Anita Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an eight-time Grammy Award-winning, multi-Platinum rhythm and blues and soul singer and songwriter, renowned for her soaring alto vocal range. Biography Early career Born in Toledo, Ohio and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Anita Baker began singing in a Baptist church choir at the age of 12. Four years later, while singing with the band Humanity, Baker was approached by bass player David Washington of Chapter 8 to audition for the group. In 1975, Baker subsequently joined Chapter 8, the most popular group of Detroit at the time. They spent a couple of years playing in and around Detroit and eventually signed a record deal with Ariola. The self-titled album came out in fall 1979, with two singles hitting the R&B charts: "Ready for Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl." The label Ariola Records later ran into financial trouble and the company was purchased by Arista. Aris