Long before “independent artist” was a trend, Jody Watley was already setting the blueprint. Over three decades strong doing it HER way, after a chart-topping era on MCA, she started Avitone as a vehicle for her music in 1995. She’s been pushing boundaries since that time with numerous critically acclaimed, chart topping releases and dance-floor favorites.
A Legacy of Sound. A Vibe That Endures.
Celebrate 30 years of Jody Watley’s Avitone label with “LET’S DANCE Vol. 1 (Hit Them Beats)” — a sizzling new album of indie dance gems, Avitone club classics, and chart-topping faves.
Available July 9 on all digital platforms!
Download • Stream • Playlist • Share
A&R: Jody Watley, Bill Coleman (Peace Bisquit), Angelo “Pepe” Skordos
Art Design: Shawn West & Jody Watley
Jody Watley is a GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer and style icon. Named Best New Artist in 1988, she’s one of Billboard’s Top 60 Female Artists of All Time, with 6 Top 10 Hot 100 hits, 13 No. 1 Dance singles, and genre-spanning success across R&B, Pop, Dance, and Jazz. A visionary in music and fashion, Watley helped pave the way for Black women to break boundaries. Honored as a Crossover Music Icon by Black Music Honors, her influence continues—decades strong. To lear more : Jody Watley Bio
As we enter a new summer season, Jody Watley extends well wishes to everyone. With so much going on, especially in LA please be safe, cool and informed.
Life can be tricky – Stay in your magic!
Watch the NEW video upload here and other recent uploads including a rare video interview from 1987.Jody Watley talks with Richard Blade about the moment she first heard “Looking for a New Love” on the radio — and the creative vision behind her iconic debut video. A true original, then and now.
Be sure to subscribe and stay tuned for a new music release announcement celebrating 3 decades of being independent via Avitone coming soon.
Jody Watley is celebrating 30 years of her independent label Avitone, the vehicle to release her music. “Midnight Lounge” released in 2003 is one of many notable releases. 3rd album for the label following 1995’s Affection, 2000’s Saturday Night Experience Vol. 1 which ushered in the new millennium and a new artistic era for Watley.
#1 iTunes Electronic Album.
Critically Acclaimed.
Soulful. Sleek. Ahead of its time, Written and Produced by Jody Watley, Rodney Lee and Ron Trent.
✨“Best album of her career.” – Blues & Soul UK
✨“Smooth house vibes, a delightful soulful surprise.” – URB
✨“A brave record… classy & cool.” – AP / Washington Post
💫Independently iconic. Forever evolving.
Jody Watley. Midnight Lounge Cover Art.
Revisit | Discover this Jody Watley Classic Independent Release and Avitone 30the anniversary milestone. The album and other Avitone releases are streaming at platforms of your choice and help celebrate this album and the boldly independent artist, writer and producer continued evolution.
Before it was a trend and popular viral accessory, Jody Watley made the handheld fans iconic.
Queen of Fans – Trendsetter Jody Watley in the 70’s
In the late 70s, teen Jody Watley lit up Soul Train and discos with her bold fashion, signature dance style. In fact, long before they became a viral accessory and incorporated into concerts by artists onstage-Jody Watley was making a statement.
With her ever-evolving fashion, fearless hairstyles, and signature use of fans in dance routines, Watley influenced a generation.
As Ebony Magazine once wrote:
“It’s not uncommon to see young women dancing the night away with fans whirring to the disco beat… another of Jody’s innovations.”
Nelson George wrote : ~Nelson George “The Hippest Trip In America – Soul Train and the evolution of culture and style – William Morrow Imprint of Harper Collins Books
“..with Jody emerging as a late 70’s style icon. She could rock silver shorts and red glitter converse sneakers, vintage 1940’s inspired dresses with pumps or her prom dress. Her hair was an ongoing adventure, sometimes filled with tons of ribbons, sometimes long ponytails, or a 1940’s hairdo..”
From silver shorts to prom dresses, from long ponytails to vintage glam, Watley was the moment—decades before social media.
