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 Minnie Riperton launched a solo career in 1970 with the fine Come To My Garden album on the small Janus label. A poor response to this first proper solo work led to Minnie and her songwriting husband Dick Rudolph abandoning Chicago for a new life in Gainsville, Florida. However, a determined fan from Epic Records finally tracked her down, signed her to the company and brought the pair to Los Angeles, where Minnie sang with Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove group in 1973. Stevie Wonder produced Minnie's pivotal Perfect Angel album in 1974 -a gold, top five performer which featured the delicate, engaging Wonder-penned Lovin' You, a timeless American #1 hit. The 1975 Adventures In Paradise album reached the top 20 in 1975 but her third and final Epic longplayer, 1977's Stay In Love, made it to just #71.By this stage, Minnie had been made aware that she was suffering from breast cancer. She underwent a masectomy operation in 1977 and was awarded the American Cancer Society's Courage Award, presented by President Carter. The following year she became chairman of the society. Though weakened and in great pain, Minnie signed a new recording deal with Capitol and managed to record the top 30 Minnie album before her untimely death on 12 July 1979. Her consumate vocal artistry was not completely lost to the world then. Unfinished recordings from 1978 were furnished with new backings by such illustrious performers as Peabo Bryson, George Benson, Roberta Flack, Michael Jackson, Patrice Rushen and Stevie Wonder, and released as the 1980 Love Lives Forever album on Capitol. It served to remind us of the awesome power of a pure and perfect human voice...
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