Payne, Freda

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Freda Payne

1942(?)–

Singer, actress

Few performers have reinvented themselves as many times and as successfully as Freda Payne. When her hometown peers were creating the Motown sound, Payne was beginning her career as a jazz stylist. But her musical interest and talent took her further; she went on to make her mark, at various points in her career, as a rock star, disco diva, Broadway belter, Hollywood actress, and cabaret crooner. Throughout the reinventions two key attributes have remained constant: unsurpassed charisma and fantastic vocal chops.

Grew Up Listening to Jazz

Freda Charcilia Payne was born on September 19, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan. Payne grew up listening to jazz, and her musical tastes were shaped by this early exposure to such important stylists as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. As a young child, however, Payne rarely sang, preferring to play the piano, which she began studying at age five. The main singer in the Payne house was her sister Scherrie, who later became the last lead singer in the Supremes. Freda finally took an interest in singing at age 12, with the encouragement of her piano teacher, Ruth Johnson.

Payne attended the Institute of Musical Arts in Detroit as a teenager, and while still studying there began her professional career by singing radio ad jingles. She also entered many local talent competitions sponsored by Detroit television and radio stations, winning quite of few of them. In 1956 Payne appeared on the nationally broadcast television show Ted Mack's The Original Amateur Hour. Her voice was already that of a polished professional by this time, attracting the attention of several big-time players in the music industry. Motown founder Berry Gordy tried to sign her to a recording deal—he even wrote three songs especially for Payne to record—and Duke Ellington, after hearing her sing as guest performer with his band, was ready to hire her as a regular. Payne's mother, however, insisted that she finish high school before embarking on a full-time musical career, and Freda cooperated with her mother's demands. After graduating from Detroit's Central High School in 1959, Payne was more than ready to launch her career with a full head of steam.

Sought Fame in New York in 1960s

Payne moved to New York in 1963 to explore that city's larger assortment of show business opportunities. Her first prominent job was with Pearl Bailey. Payne's work with Bailey gained her widespread attention as a vocalist to be reckoned with. It led to stints sharing the stage with such jazz luminaries and others as Lionel Hampton, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine, and Bill Cosby. She toured with Quincy Jones, who was in his big band phase at the time, performing at such hallowed venues as the Apollo in New York and the Regal in Chicago. In 1964 Payne's debut jazz album, When the Lights Go Down, was released on the Impulse! label. Her second album, How Do You Say I Don't Love You Anymore, was released two years later on the MGM label. During this period, Payne expanded her career into television and the theatrical stage. She became an occasional guest on television variety shows, including those of Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin. She appeared in the Equity Theater's production of Lost in the Stars, and in 1967 she served as Leslie Uggams' understudy for the Broadway show Hallelujah Baby.

Meanwhile, Payne's old Detroit friends Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr. had formed a new record label called Invictus. They urged Payne to cut a record for their upstart label. Her 1969 debut single on Invictus, "Unhooked Generation," became a minor R&B hit. On the heels of the record's success, songwriters Edythe Wayne and Ron Dunbar offered Payne their song "Band of Gold." Payne was initially hesitant about recording "Band of Gold," leery of the song's subject matter—the demise of a marriage on the wedding night. The songwriters and producers eventually convinced her to record "Band of Gold," and it quickly rose up the charts in 1970, reaching Number 3 on the charts in both the United States and Britain and giving Payne her first gold record. An album of the same title was also a commercial success. Sadly, because of a dispute over royalties, "Band of Gold" did not make Payne rich; in fact, she barely collected any money from it despite the song's success. Another Invictus single, the 1971 Vietnam protest song "Bring the Boys Home," reached Number 12 on the charts and earned Payne her second gold record. Other notable songs recorded by Payne during her Invictus years included "Deeper and Deeper," "You Brought the Joy," and "Cherish (What's Dear to You)." Her other Invictus albums included Contact (1971); The Best of Freda Payne (1972), a compilation that also including a handful of previously unreleased songs; and her final release on the label, Reaching Out (1973).

