Suzette Charles
Encyclopedia
Suzette Charles is an American
singer and entertainer.
in the 1983 Miss America
pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey
. She won her preliminary talent night and finished first runner-up to Vanessa Lynn Williams
, who became the first African-American to wear the crown and title of Miss America. When Williams was forced to relinquish the title amid a scandal triggered by Williams' posing for nude photographs published in Penthouse
magazine, Charles --who is also African-American -- was crowned in Williams' place and served the remaining seven weeks of Williams' reign.
Charles, who already had many credits in advertising and educational television, has gone on to a career as a singer, entertainer, and television personality. She has acted on the CBS
television series Frank's Place
and performed on This Morning
, a British
talk show. She narrated the motion picture
, Beyond The Dream, and has appeared on stage with Stevie Wonder
, Alan King
, Joel Grey
and Lou Rawls
.
Charles also pursued a singing career. She toured with Stevie Wonder
and Lou Rawls
in the late 1980s. In 1993, she worked with top British producers Mike Stock and Pete Waterman
. She released her debut solo single
, "Free To Love Again", in August 1993. The single peaked at #58 in the UK Singles Chart
, and her album
was eventually shelved. Other unreleased songs she recorded with Stock and Waterman included "After You're Gone", "Don't Stop (All The Love You Can Give)", "Every Time We Touch", "What The Eye Don't See" and "Just For A Minute". She has also toured with The Suzette Charles Band. Her producers have included Waterman and Michael Raye.
Her father, Charles DeGaetano, is of Italian
descent, and her mother, Suzette (Burroughs) DeGaetano, is African-American, and was the elementary school
music teacher in the Buena Regional School District
, Buena, New Jersey
.
Charles has been a resident of Mays Landing, New Jersey
.
Charles's seven weeks reign is the shortest served by any Miss America.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and entertainer.
Career
Born in Mays Landing, she represented New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in the 1983 Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. She won her preliminary talent night and finished first runner-up to Vanessa Lynn Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
, who became the first African-American to wear the crown and title of Miss America. When Williams was forced to relinquish the title amid a scandal triggered by Williams' posing for nude photographs published in Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
magazine, Charles --who is also African-American -- was crowned in Williams' place and served the remaining seven weeks of Williams' reign.
Charles, who already had many credits in advertising and educational television, has gone on to a career as a singer, entertainer, and television personality. She has acted on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Frank's Place
Frank's Place
Frank's Place is an American comedy-drama series which aired on CBS for 22 episodes during the 1987-1988 television schedule. The series was created by Hugh Wilson and executive produced by Wilson and series star Tim Reid.-Plot:Set in New Orleans, Frank's Place chronicles the life of Frank Parrish...
and performed on This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
talk show. She narrated the motion picture
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Beyond The Dream, and has appeared on stage with Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Alan King
Alan King (comedian)
Alan King was an American actor and comedian known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. King became well known as a Jewish comedian and satirist. He was also a serious actor who appeared in a number of movies and television shows. King wrote several books, produced films, and...
, Joel Grey
Joel Grey
Joel Grey is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe Award...
and Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
.
Charles also pursued a singing career. She toured with Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
in the late 1980s. In 1993, she worked with top British producers Mike Stock and Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
. She released her debut solo single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Free To Love Again", in August 1993. The single peaked at #58 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and her album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
was eventually shelved. Other unreleased songs she recorded with Stock and Waterman included "After You're Gone", "Don't Stop (All The Love You Can Give)", "Every Time We Touch", "What The Eye Don't See" and "Just For A Minute". She has also toured with The Suzette Charles Band. Her producers have included Waterman and Michael Raye.
Her father, Charles DeGaetano, is of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
descent, and her mother, Suzette (Burroughs) DeGaetano, is African-American, and was the elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
music teacher in the Buena Regional School District
Buena Regional School District
The Buena Regional School District is a comprehensive regional school district serving approximately 2,100 students in grades K - 12 from two communities in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Municipalities served by the district are Buena Borough and Buena Vista Township...
, Buena, New Jersey
Buena, New Jersey
Buena is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,603.Landisville and Minotola are unincorporated areas located within Buena Borough, both of which had postal facilities established with those names in 1871 and 1897,...
.
Charles has been a resident of Mays Landing, New Jersey
Mays Landing, New Jersey
Mays Landing is a census-designated place located within Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 2,321. It is the county seat of Atlantic County...
.
Charles's seven weeks reign is the shortest served by any Miss America.