Ada Dyer

A deeply soulful R&B vocalist with jazz undertones, Ada Dyer has not yet reached the commercial plateau equal to her artistic acumen. The Chicago-born performer's emotional and sultry style is just as assured as that of revered talents like Whitney Houston and Stephanie Mills, but she has not had the promotional backing of either. Dyer began her music career while still in high school with local bands like Axis, The Ken Chainey Experience, and Mother Fox. Playing nightclubs, as well as colleges, throughout the city, she met manager Paul Wilson, who helped her break into the business of singing commercial jingles. She also recorded some R&B demos with Wilson, one of which was entitled "Invitation." Over the next several years, she wet her feet in musical theater, in various stage productions such as The Wiz. Simultaneously, the demo of "Invitation" was gaining a buzz with industry insiders, attracting the attention of Stevie Wonder and eminent jazz drummer Norman Connors. Connors was so enthused that he chose the tune -- and Dyer -- for inclusion on a 1979 set for Buddha, which he would also title Invitation. As Adaritha (her given name), Dyer thus made her recording debut. In addition to "Invitation.", she was also featured on "Handle Me Gently." Connors invited the vocalist back for his next set, 1980's Take It to the Limit, on which the two scored a top-30 R&B hit in the titletrack. The success came as a surprise to Dyer, who at one point had quit the music industry to study computers. Singing had not been her career choice, and she was dubious about maintaining a financially secure position as a performer. But the results were much better than she expected; thus, in 1982, she relocated from Chicago to New York City. There, she continued her work in both jingles...