Changed Labels, Found Disco in late 1970s

Dissatisfied with the low-paying royalty deal she had cut with Invictus, Payne left the label in 1973 and signed with ABC. Her debut ABC album, Payne and Pleasure, peaked at number 55 on the Billboard charts, and contained a number of songs that received substantial airplay. Her second release, Out of Payne Comes Love, did not sell as well, and Payne was subsequently dropped from the label.

At a Glance …

Born Freda Charcilia Payne on September 19, 1942, in Detroit, MI; married Gregory Abbot, 1978; children: Gregory Jr. Education: Attended Institute of Musical Arts, Detroit, MI.

Career: Musician, New York, 1963–; Invictus label artist, 1969–1972; ABC record label artist, 1970s; actor, 1980s–; Today's Black Women, television show host, 1981.

Addresses: Agent (personal appearances)—Ideal Entertainment, 1674 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY, 10019; Agent (theatrical, movies, TV)—Scott Stander & Associates, 13834 Magnolia Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423.

The second half of the 1970s was Payne's disco phase. She recorded primarily for Capitol Records during this period. Payne's club hits over the next few years included "Love Magnet," "I'll Do Anything for You," "Red Hot," and "Gotta Keep Dancing." Payne married music producer and songwriter Gregory Abbott in 1978, and that year the couple had a son, Gregory Abbott, Jr. The marriage was shortlived, and Payne went on to raise Gregory Jr. as a single parent. In the 1980s Payne shifted her primary focus to television and acting. For a short period in 1981, she hosted her own talk show, "Today's Black Woman." The following year, she joined the Broadway cast of Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies. Over the next couple of decades, her theatrical credits included key roles in Ain't Misbehavin' with Della Reese; The Blues in the Night; and Jellies Last Jam with Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. While Payne made most of her living via acting during this period, she remained active as a recording artist. In 1982 she released a single called "In Motion," and four years later she teamed up with former Go-Gos member Belinda Carlisle on a remake of "Band of Gold."

Expanded Hollywood Acting Career in 1990s

Payne moved to California in 1986, and made film the focus of her career in the 1990s. She appeared in several Hollywood pictures, including Private Obsession (1995), Sprung (1997), Ragdoll (1999), The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), and Fire and Ice (made for TV, 2001). As the century turned, Payne began to embrace her jazz roots with renewed energy. In 2001 she released a new album of jazz, pop, and R&B songs, Come See About Me, on the Volt label. Two years later, Payne teamed up with Darlene Love to create a revue called "Love and Payne," which ran to rave reviews at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York and at the Cinegrill in Los Angeles' Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

In 2004 Payne fulfilled a longstanding dream when she played the title role in the musical Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song at the Crossroads Theater in Brunswick, New Jersey. As the decade progressed, Payne continued to perform in nightclubs across the country, sometimes as a duo with sister and former Supreme Scherrie Payne. She has also continued to build on her work as an interpreter of the Ella Fitzgerald canon with frequent tribute performances. In her 60s, Payne, a fitness buff and longtime yoga practitioner, continued to maintain a busy performance schedule, with no plans for slowing down on the horizon.

Selected discography

When the Lights Go Down, Impulse!, 1964.
How Do You Say I Don't Love You Anymore, MGM, 1966.
Band of Gold, Invictus, 1970.
Contact, Invictus, 1971.
Reaching Out, Invictus, 1973.
Payne & Pleasure, ABC, 1974.
Out of Payne Comes Love, ABC, 1975.
Stares and Whispers, Capitol, 1977.
Supernatural High, Capitol, 1978.
Hot, Capitol, 1979.
I Hate Barney, Dove, 1995.
An Evening With Freda Payne Live, Dove, 1996.
Live in Concert, Varese, 1999.
Come See About Me, Volt, 2001.