Now, as the fan dance craze returns in songs like “Boots On The Ground,” it’s time to give credit where it’s long overdue the origins in black culture of which Watley was at the core.
She reintroduced the fans in 2014 with the release of her “Nightlife” single from the “PARADISE” EP a contemporary nod to disco and dance. The oversized custom painted fans were and continue to be emblazoned with her name, and other associated terms like “Wattage”
Jody Watley’s “Larger Than Life” peaks at #16 on the Billboard 200.
A platinum-certified follow-up to her GRAMMY-winning debut as Best New Artist, cemented her legacy as a music, fashion & artistic visionary, and continued to broadened her scope as songwriter, co-writing 11 of the albums songs.
Hits:
• “Real Love” Certified Gold – #2 Hot 100 | #1 R&B | #1 Dance – 6 MTV Award Nominations
• “Friends” ft. Eric B. & Rakim – A pioneering R&B/hip-hop collab permanently changing the landscape of popular music and crossover Rap/Sung Collaborations with full verses reaching the Top 10 on multiple charts.
Jody Watley celebrates the incomparable Stevie Wonder on his 75th birthday today May 13. It was a true honor to work with him, twice so far in my career. Stevie being one of my all time favorite artists, writers and producers of all time. I was invited to join him on his 1988 MTV Special Characters. We sang one of my solo debut hits “Some Kind Of Lover” together. Later in the special when he performed one of his classics “Superstition” I joined him for a rousing rendition that included other guests on the special the legendary blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn, Salt -N- Pepa with Spinderella and bassist BrownMark from The Revolution. It was an experience I’ll never forget. Watch video clips on the Official Jody Watley Youtube Channel: Here
In 2022, Stevie phoned me with an invite to perform at his annual House Full of Toys Concert at The Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. If you’re familiar with the Jody Watley album “Intimacy” you’ll know I covered his composition “Too Shy To Say” – one of my favorite songs.
Happy Birthday to the 8th Wonder of the World – Stevie Wonder. Thank you for being such a positive inspiration and force in music; a brilliant example of artistic growth, longevity and humanitarian actions.
Jody Watley‘s “Flower” Album Turns 27: Timeless Music Of Growth and Renewal. The Grammy winner came together with an esteemed array of collaborators for her 6th solo album. From select members of Organized Noize (Ivan Matias), Masters at Work (Louie Vega, Kenny Gonzalez), Tony! Toni! Toné! (D’Wayne Wiggins and Randall Wiggins) and Groove Theory (Bryce Wilson) as well as Rahsaan Patterson, Malik Pendleton, Cassandra Lucas, Phil Galdston, Deric Angelettie, and Derrick Edmonson all assembled to get down to the business of record making. Out of all these new faces, Edmonson was the only carry over from Flower’s antecedent Affection, as a Watley co-writer, co producer, the first release of Jody Watley’s independent offering from her Avitone Recordings, established in 1995.
While it’s true that the genesis of Flower had a bumpy start, the project eventually took on a joyful upswing during its creation. All of those assembled respected Watley’s progressive form of soul and sought to make it accessible to the black radio format of the late 1990s. Obvious hooks are planted among the fluid funk of Flower, none of them blocking the intelligence or sexiness of the lyrical thrust of the LP.
Watley’s way with a groove, whether a simmering midtempo (“Flower,” “Everything You Do”) or a punchy uptempo aimed squarely for the dancefloor (“Baby Tonight,” “I Don’t Want You Back”), was second to none. “Off the Hook” functioned at both paces on the affair, becoming its launching single. It’s original incarnation favors Quiet Storm posture, whereas its secondary shape—the D-Dot Remix—is that of an undeniable hip-hop banger that reunites her with one of that movement’s defining voices after their inaugural partnership on “Friends” in 1989: Rakim.
