1. Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1974 single "Lovin' You", her five-octave vocal range, and her use of the whistle register.
18 Facts About Minnie Riperton
1. 2.
In January 1976, Minnie Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer; in April, she underwent a radical mastectomy.
3.
Minnie Riperton was one of the first celebrities to go public with a breast cancer diagnosis, but she did not disclose that she was terminally ill.
4.
Minnie Riperton died of breast cancer on July 12,1979, at the age of 31.
5.
Minnie Julia Riperton was born in Chicago, the daughter of Thelma Inez and Daniel Webster Riperton, a Pullman porter.
6.
Minnie Riperton practiced breathing and phrasing, with particular emphasis on diction.
7.
The young Minnie Riperton was becoming interested in soul, rhythm and blues, and rock.
8.
Minnie Riperton dropped out of college to pursue her music career.
9.
In 1966, some months after her Andrea Davis singles hit the radio, Minnie Riperton joined Rotary Connection, a funky rock-soul group creation of Marshall Chess, the son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess.
10.
Minnie Riperton was presented as a solo artist by Ramsey Lewis on Saturday, December 26,1970, at Chicago's famed London House.
11.
Minnie Riperton went on to perform several numbers from the album while accompanied by Stepney.
12.
Minnie Riperton had become a homemaker and a mother of two in Gainesville, Florida.
13.
Minnie Riperton signed with Epic Records, and the family moved to Los Angeles, California.
14.
Minnie Riperton was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from August 1970 until her death in July 1979.
15.
At the time of her diagnosis, Minnie Riperton found out her cancer had already spread to the lymphatic system, and she was given about six months to live.
16.
That Sunday, following a funeral service attended by more than five hundred mourners, Minnie Riperton was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
17.
Minnie Riperton's epitaph is the opening line of her most famous song: "Lovin' you is easy 'cause you're beautiful".
18.
Minnie Riperton joined with established jazz guitarist George Benson, to kick-off a co-headlining North American concert tour.