#repost via vintage_black88 Happy Birthday to the Unsung Vocal Dynamo, Tawatha Agee! Tawatha Agee is an acclaimed soul and R&B vocalist best known as the lead singer of the Grammy-winning group Mtume and one of the most respected session singers in music. Born November 14, 1954, in Pittsburgh, PA, and raised in Newark, NJ, she began singing in church before launching a professional career that made her vital to some of R&B’s most memorable recordings. In the early 1980s, she joined James Mtume and Reggie Lucas in Mtume, where her commanding vocals defined their signature sound. She led their 1983 No. 1 R&B hit “Juicy Fruit,” which became one of hip-hop’s most sampled songs, most famously by Biggie on “Juicy” (1994). Mtume’s success, including their Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo/Group with Vocals, established Tawatha as a leading voice in contemporary R&B. Beyond Mtume, she became one of the era’s premier session and background vocalists, gracing recordings by Chak...