Chic Lead Vocalist Alfa Anderson Dead At 78

Alfa Anderson, lead singer of the pioneering disco band Chic, has died at the age of 78. Niles Rodgers, the group’s founder, shared the news on social media last week (Dec. 17). “Thank you for everything,” he wrote in his endearing Instagram post’s caption. The upload features multiple images of the two and their fellow group members. “RIP Alfa Anderson Chic Organization Forever loved,” read the overlay text written on the uploaded post. The sad news was confirmed by Anderson’s publicist, Tonya Hawley, who did not provide an exact date or reveal the cause of death. Anderson was born in Augusta, Ga. before moving to New York and maneuvering through different creative roles in the music industry Her first professional break came in 1976 when she landed a feature role in Jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley’s Big Man, which debuted at Carnegie Hall. She continued to perform and record background vocals for the likes of Nat Adderley, Ray Barretto, Odyssey, Major Harris, and Roy Buchanan. In 1977, Vandross introduced Anderson to Rodgers and his writing partner Bernard Edwards, who were forming the then-new group, Chic, with Tony Thompson on drums and Norma Jean Wright on lead vocals. She initially sang background on one of Chic’s first singles for Atlantic Records, “Everybody Dance,” which brought Chic to the top of the dance charts for seven consecutive weeks in 1977. Anderson was promoted to lead vocalist after joining Chic on tour, sharing the role with Luci Martin from 1978-1983. The group went on to record the 1978 album C’est CHIC, which boasted Anderson’s two solo numbers, “At Last I Am Free” and the gold-selling single “I Want Your Love.” Additionally, the album featured Rodgers and Edwards’ ode to Studio 54 “Le Freak,” the group’s most popular single. After Chic ended, Anderson continued her singing career with a variety of solo artists, including Vandross, Bryan Adams, Gregory Hines, Mick Jagger, Teddy Pendergrass, Jennifer Holliday, Billy Squier, Sheena Easton, Jody Watley, Bryan Ferry, and Jonathan Butler. Anderson and her husband Tinkr Barfield formed and produced Voices of Shalom, a group that explored spiritual themes through uplifting original compositions and released two albums. In 2015, Chic’s “Le Freak” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2018, the song featuring Anderson on lead was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. Anderson eventually released a full-length solo LP, Music from My Heart in 2017.

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