Sheila Hutchinson

Singer/songwriter Sheila Hutchinson was a member of the Emotions, who had hits ("Show Me How," "So I Can Love You," "Put A Little Love Away," "You Make Me Want to Love You") on Stax/Volt Records and on Columbia Records through Earth, Wind and Fire founder Maurice White's Kalimba Productions (the #1 R&B, #1 Pop Grammy winner, "Best Of My Love," "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love," "Flowers," "Don't Ask My Neighbors" and the million-selling group duet with EWF, "Boogie Wonderland"). She wrote the group's first nationally charting single, "So I Can Love You" as well as co-writing many of their '70s hits. There is a strong Emotions influence on Mariah Carey's hits, "Emotions" and "Dreamlover." Sheila Hutchinson and the rest of the Emotions sang background vocals on Smokey Robinson's Motown CD, Intimate, issued September 28,1999. Born in 1953, Hutchinson and her sisters, Wanda Hutchinson and Jeanette Hutchinson (all Chicago natives), started performing gospel music with their father, Joe Hutchinson, as the Hutchinson Sunbeams in 1956. Their father was a member of the gospel group, the Wings of Heaven. From their Terre Haute, IA, home, they would travel across the country doing shows. Around 1962, the family formed Three Ribbons and a Bow, recording sides for Chicago labels, VeeJay Records, Twin Stacks and George Lerner's One-der-ful Records. A Twin Stacks single, "Bush Fire," was leased to Bell Records in 1967. Winning a talent contest at Chicago's legendary Regal Theater, the group walked away with the first prize, a recording contract with Memphis,TN-based Stax/Volt Records. Afterwards they were approached by family friend Pervis Staples, whose family members, the Staple Singers, later had several hits for Stax such as "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself." Staples...