ARMATRADING

British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading was born on December 9, 1950 in the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts. She later moved to England when she was 7.

At about the age of 14, Armatrading began writing songs by setting her own limericks to music on a piano that her mother had purchased as "a piece of furniture". Shortly thereafter, her mother bought her a £3 guitar from a pawn shop in exchange for two prams, and the younger Armatrading began teaching herself the instrument.

Armatrading began performing in the late 1960’s in local gigs and then joined the stage production for Hair. In the production she met lyricist Pam Nestor and the two would work closely on Armatrading’s debut album “Whatever’s for Us” released by Cube records in 1972. In 1976 her next album, Joan Armatrading, entered the Top 20 and spawned the Top 10 hit single "Love and Affection". The album mixed acoustic work with jazz-influenced material, and this style was retained for the 1977 follow-up Show Some Emotion, also produced by Glyn Johns, as was 1978's To the Limit. These albums included songs which continue to be staples of Armatrading's live shows, including "Willow", "Down To Zero", "Tall in the Saddle", and "Kissin' and a Huggin". Also at this time, Armatrading wrote and performed "The Flight of the Wild Geese", which was used during the opening and end titles for the 1978 war film The Wild Geese. The song was included on the soundtrack album for the film, originally released by A&M Records, later released under licence as a Cinephile DVD. A live album entitled Steppin' Out was released in 1979.

Between 1972 and 1976 Armatrading made a total of eight appearances in session for the John Peel show and the decade saw her become the first Black British female singer/songwriter to enjoy international success.

Armatrading was the musical guest for Season 2, episode 58 of NBC's Saturday Night Live, which originally aired on 14 May 1977.[18] She performed "Love and Affection" and "Down to Zero".

Joan Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee, and was nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She also received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996. In a recording career spanning 40 years, Armatrading has released 18 studio albums, as well as several live albums and compilations.