day, the song “Lovin’ you” sticks in my mind. Especially the high pitch melody she sings at the end of the chorus. Six notes that ring in my memory and make the song unforgettable. Click here to listen.

Richard was working on "Lovin' You" when they were living in Gainesville, Florida. Here’s what he said about the way they wrote it:

“I used to sit down by the duck pond and work on that song. One day I was sitting in the dining room and Minnie was in the kitchen cooking up a pot of something and I was just playing it and she started singing what became the melody. And we just had it. Right then. It just came right there out of our lives.”

In the studio, Stevie kept the arrangement simple, adding the beautiful sounds of birds and a Rhodes piano. It was delicate and beautiful, featuring Minnie's sweet voice.

On April 4, 1975, the song “Lovin’ you” became a worldwide number 1 hit, catapulting Minnie’s career and sharing her music with the world. The following January they would hear the bad news of her cancer.

After hearing the news of her cancer in January 1976, Minnie wrote and recorded 3 more albums before passing away in July 1979.

Her influence on music

Minnie Riperton had an enduring influence on the music of today. She showed what was possible and that the “whistle register” (high pitch) can be used as a musical instrument to enhance the song.

Mariah Carey was heavily influenced by Minnie Riperton and began experimenting with the whistle register, developing her voice and style like Minnie. Do you remember the first time you heard Minnie Riperton or Mariah Carey? For me, it was both surprising and beautiful. 

Since Minnie left us, we have seen singers with incredible vocal range, like Mariah Carey, Celine Dionne, Whitney Houston and today, it may be easy to take for granted that style of singing. But that incredible range and musicality started with Minnie Riperton. Her voice was her musical instrument, exploring music in a brand new way.

If Minnie Riperton had not passed away so young, who knows how far her career could have gone?

For myself, I know the melodic tones of her songs have a special place in my memory and heart.