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R
Artist
Rita Shelby
5+ albums
female vocalistslesser known yet streamable artists
about
Rita Shelby has had a passion for music her whole life. Her mother (the late Florence Hawkins) was a gospel musician, so quite naturally LaRita (her given name) began singing and playing the piano at her mother’s side. Though she tried her hand at various instruments and studied several musical art forms, her passion and her gift is most realized in jazz. Rita has further developed her skills over the past ten years. The result is her debut album A Date With A Song which features eleven songs written by Rita Shelby and Willie Daniels; and one song by another legend Mike Melvoin and Arthur Hamilton. Rita has been praised for her slick and catchy lyrics & melodies that are enveloped by infectious jazzy chords constructed by Mr. Willie Daniels, a former classmate from Memphis’ Overton High School of the Performing Arts. The production team includes Willie Daniels, Stafford Floyd, Michael Wells and the Grammy Award winning Andre’ Fischer. For seven years Rita has hosted the Starlight Jazz Serenade benefit concert at the Los Angeles Academy of TV Arts & Sciences where she performed on the same venue with Gerald Albright, Norman Brown, Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson and more. It was there that she was spotted by L. A. Times Jazz critic Don Heckman who predicted that Rita had star potential! A Date With A Song reveals Rita’s singing and songwriting ability in a sultry style that is tinged in melodies that hint of jazzy tones from days gone by. Rita Shelby is a new lady for
