Melissa Manchester

Melissa Manchester was born on February 15, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, into a musical family; her father was a bassoon player for the New York Metropolitan Opera orchestra. She began her musical training at the Manhattan School of Music and Arts, where she studied piano and harpsichord. At the age of 15, Manchester started recording commercial jingles, and by 17, she became a staff writer for Chappell Music while attending the High School of Performing Arts. She further honed her songwriting skills studying at New York University School of the Arts under Paul Simon. In the early 1970s, before launching her solo career, Manchester sang backup for Bette Midler as a member of The Harlettes, a group she co-created with Barry Manilow.

Manchester’s solo career began with her debut album, “Home to Myself,” in 1973. Her album “Melissa” in 1975 produced her first top-ten hit, “Midnight Blue,” which remained on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 17 weeks. In 1979, she earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance for her rendition of Peter Allen’s “Don’t Cry Out Loud.” A significant career highlight came in 1982 with her hit song “You Should Hear How She Talks About You,” which reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned her a Grammy Award for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance in 1983. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Manchester diversified her career, balancing recording commitments with acting roles in film and television, including a notable appearance with Bette Midler in “For the Boys” and a recurring role on the television series “Blossom.” She also contributed extensively to film soundtracks, including “Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure” in 2001.

More recently, Manchester has continued to release new music. Her 2015 album, “You Gotta Love the Life,” was independently funded through an Indiegogo campaign and featured collaborations with artists like Keb’ Mo’ and Al Jarreau. In 2017, she released “The Fellas,” an album paying tribute to male vocalists who influenced her, following her 1989 album “Tribute” which honored female singers. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Manchester produced her 24th album, “Re:View,” which re-envisioned previous hits. In 2023, she took on a theatrical role as Mrs. Brice in the U.S. national tour of the Broadway musical “Funny Girl.” These endeavors demonstrate Manchester’s sustained artistic output and versatility across different creative mediums.