About
Beatrice Melba Smith (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress.
Moore was born Beatrice Melba Smith on October 29, 1945, in New York City to Gertrude Melba Smith (1920–1976), who was a singer professionally known as Bonnie Davis, and Teddy Hill (1909–1978), a big band leader. Moore grew up in the Harlem section of New York until age nine, when her mother remarried, to jazz pianist Clement Leroy Moorman and the family relocated to Newark, New Jersey. For high school, Moore attended Newark Arts High School, graduating in 1958. In 1970, she graduated from Montclair State College with a BA in music.
Moore began her recording career in 1967, cutting the track “Magic Touch”, written by Ted Daryll, which was left unreleased until 1986. In later years, it became a popular track on the Northern soul scene, eventually leading to Moore’s performing it live in 2009 at the Baltic Soul Weekender 3 in Germany, north of Hamburg. In 1967, she began her performing career as Dionne in the original cast of the musical Hair, along with Ronnie Dyson, Paul Jabara, and Diane Keaton. Moore…
Awards & Recognition
Born On This Day
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