Yesterday, January 26th was music icon, Anita Baker’s birthday. She was born on January 26, 1958, in Toledo, Ohio. Raised by a foster family when she was two after her mother abandoned her, Anita grew up in Detroit, Michigan. When she was 12, her foster parents died and her foster sister raised her afterwards. She started singing R&B at Detroit nightclubs when she was 16.
After one performance, she was discovered by bandleader David Washington, who gave her a card to audition for the funk band, Chapter 8. This launched her into the spotlight. In 2013, Anita Baker was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
The 64-year-old took to Twitter to celebrate her birthday and gave fans a real gift by announcing her long-anticipated return to the stage. She will perform starting in May 2022 in Las Vegas. As our usual custom, thursdays are for thowbacks, we are digging a blast from the past from this diva. See below: