About Geraldine Hunt
Hometown
St. Louis, MO, United States
Born
February 10, 1945
Genre
R&B/Soul
While Geraldine Hunt's name rarely pops up in conversations, the talented singer, writer, and producer born Geraldine Milligan in St. Louis, Missouri on February 10, 1945 never gave up the fight for fame, money, and universal recognition. Hunt's family moved to Chicago when she was two years old, and the precocious youngster decided she wanted to sing a short time later. It was in her blood -- her grandmother sung in the South, and her Dad made extra money as a one-man band. The bug really bit at Hyde Park High school where Minnie Ripperton was one of her classmates. She began recording in the '60s, and songs like "I Let Myself Go" got some airplay on R&B stations but never became hits. Still, the lovely, full-throated singer toured and gigged the R&B spots and did studio work on others' sessions. She disappeared from the scene when her family moved to Montreal, Canada in 1975. She resurfaced after starting her own label, 6 A.M. Records, and scored two small Canadian hits. In 1980 she recorded "Can't Fake the Feeling" on Prism Records, her most successful single; it prompted the release of her first album, Can't Fake the Feeling. Prince Quick Mix remade the song on Twisted Records. But she was miles from the minds of mainstream urban radio, and no longer appeared on billings with groups like the Chi-lites and the O'Jays, except in Canada; many thought she'd retired. Deep into producing, she cut her son Freddie James' 1979 release on Warner Bros., "Get Up and Boogie." But her biggest production coup came with Cheri, who scored internationally with "Murphy's Law" in 1982. Rosalind Hunt, Geraldine's daughter, was one-half of the female duo Cheri. A dance club favorite, the song sold millions of copies worldwide. Not only did Geraldine produce Cheri, she wrote the albums' best songs including "Murphy's Law," "Love Stew," "Working Girl," and "Hold Back the Night."
The ride was rough for Hunt, and her 20 single releases over the years brought her only marginal success. She recorded on Calla, Roulette, and other labels before moving to Canada. Hunt took Prism Records, the company she recorded "Can't Fake the Feeling" on, to court for unpaid monies. Though she won the case, she never got paid. She became an alcoholic, which exacerbated her innate volatile personality and was labeled "difficult." When she stopped drinking, the tag remained, and despite the success of "Murphy's Law," production deals from major companies were not forthcoming. In 1998, she released her first single in quite a while, "Deep Deep in the Night," which made a little noise in France and Belgium. Hunt never fully returned to her urban roots and remained unknown to casual music fans Her singles appear on some of the many Northern soul compilations on the market. Geraldine Hunt died on October, 27, 2022, at the age of 77. ~ Andrew Hamilton
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