Chrisette Michele Payne
(born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Chrisette Michele
, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter on the Island Def Jam Music Group. [1] She won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song "Be OK".
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CHRISETTE MICHELE TICKETS
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Chrisette Michele Tickets 1/10 | Jan 10, 2025 Fri, 6:00 PM | | Chrisette Michele Tickets 1/10 | Jan 10, 2025 Fri, 9:30 PM | | Chrisette Michele Tickets 1/14 | Jan 14, 2025 Tue, 6:30 PM | | Chrisette Michele Tickets 1/14 | Jan 14, 2025 Tue, 9:30 PM | | Chrisette Michele Tickets 1/15 | Jan 15, 2025 Wed, 6:30 PM | |
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Biography
Michele was born in
Central Islip,
New York, and grew up in
Patchogue to parents who worked as deacons to their church. This connection inspired her to reflect on childhood memories in her own debut album. She sings in a
jazz style reminiscent of singers such as
Esther Phillips,
Sarah Vaughn,
Jill Scott,
Macy Gray,
Erykah Badu, and
Ella Fitzgerald.
The daughter of a deacon father and choir director mother, she led gospel choirs in high school. She attended
Five Towns College in
Dix Hills, New York, and graduated with a vocal performance degree.
[2]
Music career
Beginnings
Michele has been featured on several popular
hip hop albums. Most recently she was featured on
The Game's album
LAX
on "Let Us Live". On
Jay-Z's
Kingdom Come
she was featured on the second single "
Lost One", while on
Nas'
Hip Hop Is Dead
, she was featured three times: on the album's second single "
Can't Forget About You", the
Kanye West-produced "Still Dreaming", and the final track "Hope". Recently she also appeared on the
bonus track "Slow Down", from
Ghostface Killah's
The Big Doe Rehab
.
I Am
(2007)
Michele's debut album,
I Am
, was released on June 18, 2007. The song "Your Joy" was released on
iTunes as a free single of the week. The album spawned four singles: "If I Have My Way", "
Best of Me", "
Be OK", and "Love Is You". The album's lead single "If I Have My Way" charted at number four on
Billboard
's Hot Adult R&B Airplay and number twenty-four on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Following its success, "Best of Me" charted on the
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks at number twenty-one. In December 2007, "Be OK" was released as the third single, charting at number sixty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty-one on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay. In 2008, "Love Is You" was released as the album's fourth and final single on the album; it reached number ninety on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay.
Epiphany
(2009)
In 2008, Michele appeared on the track "Rising Up" from
The Roots' album
Rising Down
. Michele guest starred as herself in
The CW's
Girlfriends
, in the episode entitled "What's Black-a-Lackin'?", which originally aired on February 11, 2008. She also wrote a song for
Tyler Perry's House of Payne
entitled "I've Gotta Love Jones". The video premiered in 2008 on television, though the song is not publicly available.
[3] From May to July 2008 Michele embarked on a nationwide co-headlining tour with fellow soul singer
Raheem DeVaughn called the Art of Love Tour;
Solange Knowles served as the opening act.
[4] In September 2008, Michele performed twice at the Evening of Stars: A Tribute to
Patti Labelle.
In mid-2008, Michele began recording for her second album,
Epiphany
. In January 2009,
the album's title track was released as the lead single.
[5] [6] [7] [8] Released on May 5, 2009, the album debuted at number one on the
Billboard
200 selling 83,000 copies in its opening week.
[9]
Awards & Nominations
Vibe Music Award
- 2008, Breakthrough Artist of the Year (Nominated)
Grammy Award
- 2008, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "If I Have My Way" (Nominated)
- 2009, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Be OK" (Won)
BET Award
- 2008, Best New Artist: (Nominated)
BET J
- 2008, Virtual Awards: Soul Approved: (Won)
- 2008, Female Artist of the Year: (Won)
NAACP Image Awards
- 2008, Outstanding New Artist: (Nominated)
Urban Music Awards
- 2009, Best Female Act: (Nominated)
Discography
Albums
Year
| Album
| Chart positions
| Sales and Certifications
|
U.S.
| U.S. R&B
| U.S. BCA
|
2007
| I Am
- Debut studio album
- Released: June 19, 2007
| 29
| 5
| 29
|
|
2009
| Epiphany
- Second studio album
- Released: May 5, 2009
| 1
| 1
| 1
|
|
Singles
Year
| Single
| Chart positions
| Album
|
U.S.
| U.S. R&B
| U.S. Adult R&B
| U.S. AC
|
2007
| "If I Have My Way"
| 113
| 24
| 4
| —
| I Am
|
"Best of Me"
| —
| —
| —
| 21
|
"Be OK" (featuring will.i.am)
| —
| 61
| 21
| —
|
2008
| "Love Is You"
| —
| 90
| 20
| —
|
2009
| "Epiphany"
| 89
| 14
| 9
| —
| Epiphany
|
"Blame It on Me"
| —
| 39
| 18
| —
|
"What You Do" (featuring Ne-Yo) [11]
| —
| 57 [12]
| —
| —
|
Featured singles
Year
| Single
| Chart positions
| Album
|
U.S.
| U.S. R&B
| U.S. Adult R&B
| U.S. AC
|
2006
| "Lost One" (Jay-Z featuring Chrisette Michele)
| 58
| 19
| —
| —
| Kingdom Come
|
2007
| "Can't Forget About You" (Nas featuring Chrisette Michele)
| —
| 46
| 40
| —
| Hip Hop Is Dead
|
2008
| "Let Us Live" (The Game featuring Chrisette Michele)
| —
| —
| —
| —
| LAX
|
"Rising Up" (The Roots featuring Wale & Chrisette Michele)
| —
| —
| —
| —
| Rising Down
|
"Slow Down" (Ghostface Killah featuring Chrisette Michele)
| —
| —
| —
| —
| The Big Doe Rehab
|
Other Charted Songs
Year
| Single
| Chart positions
| Album
|
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
|
2007
| "In This For You"
| 122 [13]
| I Am
|
References
- Chrisette Michele official website @ defjam.com - Biography
- Afrobella of the Week: Chrisette Michele
- Chrisette Michele Partners With TBS for ‘House Of Payne’ Campaign. Singersroom
- GRAMMY Nominated Chrisette Michele to Co-Headline "The Art of Love Tour"
- New Music: Chrisette Michele "Epiphany" Off New Album - Listen Now!
- Chrisette Michele Turns To Ne Yo For 'Epiphany' Led Sophomore Album
- NEW MUSIC: CHRISETTE MICHELE - “EPIPHANY”
- Chrisette Michele Has An 'Epiphany' & So Do We
- Chrisette Michele Scores First No. 1 On Billboard 200
- Chrisette Michele Has An 'Epiphany' On Sophomore Album
- [1]. Retrieved on 2009-05-08.
- http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=367&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+R%26amp%3BB%2F
- http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=345&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Bubbling+Under+R%2