Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson (born December 22, 1965) is a Canadian singer and actress,[1] who won two Juno Awards as a solo recording artist in the 1980s.
Kim Richardson | |
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Background information | |
Born | December 22, 1965 |
Origin | Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | R&B, soul, jazz, gospel, blues, dance-pop, musical theatre |
Occupations | Singer |
Years active | 1980s–present |
Website | www |
She is still very active today, being part of over 150 shows, mostly in province of Québec, in 2017.
Early life and education
Richardson was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario,[2] the daughter of singer and actress Jackie Richardson,[1] the niece of blues and jazz singer Betty Richardson and the cousin of Polka Dot Door host Gairey Richardson.[2]
Career
Richardson began performing professionally in the early 1980s, both as a solo blues, jazz and R&B vocalist and with the family musical group The Richardsons.[3]
Her first recording, the dance-pop single "He's My Lover", was released in 1985, and she won the award for Most Promising Female Vocalist at the Juno Awards of 1986.[4] Her second single, "Peek-a-Boo" was released the following year and won the award for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the Juno Awards of 1987.[5] The song was also named best single, and Richardson best female artist, at the 1987 Black Music Awards of Canada.[6]
Her third single, "I Want It", followed in 1987.[7] In the same year she participated in the recording of a Christmas charity single, "A Christmas Wish", with a lineup of Toronto-area performers that also included Billy Newton-Davis, Erroll Starr, Frozen Ghost, Prairie Oyster, Messenjah, The Pursuit of Happiness, Salome Bey, Zappacosta, Arlene Duncan and Lorraine Scott.[8]
She subsequently moved to Montreal, Quebec,[9] performing with the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir[10] and Jim Hillman and the Merlin Factor.[11][12] The latter band won a Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the Juno Awards of 1995.[13]
She continued to perform in Montreal as a jazz singer, as a performer in musical theatre productions, in continued collaborations with her mother and as a backing vocalist for other musicians.[9] Her first full-length album, Kaleidoscope, was released in 2006,[9] and her second, Mes amours, followed in 2011.[14] She also participated in the recording of the soundtrack to the 2011 film Funkytown,[15] performing vocals on the Genie Award for Best Original Song nominee "Waiting for Your Touch" and making an acting appearance in the film. In 2020 she starred as Dolores in the Canadian horror film Hall.
In recent years, she has also been a frequent collaborator with singer-songwriter Jonathan Roy.[16]
References
- "My Montreal: Soul Singer Kim Richardson". Montreal Gazette, February 26, 2014.
- "Singer looks to bright career". Toronto Star, June 2, 1987.
- "Glad tidings of great jazz in New Year". Toronto Star, December 18, 1986.
- "Glass Tiger, David Foster snare Juno honors". Windsor Star, November 11, 1986.
- "K.D. Lang dethrones Anne Murray in Junos; Adams collects 2 top awards". Ottawa Citizen, November 3, 1987.
- "Black singers win awards". Vancouver Sun, May 16, 1987.
- "Budding rock star doesn't see stretch-limos on her horizon". Toronto Star, June 6, 1987.
- "Musicians rally to record Christmas song". Toronto Star, November 10, 1987.
- "Mother and daughter blues reunion". Toronto Star, November 25, 2006.
- "Local stars come out for dynamite benefit". Montreal Gazette, December 7, 1991.
- "Lots of Canadian musicians to spread Christmas cheer". Toronto Star, December 11, 1993.
- "You oughta Juno: What happened to those artists voted most likely to succeed? Part 2 — 1986 – 1999". National Post, David Berry and Rebecca Tucker | March 14, 2015
- "He has drum, and will travel ; Jim Hillman has landed in T.O. with his unique sextet". Toronto Star, April 8, 1999.
- "Kim Richardson: soliste et choriste, même combat". Le Soleil, August 12, 2011.
- "Deux ans de négociations". canoe.ca, January 17, 2011.
- Stéphanie Nolin, "Tournage idyllique pour Jonathan Roy et Kim Richardson". Showbizz, April 13, 2023.