'''Anita Baker''' (born January 26 , 1958, in Toledo, Ohio) is a soul and adult contemporary Rhythm and blues singer. Baker is renowned for her soaring alto vocal range.
Early career
Anita Baker was raised in Detroit, Michigan. She began singing in a Baptist church choir at the age of 12. At age 16 she was in a band called Humanity which included fellow high school friends and was playing with other local bands when she was approached by bass player David Washington of Chapter 8 to audition.
In 1975, Anita joined Chapter 8, the most popular group of Detroit at the time. They spent a couple of years playing in and around Detroit, and eventually got a record deal with Ariola. The self-titled album came out in Fall 1979. Two singles hit the R&B charts: "Ready for Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl". Ariola Records suddenly ran into financial trouble and the company was bought by Arista. The executives at Arista thought Anita couldn't sing and didn't want to renew Chapter 8's contract. Anita went home to Detroit and took a job with a law firm as a receptionist.
Solo career
In 1981, Otis Smith, the man behind Chapter 8's contract, formed his own label Beverly Glen. Remembering Anita's voice, he got her telephone number from a Chapter 8 member and called her in late 1982. Anita refused the job at first due to her duties as a receptionist. However, she agreed to sign with the label.
In 1983, Anita released her debut album ''The Songtress''. This album was a moderate success, which paved the way for a host of bigger things to come; two of the album's singles: "Angel" and "No More Tears" became smash hits on the R&B charts. By the spring of 1984, Anita had 5 chart hits and was close to a gold record. However, there was no answer when she asked Beverly Glen about a new album.
1986 - 1989: The critical and commercial success
In 1985, Anita got a major label contract with Elektra Records, a division of Warner Music Group. She released her second album, "Rapture" in 1986. Choosing her friend from Chapter 8, Michael J. Powell, as her producer, they created a masterpiece. It was this album which established Anita Baker as a world-wide musical tour de force. It was also this album that afforded her the opportunity to stretch her skills; she wrote "Been So Long", "Watch Your Step" and "Sweet Love". "Sweet Love" and "Caught Up In the Rapture" became the two biggest singles off the album. By
