Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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CHARLENE

(b Charlene D'Angelo 1 June '50, Hollywood) Singer, signed mid-'70s by Berry Gordy; like Kiki Dee a white female vocalist on Motown, her stay there was brief and acrimonious: three singles barely made top 100 '77. After an album she retired from music and moved to London, working in a sweet shop there when the saccharine ballad "I've Never Been To Me' was revived by disc jockey Scott Shannon on radio Q105 in Tampa FL: it reached no. 3 USA/no. 1 UK mid-'82; LP of that title made top 40 USA LP chart. Swiftly resigned by Motown; title cut of Used To Be (duet with Stevie Wonder) made top 50 USA though lyrics were allegedly too strong for airplay, but the album only made no. 162. She was railroaded by prod. Curtis Nolen into going disco on Hit And Run Lover, which didn't chart.