ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
And now we remember one of the greatest voices of disco. Alfa Anderson, a singer with the group Chic, has died. She was 78 years old. Stephen Thompson from NPR Music has this appreciation.
STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: When you think of the great voices of disco, you probably think of larger-than-life household names like Donna Summer. You're less likely to know the name Alfa Anderson, but you almost certainly know her voice.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LE FREAK")
CHIC: (Singing) Ah, freak out. Le freak, c'est chic. Freak out.
THOMPSON: Alfa Anderson, who died last week at 78, sang on some of the most indelible hits of Chic, including the band's signature song "Le Freak."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LE FREAK")
CHIC: (Singing) I'm sure you'll be amazed.
THOMPSON: The band's instrumentation was crafted by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, but Anderson was charged with giving that lush, stylish sound one of its signature voices. Singing for Chic wasn't just about hitting the right notes. As its name suggested, Chic was a band meant to radiate upward mobility and class, and Alfa Anderson was a central part of its look and sound. In Chic, Anderson shared the vocal spotlight with other singers, but she sang lead in "Good Times," one of the most influential songs of the late 1970s.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GOOD TIMES")
CHIC: (Singing) Good times. These are the good times."
THOMPSON: Chic broke up in 1983, but Anderson continued to work in music. She toured extensively as a backing vocalist for Luther Vandross, whose bassist, Eluriel Barfield, would become her husband. Her recorded legacy includes credits on the soundtrack for "The Wiz" as well as recordings by artists ranging from Bryan Ferry to Mick Jagger, to Diana Ross.
Alfa Anderson's work extended beyond music. She earned two master's degrees focused on education, worked as a college lecturer, and eventually became a high school teacher and principal in Brooklyn, but she never left music behind. Anderson reunited occasionally with other Chic singers. She recorded spirituals with her husband, and in 2017 Alfa Anderson released a solo album called "Music From My Heart." One of its songs bore the title "Perfectly Chic." Stephen Thompson, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PERFECTLY CHIC")
ALFA ANDERSON: (Singing) We were so chic, chic, chic, perfectly chic. We were so chic, chic... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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