Tawatha Agee (born November 14, 1954) is an American backing vocalist and songwriter. Her voice has been described in The New York Times as an "acrobatic, gospel-charged soprano."[1] She was the lead singer of funk and soul band Mtume; her soulful lead vocals are featured on their 1983 R&B hit "Juicy Fruit".[2]
Agee has worked consistently as a backing vocalist from the mid-1970s to the present day, predominantly with James Mtume, who produced her one solo studio album, Welcome to My Dream, for Epic Records in 1987. She is also a part of "the Lovely Ladies" trio, who tour with the Dave Matthews Band.[3]
Agee was the featured vocalist on many of Mtume's hits, including the oft-sampled "Juicy Fruit" (UK Top 40, 1983,[5] and the number-one R&B spot, in the U.S., for eight weeks in the summer of 1983). She remained with the band through their last two studio albums, You, Me and He (1984)[6] and Theater of the Mind (1986), contributing guitar and keyboard parts, respectively, in addition to vocals.
Solo recording
Tawatha Agee's only solo studio album to date, Welcome to My Dream, was issued by Epic Records in 1987 and produced by James Mtume along with James Batton and Mtume bandmate Ed Moore. Agee, Mtume, Moore, and Mtume keyboardist Philip Field wrote songs for the album. Her album produced a top ten R&B hit “Thigh Ride” which peaked at Number 7.
^"About". TawathaAgee.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021. She later attended Arts High School in Newark and then Howard University, where she majored in music education.
