Melba Moore is a New York native who is a singer and Broadway actress. She was one of the first Black women to win a Tony Award in 1970, for her role in the play 'Purlie'. She has since been active the R&B scene with over a dozen love ballad and uptempo songs for over 40 years. Moore is responsible for starting the career of love ballad singer Freddie Jackson, who was sang with her on the duet, 'A Little Bit More'. Her hits from the 1970s and 1980s include Love 'This Is It', 'Burn', 'Love's Coming At Cha', 'Pick Me Up, I'll Dance', 'Livin' for Your Love', 'You Stepped Into My Life', 'Mind Up Tonight', 'Keepin' My Lover Satisfied' and 'Love the One I'm With' (duet with Kashif). Her 1990 recording of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' was instrumental in having that song entered into the Congressional Record as the official African-American National Anthem. More recently, Moore has been focusing on gospel recordings while still appearing in occasional Broadway shows. In 2003, she was featured in the film, The Fighting Temptations, which starred Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyonce Knowles.
