What happened to Anita Baker?

I know she was going through various legal proceedings related to her divorce and non-payment claims relating to services provided for home upgrades. She released the fantastic one-off single "Lately" from her album "21st Century Love" and performed another great track called, "Sweet Dreams" on morning TV. Then I read that her album was again delayed and read a rumour she was suing someone because she finished her album and discovered the recordings were flawed due to the faulty recording equipment that she was provided. Not sure if that is true? I also noticed she is no longer listed as an artist on Bluenote's website.

Cannot deny her talent as a vocalist, songwriter and all around artist. It's too bad that these recent issues have kept her from releasing new music. She seems to be quite active on Twitter though. Maybe she's decided to take an indefinite break.

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Originally Posted by carlo

I know she was going through various legal proceedings related to her divorce and non-payment claims relating to services provided for home upgrades. She released the fantastic one-off single "Lately" from her album "21st Century Love" and performed another great track called, "Sweet Dreams" on morning TV. Then I read that her album was again delayed and read a rumour she was suing someone because she finished her album and discovered the recordings were flawed due to the faulty recording equipment that she was provided. Not sure if that is true? I also noticed she is no longer listed as an artist on Bluenote's website.

Cannot deny her talent as a vocalist, songwriter and all around artist. It's too bad that these recent issues have kept her from releasing new music. She seems to be quite active on Twitter though. Maybe she's decided to take an indefinite break.

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It would be a great pity if we were to be deprived of more new music from this wonderful singer. Her first three or four albums were undoubted classics. She has had many personal problems and indeed i found her to be an absolute nightmare to work with in the 80's, but whatever the lady may be like away from the recording studio her talent cannot be denied.

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Originally Posted by carlo

I know she was going through various legal proceedings related to her divorce and non-payment claims relating to services provided for home upgrades. She released the fantastic one-off single "Lately" from her album "21st Century Love" and performed another great track called, "Sweet Dreams" on morning TV. Then I read that her album was again delayed and read a rumour she was suing someone because she finished her album and discovered the recordings were flawed due to the faulty recording equipment that she was provided. Not sure if that is true? I also noticed she is no longer listed as an artist on Bluenote's website.

Cannot deny her talent as a vocalist, songwriter and all around artist. It's too bad that these recent issues have kept her from releasing new music. She seems to be quite active on Twitter though. Maybe she's decided to take an indefinite break.

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A lot of Anita's problem can be traced back to her having a bad attitude and exhibits poor behavior when communicating with others. She is or is thought to be as problem to deal with as another legendary diva from Detroit that gets discussed 24 hours a day on this forum. I am trying to do this in a most politically correct way. I remember being at LaGuardia 2006 to fly home for the holidays and there was Anita at the same gate as I. I was the only one speak to her and after doing so guy that works for the airlines leaned over and whispered to me that they all hate her guts because the disrespectful way she treats them. A poor personal attitude and will carry over into business which probably why she and that other great big diva is not recording and cannot find anyone to work them!

Yes, unfortunately I have heard stories from a few different people who have met Anita Baker and told me that she was always quite rude. I also have had a not so good experience when I met another diva, I won't say who, but it seems to be par of the course for many successful individuals. They lose their grip on reality.

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Originally Posted by marv2

A lot of Anita's problem can be traced back to her having a bad attitude and exhibits poor behavior when communicating with others. She is or is thought to be as problem to deal with as another legendary diva from Detroit that gets discussed 24 hours a day on this forum. I am trying to do this in a most politically correct way. I remember being at LaGuardia 2006 to fly home for the holidays and there was Anita at the same gate as I. I was the only one speak to her and after doing so guy that works for the airlines leaned over and whispered to me that they all hate her guts because the disrespectful way she treats them. A poor personal attitude and will carry over into business which probably why she and that other great big diva is not recording and cannot find anyone to work them!

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The people that you meet on the way up are the same ones you meet on the way down.

Two examples of divas that have found that to be true.

The story about Anita and the faulty recordings is the from the album she recorded after "Rhythm Of Love" for Atlantic. The shenanigans from that tale are a large part of what got her dropped from the label. One would have to guess that relations on both sides must have been bad if a company would drop a [[then) double platinum each time out act rather than to deal with them anymore. She moved on to Blue Note and recorded "My Everything."

