Rapture in Bloomington, MN

Though
Anita Baker
got some airplay out of
The Songstress
, that promising solo debut didn't bring her financial security. In fact,
Baker
was earning her living as a legal secretary in her native Detroit when she signed with
Elektra
in the mid-'80s.
gave her a strong promotional push, and the equally superb
Rapture
became the megahit that
should have been. To its credit,
made her a major star by focusing on
's strong point -- romantic but
gospel
-influenced
R&B
/
pop
ballads
and "slow jams," sometimes with
jazz
overtones -- and letting her be true to herself.
gave
one moving hit after another, including
"Sweet Love,"
"Caught up in the Rapture,"
"Same Ole Love,"
and
"No One in This World."
Praising
in a 1986 interview, veteran
critic
Steve Ivory
asserted, "To me, singers like
Frankie Beverly
define what
or
soul
music is all about." Indeed,
's tremendous success made it clear that there was still a sizeable market for adult-oriented, more traditional
singing. ~ Alex Henderson