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From what I've heard Sharon Redd was a former Harlette (background singer for Bette Midler). Also best known for her classic "In the Name Of Love" Prelude 1982.

You are correct. Take a look at the following for more info and record label scans on Sharon Redd....

Front Page - Love Insurance

Sharon Redd - various titles

Sharon Redd was red hot. Only regret not seeing her live. Her music helped me find my own identity. I will never give you up. Brillo (UK)

"Love Insurance" by Sharon Redd (Front Page), is in my top 5,"all time best Disco". Too bad it's not played more, and is so hard to find on CD. Also, too bad she passed away at an early age. She is missed here, and elsewhere.

I had the pleasure of seeing Sharon Redd perform at Paradise in Chicago. I was at the front of the stage and Sharon reached down and took my glasses off. She used them as a prop during her performance and the put them back on my face. It's a moment and memory of Sharon that I will always cherish.

Love Insurance is one of my favorite disco songs!

I met Sharon in person at a record signing soon after the release of "In the Name of Love". She was very funny. Apparently, she had been up the night before and told me, after she signed and kissed my album with her red lipstick, that she was "in her third orbit..."

Her death was a shock to me, as was Phylis Hyman's.

Sharon Redd's "In The Name Of Love" sums up the Disco years for me. Living in San Francisco and dancing every Thursday (yes Thursday), Friday, Saturday and Sunday (ah yes, Tea Dance!) at the Troc, my friends KNEW that when that song came on, I would be in the middle of the dance floor.

Sharon performed live at the Troc in 1983. She slithered down the spiral staircase that led from d*** Collier's (Dorothy) office singing "Beat The Street". Then she took the stage to sing "In The Name Of Love". I was there with my boyfriend-of-the-moment and we were both wearing red T-shirts that said "Redd Hott" after the name of her album. I brought her dozen roses. To this day, I get a lump in my throat when I hear the song.

What wonderful memories!

What a great voice! My all time fave from Sharon was 'Can You Handle It.' SEXY! RIP sweetheart.

Sharon was one of Bette Midler's orginal back-up singers The Harlottes...my aunt chalotte Crosley was also a Harlotte, worke and was very close to Sharon. Whenever Bette came to Chicago, her whole crew would stay at my grandmother's house...My mother just gave me a picture I took of Sharon hanging out at the house...Sharon was a great lady...she always made a point to vist me whne she came to Chicago...I will always remember her..if anyone ants, I can try and make a igital image of the phot for all to see...just e-mail me...

These are such wonderful postings on Sharon Redd. So many of you have seen her live.

I was shocked by her death back in '86, and still remain so today.

"Never Gonna Give You Up" is my favorites, with its wonderful horn section. I think this is the "warmest" song of the Disco Era.

I adore Sharon and her music esp "Love Insurance" & Never Gonne Give You Up, Can You Handle It, Love How You Feel etc. I was so honoured to get to know Sharon in the 1990 or 91 just before she passed away. She was touring Europe as I was backpacking around Europe with my boyfriend (who is still with me now). We saw a sign in Salzburg saying Sharon Redd in concert and I freaked out as I had all her records from the late 70s on and we went and watched her perform and met her backstage - she was so thrilled to have fans still. So we got close and saw most of her concerts in Europe and she used to say on the microphone "Oh my, my two little angels are here to see me again!" It gave us such a buzz. She also had us over to play cards in the hotel in London one night. She just released the remake of Can You Handle It which charted in the UK again and just landed a record deal again so we were all excited. Then we got a call a few weeks later from her manager to say she has passed over. I was devastated and was in tears for days. We went to her tribute concert at the Fridge and I filmed it for posterity ... can't find the tape now damn. I just couldn't play her music for 10 years after she left us ... it made me too sad. Only in the past year have I been able to play it again and feel the joy from it! I still get a little sad but I know she is still around and I can feel her love. She was such a sweet lady. And I wished we stayed in contact with her long time girlfriend Lorna but we lost touch - she was also an angel. Long shall we remember with great love the Disco Diva Sharon Redd !!!!!! xxxxxx

SHARON WAS A GREAT PERSON,MIKE GOMES FROM PRELUDE RECORDS INTRODUCED US BACK IN THE DAYS,SHE'LL BE MISSED.. THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES..TILL WE MEET AGAIN, YOUR FRIEND DJ STEVE THE SAGA PEREZ...R.I.P.

Sharon has changed my life. In times of loneliness and despair she has given me an incredible amount of courage, warmth and love. I'll always regret never having been able to see her perform but I'll make sure music lovers know about her so her soul can carry on with us. Love how you feel, Never give you up, and of course her sassiness in Can you handle it (not forgetting the lesser known I specialize in love) will remain for me in the top of disco heaven, I only wish clubs would play this nowadays!..

