Anita was born January 26, 1958 in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in Detroit,
Michigan. She began singing in church choir when she was 12 and at 16
sang in a local group along with high school friends. In 1975 she
successfully auditioned for the group Chapter 8, having been approached
by bass player David Washington, and spent the next few years playing
in and around Detroit, eventually signing with Ariola, releasing an
album in 1979. However, when Ariola was bought out by Arista, the
group's contract was not renewed.
Anita returned to Detroit, finally working with a law firm as a
receptionist. In 1981, Otis Smith, who was the man behind Chapter 8's
contract, formed his own label, Beverly Glenn. He contacted her in 1982
and offered her a deal which at first she refused, but when Smith
increased the amount of his original offer, and the contract was
approved legally, she accepted, releasing the album "Songstress" in
1983. In 1986 she signed with Elektra, and at the same time was an
executive producer on "Rapture", her debut album for the label, which
sold over 6 million records worldwide. She won two Grammy awards: Best
R&B Female Performance for the album "Rapture" and Best R&B Song for
"Sweet Love".
In 1987, Anita began work on her follow-up album "Giving You The Best
That I Got" in between a busy performance schedule. This album was also
awarded three Grammies: one in1989 for Best R&B Female Performance, one
in 1990 for Best R&B Song ("Giving You The Best That I Got") and one
for Best R&B Song ("Just Because"). She took a more involved role in
the song-writing for her third album, Compositions, also moving towards
experimenting with jazz. The album contained 7 self-penned songs and
was mostly cut live.; the album won her a 7th Grammy award for Best R&B
Female Performance.
On Christmas Eve 1988, she married Walter Bridgforth, Jr, whom she had
met two years earlier in her home of Detroit and in January 1993, gave
birth to a son, Walter Baker Bridgforth. Five months later Anita
started working on her next project, "Rhythm of Love" and produced most
of the album, which was mainly recorded in her home due to another
pregnancy, writing 5 out of the 12 songs. In September 1994 (after the
birth of her second son, Edward Carlton Bridgforth earlier that year)
the album was released and attracted an 8th Grammy for Best R&B Song
("I Apologize") in 1995.
Sadly, her parents died within two years of each other; her mother in
1996 and her father 2 years later, and during this time, attempted to
record and release a new CD. Unfortunately, the tracks recorded for the
new CD were damaged in the recording process and could not be salvaged.
Anita sued and won the case against Elektra, later signing with
Atlantic Records.
During her career, she has appeared with other artists such as The
Winans, Howard Hewitt, and James Ingram, and since December 2002 has
began to tour again on a limited basis.
