Regina Belle

R&B songstress Regina Belle started her recording career in 1987, a real juncture for a soul singer. At this time hip-hop was beginning to creep into urban pop and a new fleet of urban divas (led by Whitney Houston) were highlighting vocal pyrotechnics over nuance. Given that, it means something that Belle could build and maintain a strong career during this era. A gifted quiet storm balladeer who sprinkles pillow talk tenderness with classic gospel toughness, Regina Belle has had numerous urban hit singles throughout the years and her 1989 album, Stay With Me, went all the way to the No. 1 spot on Billboard's R&B charts. In 2004, Belle released Lazy Afternoon, an album that uses jazz standards as a springboard for a superior set of bedroom soul vamps.