Cougars! :)

Heard "On My Own" by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald on the radio this morning, and it got me thinking: in the 1980's, there was a huge trend of pairing divas with younger counterparts, resulting in Top 40 hits. So I did a little digging around and found a few fun facts:

Diana Ross and Lionel Richie: Endless Love [[5 years age difference)
# 1 US, 1981

Ronnie Spector and Eddie Money: Take Me Home Tonight [[6 years)
#4 US, 1986

Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald: On My Own [[8 years)
#1 US, 1986

Dusty Springfield and Neil Tennant: What Have I Done TDT [[15 years)
#2 US, 1987

Aretha and George Michael: I Knew You Were Waiting For Me [[21 years)
#1 US, 1987

Only in one case could I think of that the male lead was older than the female lead:

Chaka and Steve Winwood: Higher Love [[Steve 5 years older)
#1 US, 1986

Can you think of any other duet, Top 40 hits of the 80's where the female lead is older than her singing partner?

IT'S ONLY LOVE by Tina Turner and Bryan Adams [Tina 20 years older], #15 US, 1985.

LOVE POWER by Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne [Dionne 8 years older], #12 US, 1987.

TILL I LOVED YOU by Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson [Babs 7 years older], #25 US, 1988.

THROUGH THE STORM by Aretha and Elton John [Aretha 5 years older], #16 US, 1989.

"Guilty" by Barbara Streisand and Barry Gibb, which hit #3 in the US in 1980. [Barbara is 4 years older :cool:]

Almost Paradise by Ann Wilson and Mike Reno [[Wilson 5 years older than Reno)

"Baby, Come to Me" - Patti Austin and James Ingram [#1 pop, 1983] [Patti was a scant year and a half older than James]

In 1990, Diana Ross scandalized Urban/R&B radio with the Top 5 hit "No Matter What You Do" with Al B. Sure -- she is 24 years his senior.

But NANCY WILSON was the ultimate cougar -- 33 years the senior of Kenny Lattimore on this lush romantic ballad from 2004:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4tp5AKYQRE

Here's one: Dionne Warwick's duet with Luther Vandross on "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" from 1983. Dionne was 43 [11 years older] & Luther was 32 at the time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marybrewster

Only in one case could I think of that the male lead was older than the female lead:

Chaka and Steve Winwood: Higher Love [[Steve 5 years older)
#1 US, 1986

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Here's a case where the Male singer was older than the Female; Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. Marvin was 6 years older than Tammi when they started recording their classic series of duets beginning in 1967.

Just As Sure and Storybook Children Sam Dees and Bettye Swann [[ Bettye is 14 months older than Sam)

thank you Guy. What a beautiful track. Kenny sounds very much like Nancy, I didn't realize he was singing until I recognized the "girl" for "guy" which Nancy had sung. I'll check out the album.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Guy

In 1990, Diana Ross scandalized Urban/R&B radio with the Top 5 hit "No Matter What You Do" with Al B. Sure -- she is 24 years his senior.

But NANCY WILSON was the ultimate cougar -- 33 years the senior of Kenny Lattimore on this lush romantic ballad from 2004:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4tp5AKYQRE

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Good one Guy!

Here's a more obvious one, although not Top 40: Millie Jackson and Norwood Young [[26 years age difference)

"YOUNG MAN, OLDER WOMAN"

https://youtu.be/idCZO2PWRV8