Lisa Lisa
Lisa Lisa | |
|---|---|
 Lisa Lisa performing in 1987 | |
| Born | Lisa Velez January 15, 1967 (age 57) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels |
|
Lisa Velez (born January 15, 1967),[1] better known by her stage name Lisa Lisa, is an American singer. She rose to fame in the 1980s as one-third of the band Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.
Early life
According to
Broadway musicals.[2]
Career
club that she frequented to be discovered. She described the atmosphere as, "a young place, no liquor served in that place at all, so I kinda liked it. I used to dance a lot, but I was always aware of where I was turning, so I would watch and find out who's who, where's where." Hughes spotted her, finding her attractive and asked her to audition for the production team. She took the subway to a house in Brooklyn, her first trip to the borough, without her protective older brother, who was to later become her bodyguard.[2]
With Hughes and Alex "Spanador" Moseley, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam recorded their debut single, "
top 20 in the UK. The group amassed a number of hit songs
throughout the 1980s.
Velez said of her moniker "I guess they had the type of idea like, okay, [the U.T.F.O. hit] '
Roxanne, Roxanne' worked, why not Lisa Lisa? I thought it was cute because I knew it would cause controversy, talk." About getting paid, Velez expressed "I don't think about the money. I'm not doing this for the money. I was pulling in 600 to 700 a week when I was working at Benetton, so it doesn't mean shit to me. I'm just doing this 'cause I want to sing."[2] By the end of the '80s, however, the group's success had begun to decline. Their fourth and final album, Straight Outta Hell's Kitchen, was less of a commercial success, though it did include a hit with "Let the Beat Hit 'Em", which reached the top 40
on the US pop chart and was a hit on both the R&B and club charts. The group disbanded in 1991, and Velez pursued both solo singing and acting careers, and Moseley and Hughes went on to do other projects.
Lisa Lisa released a
Bronx.[4]
In June 2019 Lisa Lisa signed with Snoop Dogg's Army, part of the Snoop Dogg Entertainment Company.[5]
Personal life
Lisa turned down the role of “Lisa” in the movie Coming to America offered to her by Eddie Murphy.[6]
Velez married Antonimar Mello in 2005.[7]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| LL77 |
|
| Life 'n Love |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [8] |
US R&B [8] |
CAN [9] |
NLD [10] |
UK
[11] | ||||||||||
| "Skip to My Lu" | 1993 | 5 | 38 | — | 16 | 42 | 34 | LL77 | ||||||
| "When I Fell in Love" | 1994 | — | 96 | 28 | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Can't Wait" (feat. Pitbull )
|
2009 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Life 'n Love | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Taina | Gloria Elana Morales | Main role |
| 2003 | Law & Order | Lucy Mireles | Episode: "Smoke" |
| 2020 | 5th Borough | Ester | Movie |
See also
References
- ^ SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. January 1988.
- ^ a b c Leland, John (January 1988). "Angel Heart: The Making of Lisa Lisa". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC.
- ^ Erlwine, Stephen Thomas. "Artist Biography: Lisa Lisa". AllMusic.
- ^ Test, Irene (March 31, 2014). "On the Cusp of a Comeback: A Return for Freestyle Music". crossfadr.com.
- ^ "Login • Instagram". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "LIsa Lisa in the Basement with JaVonne and Terez". YouTube.
- ^ Mongelli, Lorena. "Artist Biography: Lisa Lisa". NewYorkPost.
- ^ a b c "US Charts > Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- ^ "Billboard, April 16, 1994, p. 54". Billboard. April 16, 1994. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- MegaCharts. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- ^ "UK Charts > Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
