Famous Backup Singers

Whitney Houston. Before becoming one of the most successful singers of all time,. Whitney Houston began her career as a backup singer for her mother Cissy Houston as well as Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls.

Sting. Before his time with The Police, Sting worked as a backup singer for artists like Arthur Louis and Bob Brolly. He later achieved global success with The Police before launching his solo career. (Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Mariah Carey. Although now known as one of the best selling artists in music history, Mariah Carey got her start as a backup singer for Brenda K. Starr. (David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons)

Luther Vandross. Luther Vandross was a sought-after backup singer in the 1970’s, lending his soulful voice to artists like David Bowie, Bette Midler, and Barbara Streisand. He later became a Grammy-winning solo artist. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.no)

Sheryl Crow. Before releasing her own successful albums, Sheryl Crow worked as a backup singer for artists like Michael Jackson, Don Henley, and Eric Clapton. She later became a Grammy-winning artist in her own right. (I, Truejustice, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons)

Sir Elton John. Elton John’s early career involved backing vocals for artists like The Hollies, The Isley Brothers, Leon Russell and Rod Stewart. He’s now known as a legendary solo artist with a career spanning several decades. (Ernst Vikne, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)