Anita Baker
Before becoming one of R&B’s biggest icons, Anita Baker sang in the Detroit-based group Chapter 8. But when the group’s label, Ariola Records, was bought by Arista Records, Arista executives told Anita that she couldn’t sing well and they dropped the group from their contracts. Anita quit music and returned home to become a short order cook. It wasn’t until years later that Anita returned after producer Otis Smith convinced her to begin work on her debut album, The Songstress.
