About this Artist
Since breaking through to solo success in the mid 1970s, Grammy winner PATTI AUSTIN has become one of the worlds most popular and versatile vocalists.
A mainstay on the Billboard charts, she has 19 solo albums to her credit and has performed her award nominated hit songs on both the Grammys and the Oscars. The ultimate Jazz/R&B/Pop crossover artist, in 2008 Patti received a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her critically acclaimed “Avant Gershwin,” a Top Five hit on the Billboard Jazz Chart. She shows off her versatility in the R&B/Pop/Gospel styled 2011 release titled, “Sound Advice.” Later this year “The Excellence Of Ellington” will be released as a Patti Austin vocal tribute to ”The Duke.” She will also release a very “funky” take on some of the world’s classic fairy tales.
The Goddaughter of musical legends Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington, Patti made her stage debut with Washington at the world famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem at the age of four. During the 1970s she was the undisputed "queen" of the New York session scene; her voice was heard behind everyone from Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, James Brown and Joe Cocker to Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Luther Vandross, and Diana Ross, as well as on countless memorable commercial jingles. At the beginning of the 1980s, she earned a wider audience through her performances on a series of albums with Quincy Jones, including his best-selling “Stuff Like That,” his Grammy-winning classic, “The Dude” and “From Q With Love “Vols. 1 & 2.
A major highlight of Patti’s career is her special relationship with her fans in Asia. She has traveled to the Philippines and Japan throughout the years and recently has developed an excellent following in China. She even sings several songs flawlessly in the Mandarin language to the delight of her fans in China. Patti also has performed with the legendary Francis Yip for Chinese fans in America.
A gifted songwriter and performer, Patti’s early solo career resulted in the chart-topping, Grammy nominated hit “Baby Come To Me,” a now classic duet with James Ingram; the R&B smash, “The Heat of Heat,” and the Oscar nominated, “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” A later stint at GRP Records produced 1991's “Carry On,” followed by “Love is Gonna Getcha” (featuring the across the board hit “Through the Test of Time”), “That Secret Place,” and “Patti Austin Live” (recorded at New York's Bottom Line), which showcased her amazing standup comedic skills and brilliant impersonations. Her 1998 album, “In and Out of Love” spent almost two years on the contemporary jazz charts. In 1999-2000, she recorded “On The Way to Love,” a superb Warner Brothers album, produced by Paul Brown.
Patti continues her commitment to social issues through her work to end domestic violence and gives countless hours to her mentoring work through The Over My Shoulder Foundation which she co founded.
As she continues to thrill audiences with her recordings and concerts, Patti Austin remains one of the entertainment world’s treasures.