Crystal Waters

Crystal Waters was born on November 19, 1961, in Deptford Township, New Jersey. Her family had a musical background; her father, Junior Waters, was a jazz musician, and her great-aunt, Ethel Waters, was a prominent black American vocalist in Hollywood musicals. The family moved to Washington, D.C., where Waters demonstrated an early talent for writing, being inducted into the Poetry Society of America at the age of 14, making her the youngest person to receive this honor. She later pursued studies in business and computer science at Howard University. After graduating in 1989, she worked as a probation officer for the Washington, D.C. parole board to support her two daughters.

Waters’ entry into the music industry began as a backup singer, but her desire for creative control led her to songwriting. She connected with The Basement Boys, a production team known for house music, leading to a collaboration despite her initial jazz-oriented style. This partnership resulted in her breakthrough singles. She signed a writing contract with Mercury Records in 1989. Her debut single, “Makin’ Happy,” quickly reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. This success was followed by her iconic track “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless),” a song inspired by a homeless woman in Washington, D.C. This track achieved international success, reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charting within the Top 20 in numerous countries worldwide.

Her career continued to flourish with the release of her second album, Storyteller, in 1994, which featured another major hit, “100% Pure Love.” This single peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, and remained on the Hot 100 for 45 weeks. Storyteller sold over one million copies in the United States and was recognized by feminist scholar bell hooks for its socially conscious lyrics. Waters expanded her reach into Europe in 2007 with “Destination Calabria,” a collaboration with Alex Gaudino, which topped the European Pop Chart in over 30 countries. She has continued to produce and release music, with several singles reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, including “Mama Hey” (2013), “Synergy” (2015), “Believe” (2016), “Testify” (2017), and “I Am House” (2018), accumulating a total of twelve No. 1 hits on the chart. Waters launched her own record label, I Am House Records, in 2019, and hosts a weekly radio show of the same name.