SMITH
Beatrice

Beatrice Melba Smith known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress.

Music career

In 1975, Melba Moore signed with Buddah Records and released the critically acclaimed R&B album Peach Melba, which included the minor hit "I Am His Lady." The following year, she scored her first major hit with the Van McCoy-penned "This Is It." The song reached the Billboard Hot 100, landed in the top 20 on the R&B chart, and became a top 10 hit in the UK Singles Chart — her biggest success in that country. "This Is It" also became the number one disco track in the UK for that year. Eighteen years later, Australian singer Dannii Minogue covered the song, reaching number 10 on the ARIA chart.

In 1976, Moore earned her third Grammy nomination with the R&B ballad "Lean on Me," originally recorded by Vivian Reed and later by Moore’s idol Aretha Franklin, who included it as a B-side to her 1971 hit "Spanish Harlem." Moore’s version is especially noted for her extended long note at the end. She re-recorded the song in 1983 as a tribute to Van McCoy, who had passed away in 1979.

Though she struggled to repeat the success of "This Is It" throughout the rest of the 1970s, Moore continued to release notable tracks. Her 1979 single "Pick Me Up, I’ll Dance," produced by McFadden & Whitehead and released on Epic Records, became a disco favorite in the UK, reaching number 48 on the charts. That same year, she also found success with a cover of the Bee Gees’ hit "You Stepped into My Life," which reached the top 20 on the R&B charts and entered the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1982, Moore signed with Capitol Records and returned to the top 5 of the R&B chart with the dance-pop/funk track "Love's Comin' at Ya." The song also reached the top 20 in the UK and gained popularity in parts of Europe thanks to its post-disco sound. It was followed by another UK top 40 hit, "Mind Up Tonight," which peaked at number 22.

Over the next few years, she released a string of R&B hits, including "Keepin’ My Lover Satisfied" and "Love Me Right" in 1983, "Livin’ For Your Love" in 1984, and "Read My Lips" in 1985, which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. That nomination placed her among the few Black artists, alongside Donna Summer and Michael Jackson, to be recognized in the rock category. She also released "When You Love Me Like This" that same year.

In 1986, Moore achieved two number one hits on the R&B chart: "A Little Bit More," a duet with Freddie Jackson, and the solo track "Falling." Other successful singles during this time included "Love the One I'm With (A Lot of Love)" and "It's Been So Long."

That year, she also starred in the CBS sitcom Melba, but the show’s debut coincided with the Challenger explosion and was quickly cancelled, though several episodes aired later that summer. As the decade came to a close, Moore’s mainstream success declined, but she still managed to chart two more Top 10 R&B hits: "Do You Really (Want My Love)" and her rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing." In 1990, she also took on a lead role in the horror film Def by Temptation.