Patrice Rushen

Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer. She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.

Her 1982 single "Forget Me Nots" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The instrumental "Number One" from her album Straight from the Heart earned an additional Grammy nomination for best instrumental. Her 12th album Signature also received a Grammy nomination for best instrumental in 1998.

Rushen also serves as an ambassador for artistry in education at the Berklee College of Music and the chair of the popular music program at the USC Thornton School of Music.

Biography
Rushen is the elder of two daughters born to Allen and Ruth Rushen. Patrice was three years old when she began playing the piano, and by the time she was six, she was giving classical recitals. In her teens, she attended Locke High School and later earned a degree in music from the University of Southern California.

After winning a competition at the age of 17 that enabled her to perform with her band at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Rushen signed with the Prestige label, releasing three albums with them – Prelusion (1974), Before the Dawn (1975), and Shout It Out (1977). In 1978, when she was 23, she began recording with Elektra.

Rushen married Marc St. Louis, a concert tour manager and live show production specialist, in 1986. They have one son, Cameron and one daughter named Jadyn. The name of her publishing company, Baby fingers Inc., is pulled from her nickname Babyfingers for her tiny hands. In 2005, Rushen received an honorary doctorate of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. She is the chair of popular music at USC and the ambassador of artistry in Education at the Berklee College of Music. She has served as the film composer for numerous movies television shows and documentaries. She has been a member of jazz fusion band CAB, The Meeting (GRP Records) with Ndugu Chancler, Alphonso Johnson and Ernie Watts. Rushen is also a music director, having worked on various television events as well as Janet Jackson's world tour 'Janet'.

Her song "Hang It Up" was featured on the 2005 video game Fahrenheit.

Cultural impact
Rushen's songs are sampled often in other artists music. The chorus from "Forget Me Nots" was used as the music for the 1997 song "Men in Black". Rushen was credited as writer and composer, along with Will Smith and Terri McFadden. The same chorus can be heard in George Michael's song "Fastlove". "Forget Me Nots" previously found its way into the trampolining scene in the film Big. Her song "Haven't You Heard" was sampled in Kirk Franklin's Looking For You from the Norbit soundtrack.

Rushen was the first woman to serve as music director for the 46th, 47th, and 48th Grammy Awards. She was the only woman music director/conductor/arranger for a late-night show titled The Midnight Hour, which aired on CBS in 1990.

Grammy awards
Rushen has received three Grammy nominations.

Other awards

 * ASCAP Songwriter's Award, 1988
 * USC Black Student Assembly, Legacy of Excellence Award, 1992
 * Crystal Award, American Women in Film, 1994
 * ASCAP Award, Most Performed Song in Motion Pictures for 1997 for "Men in Black," 1998
 * NAACP Image Award Nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Recording for “Signature”, 1998
 * Honorary Doctorate Berklee College of Music, 2005
 * The Ramo Music Faculty Award, 2020

Appearances
With Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter With The Meeting With Kenny Burrell With Herbie Hancock With Eddie Henderson With Jean-Luc Ponty With Letizia Gambi With Wallace Roney
 * Live At The 1988 Montreux Jazz Festival (Liberation Entertainment, 2007)
 * The Meeting (GRP, 1990)
 * Update (Hip-Bop, 1995)
 * Heritage (AudioSource, 1980)
 * Lite Me Up (Columbia, 1982)
 * Heritage (Blue Note, 1976)
 * Comin' Through (Capitol, 1977)
 * Upon the Wings of Music (Atlantic, 1975)
 * Aurora (Atlantic, 1976)
 * Introducing Letizia Gambi (Via Veneto Jazz, 2012)
 * A Place in Time (HighNote, 2016)

Filmography

 * Burning Sands (2008)
 * For One Night (2006, TV)
 * Just a Dream (2002)
 * Our America (2002, TV)
 * Baby of the Family (2002)
 * Piano, Bass and Drums (2002 Aix Entertainment, DVD Audio)
 * The Killing Yard (2001, TV)
 * Fire & Ice (2001, TV)
 * Cora Unashamed (2000, TV)
 * Ruby Bridges (1998, TV)
 * America's Dream (1996, TV)
 * A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom (1996, TV)
 * The Steve Harvey Show (1996) TV series (unknown episodes)
 * The Midnight Hour (1990) TV series (unknown episodes)
 * Without You I'm Nothing (1990)


 * Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
 * George Michael: I'm Your Man – A South Bank Show Special (2006, TV, writer: "Fastlove")
 * Fahrenheit (2005, performer: "Hang It Up")
 * Men in Black (1997, writer: "Men In Black")
 * Waiting to Exhale (1995, performer: "And I Gave My Love To You")
 * Big (1988, writer/performer: "Forget Me Nots")
 * Dominick and Eugene (1988, performer: "Somewhere")
 * TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004) Herself
 * VH-1 Where Are They Now? Herself (One episode, 2002)
 * 100 Greatest Dance Songs of Rock & Roll (2000), TV series, Herself
 * Monterey Jazz Festival: 40 Legendary Years (1998), Herself
 * The Best of Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime (1991) Herself
 * Top of the Pops, Herself (One episode, 1982)
 * Soul Train, Herself (One episode, 1981)
 * American Bandstand, Herself (One episode, 1980)

Musical directing

 * The 48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006, musical director)
 * The 47th Annual Grammy Awards (2005, musical director)
 * The 10th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Smokey Robinson (2004, musical director)
 * The 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004, musical director)
 * The 9th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Aretha Franklin (2003, musical director)
 * The 8th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Stevie Wonder (2002, musical director)
 * The Best of Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime (1991, musical director)
 * "No Strings" by "Sheena Easton", Rushen as record producer (1993)
 * The Women of Brewster Place (1989, special musical consultant)
 * "The Midnight Hour" (unknown episodes, 1990)
 * Partners in Crime (1988, musical director)