Via The RnB Soul Effect TV Black History Month Salutes : Grammy Award Icon Jody Watley
In 1988, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist (as a solo artist).
Trendsetting Pioneer In Music, Video, Fashion and style,singer, songwriter, record producer, and artist, whose music crosses genres including pop, R&B, jazz, dance, and electronic soul.
“Looking for A New Love” The single hit number two for four consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1987 and spent three weeks at number-one on the Billboard R&B chart.”Hasta la vista, baby.” It wound up on innumerable answering machines and was used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day (see Hasta la vista, baby).
“Still a Thrill,” whose video was the first (and as yet unmatched) time a pop star flexed their skills at waacking, the underground Los Angeles dance that is a sibling to both breakdancing and voguing.
“Friends” The song was one of the first ever to feature a rap artist (Eric B. & Rakim) and a singer.The successful “Friends” formula would become a mainstay formula in commercial pop music and was added as a category at the Grammy’s under Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2002.
During the summer of 1989, the “Real Love” video, directed by Hollywood director David Fincher, was nominated for seven MTV Video Music Awards including Breakthrough Video, Best Art Direction, Best Dance Video and Best Female Video at the 1989 ceremony.
In 2008, she was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard magazine, and was also prominently featured in the historic black issue of Vogue Italia in 2008.
In December 2016, Billboard ranked her as the 21st most successful dance artist of all-time. and in 2017 Black Music Honors TV special recognized Watley as Crossover Music Icon Honoree for her groundbreaking achievements and influence.
In August 2018, Billboard ranked Jody Watley as one of the top female artists of all-time, at number 53 and included in Top 25 Dance Music Female Artists of All Time.
In March 2021, Jody Watley was named the First Ambassador of the National Museum of African American Music.
As a solo artist Best New Artist Grammy Winner Jody Watley: on Billboard 6 Hot 100 Top Ten Singles, 15 Top 40 Singles, 13 #1 Dance Singles, 2 #1 R&B, 1 Top 25 Smooth Jazz Single – spanning over 3 decades and counting along with multi-platinum success, in addition to being recognized as a trendsetting style and fashion icon beyond her music.
