Melissa Manchester

Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. During the 1970s and 1980s, her music found widespread success and popularity, particularly in the adult contemporary market. Throughout her career, she has written many of her own songs, most notably her first mainstream hit single, 1975's "Midnight Blue". She is also well-known for her song "Come In from the Rain", her rendition of "Don't Cry Out Loud", and the Academy Award-nominated "Through the Eyes of Love". Her most successful song on the music charts is 1982's "You Should Hear How She Talks About You", landing at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. She has also gone on to appear on television, in films, and on stage.

Manchester was born on February 15, 1951, in the Bronx, to a musical family. Her father, David Manchester, was a bassoonist for the New York Metropolitan Opera for three decades. Her mother was one of the first women to design and found her own clothing firm, Ruth Manchester Ltd. The Manchesters are of Jewish origin.

Manchester started a singing career at an early age. She learned the piano and harpsichord at the Manhattan School of Music, began singing commercial jingles at age 15, and became a staff writer at age 17 for Chappell Music while attending Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.

She studied songwriting at New York University with Paul Simon when she was 19. Manchester played the Manhattan club scene, where Barry Manilow, a friend and fellow singer of jingles, introduced her to Bette Midler. In 1971, she became a member of the Harlettes, the back-up singers for Midler, which she co-created with Manilow.

Manchester made a brief speaking appearance as "Yoko Ono" on the 1972 album National Lampoon Radio Dinner, on the track titled "Magical Misery Tour", and as the singer in "Deteriorata".

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.