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Originally Posted by marv2

A lot of Anita's problem can be traced back to her having a bad attitude and exhibits poor behavior when communicating with others. She is or is thought to be as problem to deal with as another legendary diva from Detroit that gets discussed 24 hours a day on this forum. I am trying to do this in a most politically correct way. I remember being at LaGuardia 2006 to fly home for the holidays and there was Anita at the same gate as I. I was the only one speak to her and after doing so guy that works for the airlines leaned over and whispered to me that they all hate her guts because the disrespectful way she treats them. A poor personal attitude and will carry over into business which probably why she and that other great big diva is not recording and cannot find anyone to work them!

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Cannot speak for Anita not being able to get anyone to work with her, but as regards the other Detroit diva you are obsessed with i would check your facts. Nile Rogers and Pharrell Williams want to work with her, ditto Lionel Richie who told me himself not three weeks ago. Also the producers of "empire"continue to chase this Detroit diva to work on the show and record on the soundtrack. You have a blessed day.

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Originally Posted by Bluebrock

Cannot speak for Anita not being able to get anyone to work with her, but as regards the other Detroit diva you are obsessed with i would check your facts. Nile Rogers and Pharrell Williams want to work with her, ditto Lionel Richie who told me himself not three weeks ago. Also the producers of "empire"continue to chase this Detroit diva to work on the show and record on the soundtrack. You have a blessed day.

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I am not obsessed with anyone, so you have my permission to stop lying now.

Always rated Anita so highly, her first album at the radio station I worked for supported it non stop, when she came to the UK and appeared at Wembley the record company asked me down for the concert and to meet her, I never liked to push artists if this is not what they were into, but after a great concert I was taken back stage and the record company representative who was with her on the tour and visit knocked on the door, well after she had come off stage, he walks in and I can hear the conversation which gets really heated, he then had to come out to me and apologise, anyone who feels they are a Diva loses my respect, sadly with Anita, only artist ever this happened with.

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Originally Posted by jaybs

Always rated Anita so highly, her first album at the radio station I worked for supported it non stop, when she came to the UK and appeared at Wembley the record company asked me down for the concert and to meet her, I never liked to push artists if this is not what they were into, but after a great concert I was taken back stage and the record company representative who was with her on the tour and visit knocked on the door, well after she had come off stage, he walks in and I can hear the conversation which gets really heated, he then had to come out to me and apologise, anyone who feels they are a Diva loses my respect, sadly with Anita, only artist ever this happened with.

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That is so sad. I fear we have lost her for good. I would be surprised if she managed to get her act together but with such a rare and unique talent I do hope I am proven wrong.

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Originally Posted by jaybs

Always rated Anita so highly, her first album at the radio station I worked for supported it non stop, when she came to the UK and appeared at Wembley the record company asked me down for the concert and to meet her, I never liked to push artists if this is not what they were into, but after a great concert I was taken back stage and the record company representative who was with her on the tour and visit knocked on the door, well after she had come off stage, he walks in and I can hear the conversation which gets really heated, he then had to come out to me and apologise, anyone who feels they are a Diva loses my respect, sadly with Anita, only artist ever this happened with.

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She grew up down the street from my cousins and went to high school with my brother for one year.

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Originally Posted by marv2

She grew up down the street from my cousins and went to high school with my brother for one year.

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I use to go see her and Chapter 8 for $5 at a club. By the time of her first solo album and hit single, I did not know who she was and a friend of mine while I was living in Colorado told me about the record and Anita. I still did not remember her until much later.

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Originally Posted by marv2

She grew up down the street from my cousins and went to high school with my brother for one year.

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How great that must be, here in the UK it is reflections like this and books which make these artists we love more real. I have to say that the many Motown artists I met not one of them were ever like the Anita experience, I appreciate they must get tired but a few minutes and a smile costs little. Never forget a UK girl soul group called Eternal doing a major roadshow for us at Aintree Racecourse, they arrived by helicopter and I went out in one of our radio vehicles to collect them from the other side of the course, the girls looked so tired and it upset me when one girl said to me, can you please tell me where we are? that day it was the fifth roadshow the record company rep told me.

Going back to Anita, Junior Walker was a real gentleman, met him so many times and what a guy, one concert we promoted at The Liverpool Empire, his changing room was on the 6th floor quite some stairs I can tell you, when I got to his changing room, he was sat alone with the dressing room door open outside the room he said it was just so hot, he looked completely drained and this was before to concert, I said Junior, rest we will see each other another day, no John stay it will be nice, memories like that never fade, his performance was absolutely amazing as ever, what a real Gent.