Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American jazz and soul singer known for her ballads, particularly during the quiet storm era of the 1980s. She began her career in the late 1970s with the funk band Chapter 8, and released her first solo album, "The Songstress", in 1983. She gained wider recognition with her second album, "Rapture" (1986), which included the Grammy-winning single "Sweet Love". As of 2017, Baker has received eight Grammy Awards and has achieved four Platinum and two Gold albums. She is a contralto with a wide vocal range. Baker was born in Toledo, Ohio, and raised by a foster family in Detroit, Michigan, after being abandoned by her mother. Following the death of her foster parents when she was twelve, she was raised by her foster sister. She began singing R&B in Detroit nightclubs at age sixteen and was discovered by bandleader David Washington, who connected her with Chapter 8. Baker joined the band in 1975, and their self-titled debut album was released in 1979, featuring the singles "Ready for Your Love" and "I Just Want to Be Your Girl". After the group was dropped by Arista Records, Baker returned to Detroit and worked outside of music until beginning a solo career under Beverly Glen Records in 1982. Her debut album, "The Songstress", produced four singles, including "No More Tears", "Will You Be Mine", "Angel" and "You're the Best Thing Yet". "Angel" reached number five on the R&B chart. Baker later moved to Elektra Records, where she released "Rapture" in 1986. The album included the singles "Watch Your Step", "Sweet Love", "Caught Up in the Rapture", "No One in the World" and "Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year)". Baker promoted the album through The Rapture Tour, a performance from which was released as "A Night of Rapture". By 1988, "Rapture" had sold over eight million copies worldwide. Baker also collaborated with The Winans on "Ain't No Need to Worry", which won a Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group. In 1988, Baker released "Giving You the Best That I Got", which topped the Billboard 200 and included the singles "Giving You the Best That I Got", "Just Because" and "Lead Me Into Love". The album sold five million copies worldwide and earned three Grammy Awards. "Compositions" followed in 1990, incorporating more jazz elements and producing the singles "Talk to Me", "Soul Inspiration" and "Fairy Tales". Baker took a break from music in the early 1990s to focus on her family. She returned with "Rhythm of Love" in 1994, which included "Body and Soul" and "I Apologize", the latter earning her a Grammy. Baker toured in support of the album from December 1994 to November 1995 and later transferred to Atlantic Records in 1996. During a hiatus from recording, she filed a lawsuit against Zomba Recording in 2001 and was released from Atlantic later that year. Rhino Records released a compilation, "The Best of Anita Baker" ("Sweet Love: The Very Best of Anita Baker" in the UK), in 2002. Baker resumed live performances in 2004 and released "My Everything", which reached number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold. In 2005, she released "Christmas Fantasy", which included a Grammy-nominated song, "Christmas Time Is Here". She received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music in 2005 and toured from 2007 to 2009 in "An Evening with Anita Baker". Baker worked on new music beginning in 2010, releasing singles such as "Only Forever" and a cover of "Lately" in 2012. Although plans for a new album were delayed, she performed on television and at the Grammys, where "Lately" was nominated for Best R&B Performance. She confirmed her retirement in 2017, but returned to music in 2018. In 2021, Baker resolved a dispute with Elektra Records over the rights to her master recordings, regaining ownership. She performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2022 NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked her number 92 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. Studio albums The Songstress (1983) Rapture (1986) Giving You the Best That I Got (1988) Compositions (1990) Rhythm of Love (1994) My Everything (2004) Christmas Fantasy (2005)