Hailing from a musical family, Ms. Moore graduated from the famed Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey. At the encouragement of her parents, she went on to pursue music education at Montclair State University where she earned her Bachelor of Music Education Degree. However, her inner voice told her to see if she could make it as a performer.
Ms. Moore’s stepfather, pianist Clement Moorman, introduced her to several agents which eventually landed her a role in the cult classic musical HAIR. It was in HAIR that Ms. Moore became the first African-American woman to replace a white actress, who happened to be the acclaimed Diane Keaton, in a lead role on Broadway. A year and a half later, she starred in PURLIE, which earned her a TONY Award for her portrayal as “Lutiebelle". Ms. Moore later appeared alongside the iconic Eartha Kitt as “Marsinah” in the musical TIMBUKTU! Another first came when she landed the female lead role on Broadway as "Fantine" in the acclaimed musical, Les Misérables. Melba Moore was the first and last African-American woman to perform in that role.
Although Ms. Moore enjoyed working on Broadway, she didn’t want to forget about her first love…music. Deciding to focus more on her recording career, she made her recording debut on Mercury Records with "I Got Love", followed by "Look What You’re Doing To The Man". She was nominated for a Grammy Award for ‘Best New Artist.’ During this time, numerous Grammy nominations, recordings, and television shows, including her own variety show entitled The Melba Moore-Clifton Davis Show, followed. Ms. Moore was a regular on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson as well as The Flip Wilson Show, and many others. She scored a string of Billboard Charted hits with songs like “This Is It” and “You Stepped Into My Life”. Ms. Moore was the first female pop artist to do a non operatic solo concert at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House.
Melba Moore continued to enjoy great success musically with such chart topping songs as “Love’s Comin’ At Ya,” “Keepin’ My Lover Satisfied,” “Living For Your Love,” “Read My Lips,” which she received a Grammy nomination for ‘ Best Female Rock Vocal’. She had two Billboard #1 hit singles for “Falling” and “A Little Bit More,” a duet with Freddie Jackson. Ms. Moore later released "Soul Exposed" which featured a stellar version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” otherwise known as the Negro National Anthem. It featured such artists as Freddie Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Jeffrey Osborne, Lou Gossett Jr., Bobby Brown, Anita Baker, and Stephanie Mills.
