One of the most well-known vocalists to come out of the 1970s, singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton stands as a great influential figure for the Soul genre and many artists within this style of music.

Riperton began involving herself with the music industry in 1961 when, as a member of the Chicago-based girl-group The Gems, she worked as a backing vocalist for big artists of the time, such as Etta James. After releasing a few singles under Chess Records, The Gems disbanded, leaving 21-year-old Riperton to continue on as a solo artist, releasing “Lonely Girl” and “You Gave Me Soul” in 1966.

While recording under the alias “Andrea Davis,” she joined the group Rotary Connection as the lead vocalist in 1967, who released fifth full-lengths albums, before disbanding in 1974, giving Riperton the chance to fully invest herself in her solo career. In 1970, she released her first official album, Come to My Garden, which has since been called a masterpiece and the stepping stone for Riperton’s success. Following this release, she chose to devote her time to her children Marc and Maya Rudolph, and husband Richard Rudolph, in Florida.

During this 3-year period, Riperton was rediscovered by an employee from Epic Records and moved up to Los Angeles with her family to continue with her music career. She began to work for Stevie Wonder as a part of his backing band Wonderlove, joining the group on tour.

With instrumental and production help from both Wonder and her husband, Riperton released her most famed album to date, Perfect Angel, in 1974, which included break-out single “Lovin’ You.” Topping the Billboard Hot 100, the track showcased her five-octave range and her ability to sing in a whistle register.

As her career continued to blossom, Riperton released more albums in the following years, such as Adventures in Paradise, Stay in Love, and her self-titled album Minnie. After the release of Stay in Love she was diagnosed with breast cancer, inspiring Riperton to become a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society and the voice of thousands of women that suffered from the illness.

On July 12, 1979, Minnie Riperton passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, in the arms of her husband. Following this tragic loss, Minnie Riperton’s legacy has continued to live on. Several popular artists have since paid tribute to Riperton by covering her songs, including Ariana Grande, Olivia Newton-John and Chanté Moore.. Riperton’s tracks have also been sampled in songs by well-known rappers such as Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and 2Pac.

In addition to being the first artist of her time to demonstrate such ease with singing in the whistle register, Riperton has continued to be an inspiration for many artists to keep fighting on, despite any shortcomings that may come their way.