Miki Howard - 4/18

Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard, born in Chicago to gospel-singing parents, moved to LA as a teen. She joined Side Effect after impressing their leader, then signed with Atlantic Records in the mid-'80s. Her first solo album, "Come Share My Love" (1986), spawned hits like "Imagination." She gained R&B chart success with subsequent albums like "Love Confessions" (1988) and "Miki Howard" (1989). She continued her solo career at Giant Records, hitting number one with "Ain't Nobody like You." Beyond music, she portrayed Billie Holiday in Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" and released an album dedicated to Holiday's songs. She's had several releases since, including "Three Wishes" (2001) and "I Choose To Be Happy" (2015). Her story was featured in the TV One series "Unsung" and adapted into a TV movie starring Teyonah Parris in 2016.