Regina Belle

Regina Belle (born July 17, 1963) is a singer-songwriter who first surfaced in the late 1980s. She is notable for her Grammy award winning duet with Peabo Bryson, "A Whole New World".

Regina Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey. It was at Englewood's Mount Calvary Baptist Church, and then Paterson's Friendship Baptist Church (presided over by Belle's uncle, the Reverend Fred Belle), that Regina Belle began attracting attention with her vocal abilities. She sang her first solo in church at age 8; and by age 17, she was the church's star singer. Belle attended Dwight Morrow High School where she studied trombone, tuba and steel drums. After graduation, she studied opera at the Manhattan School of Music. At Rutgers University, she became the first female vocalist with the school's jazz ensemble. Belle's musical influences include Phyllis Hyman, Billie Holiday, Donny Hathaway, and Nancy Wilson.
She was introduced to the Manhattans by New York radio DJ Vaughn Harper and began working as their opening act. She recorded the duet "Where Did We Go Wrong" with the group which helped to attract the attention of Columbia Records. They eventually signed her to a record deal.
Belle resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is married to ex-NBA basketball player John Battle (basketball). Battle played 10 years in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He is now a pastor in Atlanta, Georgia. Belle and Battle have five children: Winter, Tiy, Jayln, Sydni, and Nyla. Winter, the eldest daughter, is married and has 2 children, Lea and Joshua, making Belle a grandmother.

In 1987, she released her debut album All By Myself. It includes her first hits "Please Be Mine" and "Show Me the Way." Her follow-up album, Stay with Me, released in 1989.
Belle recorded a duet in 1991 with Johnny Mathis, "Better Together" which appeared on his album Better Together: The Duet Album. Continuing her tradition of duets, Belle teamed up with Peabo Bryson for the song "A Whole New World", which was the featured pop single from the soundtrack to the 1992 Disney movie Aladdin. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award in 1993 for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal as well as a "Best Song" Oscar in the same year
Later in 1993, Belle released her Platinum selling third album, Passion. The album featured the Disney hit "A Whole New World", "Dream In Color" and "If I Could", which reached # 9 on the R&B charts.
Belle released Reachin' Back in 1995 followed by Believe in Me in 1998.

In 2001, Regina Belle's cover of "Just the Two of Us" from the tribute album To Grover, With Love made a surprising return to the billboard charts, within months Belle would sign with the jazz oriented independent label Peak-Concord Jazz. she released the album This Is Regina!, which featured the R&B hit single, "Ooh Boy." also released were, "Don't Wanna Go Home" and "From Now On" with Glenn Jones.
In 2004, she released a jazz standard album, Lazy Afternoon, produced by George Duke. The album included covers of the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You" and Tony Bennett's "If I Ruled the World". In 2007, she collaborated with smooth jazz saxophonist Paul Taylor, co-writing and singing on his album "Ladies Choice".

Belle released her debut gospel album Love Forever Shines on May 13, 2008 via Pendulum Records. The 14-track collection features guests Melvin Williams (of the Williams Brothers) and Shirley Murdock.
Belle has appeared in concert with many other performers, including Ray Charles, Boney James, Paul Taylor, The Rippingtons, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Maze, Frankie Beverly, Phil Perry, Al Jarreau, and Stephanie Mills.



Regina Belle, cantante de soul y urban nacida en Englewood el 17 de julio de 1963. Surgió en los años 80s y se consolidó como una de las cantantes más prolíficas del panorama musical de su tiempo.

Nació en Nueva Jersey, y a una temprana edad comenzó a cantar gospel, mientras en su juventud su gusto se decantaba por el R&B. Estudió música durante años en clases de trombón, tuba y batería. A los 12 años ganó un concurso escolar cantando el tema de The Emotions "Don't Ask My Neighbors". Desde ese momento cantó en un grupo local de Nueva Jersey, y estudió ópera y jazz. El dj de Nueva York Vaughn Harper, la presentó al grupo The Manhattans, con los que hizo una gira como telonera. Hizo un dúo con ellos, "Where Did We Go Wrong", producido por Bobby Womack en 1986. Un año después comenzó su carrera en solitario fichando por Columbia. Lanzó el single "Please Be Mine" que alcanzó el segundo puesto en las listas de R&B, y su sucesor "So Many Tears" llegó al top20. Se unió a Peabo Bryson en el tema "Without You", dentro de la banda sonora de la película "Leonard, Part 6".

Con su segundo Lp "Saty with me" se consagró definitivamente dentro del panorama musical. A este segundo disco, le siguieron otros durante toda la década de los 90s. Su último álbum data de 2004 "Lazy afternoon".