There are at least four formal downtempos on Flower, all of them prepossessing, but it’s the acoustic warmth of “16” that rises above that pretty pack to become not only the best ballad on the set, but one of the standout entries in Watley’s entire discography. On “16,” Watley writes and sings for young womanhood and captures all of the feelings of that unique, if sometimes bittersweet, journey. A year after its release on Flower, it found its way onto The Writings on the Wall (1999) as “Sweet Sixteen,” the second LP from a soon-to-be iconic girl group known as Destiny’s Child. – Quentin Harrison, Albumism –
Singles: Off The Hook
# 1 Hot Dance Club Play (Remixed by Masters At Work & D-Dot Hip Hop Remix)
# 23 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles
# 73 Hot 100
“If I’m Not in Love” (The Remixes)
# 2 Hot Dance Club Play
It’s Spring – be like a “Flower – continue to bloom and grow.
Revisit or Listen for the first time! “Flower” is streaming at all digital platforms. Learn more about the Jody Watley Discography.
Jody Watley “Larger Than Life” Cover Art. Photography by Steven Meisel.
On March 27, 1989, Jody Watley, fresh off her GRAMMY win for Best New Artist, delivered her second solo album, “Larger Than Life.” More than just an album, this platinum-certified solid follow up showcased her evolution as a visionary in music, fashion, and artistry. Jody Watley co-wrote 9 of the ten songs, produced by Andre Cymone. “The concept of the album is about not playing yourself small – make it larger than life, go big, do it up!” Watley has stated.
Let’s break down the hits:
“Real Love” – A high-energy dance-pop anthem that became one of her signature hits, earning a Gold certification and an unforgettable MTV presence with its trendsetting video which remains one of the most nominated music videos in VMA Awards History.
“Friends” (ft. Eric B. & Rakim *groundbreaker one of the first R&B/Rap collaborations to reach Top 10 on multiple charts including the Billboard Hot 100). A pioneering crossover hit, blending R&B and hip-hop in a way that helped lay the foundation for future collaborations across genres; a fact largely overlooked to this day in mainstream media, R&B and Hip Hop Media. The video was also quietly notable for it’s inclusion of hip hop B-Boys, true NYC underground club kids, and iconic figures like Connie Fleming, Codie Ravioli, voguers, drag queens, transgender, combined making a mix of club goers co-existing at her Club Couture.
“Everything” – A beautifully heartfelt ballad that became another major hit, showcasing her versatility.
Cultural Impact:
Beyond the charts, Larger Than Life solidified Jody Watley’s influence on music, fashion, and visual storytelling. From the iconic style moments, the forward thinking collaborative approach with Eric B & Rakim, she set trends that artists still draw from today.
Revisit this classic album by downloading or streaming from the digital platforms of your choice: or discover it for the first time. Great music has no expiration date!
In June 2022, Jody Watley was honored with Jody Watley Day at the Georgia State Capitol, recognizing her impact not just in music but in culture and humanity. Trailblazer. Icon. Inspiration.
Jody Watley with Rep. Billy Mitchell, Dr. Jacqueline Mohair and Dee Dawkins-Haglier
The Grammy winning artist also received the prestigious Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication to community service in making a difference through arts and entertainment as a positive influence.
Jody Watley Day at Georgia State Capitol.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month we honor women like Jody Watley-paving the way for next generation of contemporary artists and women breaking barriers, and continuing to inspire generations.
Jody Watley – Jody Watley Day At Georgia State Capitol
March 18, 1989, marked the release of Jody Watley’s 6th smash hit solo single “Real Love” a song that solidified her status as a music and style icon.
The second single from her platinum selling Larger Than Life album dominated the charts, hitting #1 on both the Billboard R&B AND Dance charts and soaring to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single also achieved Gold certification, selling nearly a million copies. The song was written by Jody Watley and Andre Cymone and produced by Cymone for MCA Records.
Beyond its chart success, “Real Love” made history at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards earning six nominations – one of the most nominated in the award show’s history. The stylish high fashion visuals directed by David Fincher, showcased Watley’s trendsetting influence, cementing her as a force in both music and fashion.
Decades later “Real Love” remains a timeless anthem of empowerment and independence. As we celebrate this milestone, it’s clear Jody Watley’s impact is as powerful as ever.
Download, Stream, Watch the Official Video – AGAIN on YouTube and work that runway walk!
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we celebrate Jody Watley. Learn more about the ongoing and diverse Jody Watley Discography
