Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz

Soul jazz

Soul jazz is a development of jazz incorporating strong influences from blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues in music for small groups, often an organ trio featuring a Hammond organ.- Overview :Soul jazz is often associated with hard bop. Mark C...

 singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Award

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

s, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit.
In 1975, Baker (Contralto) joined the Detroit based band, Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 was a Detroit soul group of the 1970s and '80s formed by Michael J. Powell and Derek Dirckson. Anita Baker was featured as lead vocalist on their first, self-titled album on Ariola entitled Chapter 8 in 1979, produced by Michael and Derek...

, which featured Michael J. Powell

Michael J. Powell

Michael J. Powell is an American R&B musician, record producer and arranger who is best known for his work as producer for eight time Grammy Award-winning soul / R&B vocalist Anita Baker....

, who would later produce her solo works. The band eventually got a record deal with Ariola, and
their self-titled debut Chapter 8

Chapter 8 (album)

-Track listing:#Don't You Like It - 4:46 #Ready For You Love - 4:34 #Come On Dance With Me - 3:43 #We Need Love - 5:46 #I Go Disco - 5:15...

came out in Fall 1979. Two singles hit the R&B charts: "Ready for Your Love," a duet between Baker and group member Gerald Lyles; and the Baker-led "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl."

Ariola Records was bought by Arista Records

Arista Records

Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...

.