Sharon, you rock, girl!
Bless you

I met her once just for a few seconds right before a performance at Better Days in New York, LOL...in the ladies room of all places! she was wearing a sweat shirt and some really tight jeans, when she walked in I had no clue that she was the featured artist that evening, I'd never even heard of her before, but the first thing I noticed was her hairstyle, it was OVER!
As I was asking her about her hair she was asking me about mine as I was wearing an unusual style for that time also, it was the first thing we noticed about one another, I thought she was a patron of the club same as I was mainly because not only was she dressed so down to earth, she WAS so extremely down to earth and approachable to boot!

I'd originally come to the club that evening to hear Larry Levan spin, because I'd kept hearing about him (this was before Paradise Garage and Zanzibar etc. am I correct?) So imagine my surprise and complete oh so special delight when as I returned to the dance floor I look up on the stage and there this incredibly nice person whom I'd just met in the ladies room complimenting me on MY HAIR! There she was! Singing and turning the entire club out with "Can You Handle It" she rocked!!!

That was the first time I'd heard the song it hadn't even made the radio yet, so of course when it started getting air-play I was quick to claim my bragging rights to beam proudly while telling of my chance encounter with her in the ladies room of Better Days Disco.

Do you even need to ask? I rushed to purchase the LP soon as it hit the record stores it became one of my all time favorites til this day...Thank You Ms. Redd for being so nice to just a regular girl and creating for me a wonderful memory that I'll never forget.

RIP my sister.

I met Sharon Redd in one of her performances in upstate NY "Prime Time" I remember the club being packed with all kind of people, when she started singing "Can you handle it" everyobody went crazy, she was unique and will be forever missed.
R.I.P. Dear Sharon!

...she was Great... Beat the Street... oh very gooood song

Can You Handle It, Beat The Street, Never Gonna Give You Up were the hits!

Love Insurance - Front Page was a disco hit!

R.I.P.

Back in the early eighties I was living in London and used to frequent the Camden Palace.I was a big rock music fan but Francois Kerovakan's re-mix of Sharon's Beat the Street turned me in a totally different direction.Thanks Sharon

I loved Sharon. She was a close friend of my best friend so her passing shook us all. Does anyone know if the version on "Can't Stop Dancing 3" CD (Unidisc) of "Love Insurance" is the original FRONT PAGE recording or did Sharon re-record it?

I was merely a young child when Sharon was out with her music in the 80's. I was introduced to her via her duet with sister Penny Ford on her 1993 self-titled album (which, sadly, was released after Sharon died). I learned soon after that the two were sisters, and I sought out Sharon's music. I have since gotten each of her albums, as well as several rarities which I consider amongst Sharon's best work: "Second to None" from 1988 (a very nifty 12" single); "Half as Much," her rare first solo single from the late 60's; and also a rare record from the late 60's of a jingle for a gas company that Sharon sang! (it's one of those flimsy, lightweight pieces of vinyl that companies used to press records of to promote products.)

Though I never knew Sharon, I was friends with another great disco singer, Carol Williams, in my days in New York a few years ago. Carol had performed with Sharon on various occasions, and told me that Sharon "always lived life to the fullest." From the beautiful comments on this page from other users, it seems that that was definitely true! I'm glad that Sharon left such a positive legacy. I didn't realize so many people were touched so deeply by her music.

In most sources, I've read that Sharon passed from AIDS. However, elsewhere, I read that the cause of death was pneumonia. Perhaps it was pneumonia triggered by AIDS?

I will always remember her fondly, and am sure I am not alone in that!

Sharon Redd was a good and close friend of mine. We worked together many times, in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and my hometown of Indianapolis. I DJ'd Sharon's last "Big Gig" at the infamous "Garage Party, that year held at Market Square Arena, in Indianapolis. MSA was where the NBA Pacers played Basketball. It was huge! Some 10,000 people went "beserk" when she finally sang "In the name of Love". In fact, she had to sing it TWICE!! I am sad to say that shortly thereafter she left us... :-(

I will never forget the times I picked her up from the airport. I will never forget the times she slept on my sofa. I will never forget the time I bought her a chicken fried steak (he first). I will never forget all the sound checks we had. Quite simply, I will never forget her. Indeed, she did 'beat the street' and is now at rest. God bless you sister, and hopefully I will see you again someday... by the grace of Almighty God.

i am absolutely amazed at the memories people have of my "beautiful" sharon.We worked together 1969,1970 and 1971 in"Hair", Sydney, Australia, and lived at Paddington along with another success story, Marcai Hines. This amazing woman taught me so much about living, emotions, all the stuff that a young, impressionable eighteen year old needed to know.
Loved her, miss her, remember her always

what you need is a love insurance....

I have had the pleasure of meeting Sharon several times while touring in London, I found her to be a very classy lady with charisma and an enigmatic personality. She will be best remembered by me by the string of hits on the Prelude Label, NYC. Sharon your love and presence is deeply missed and you will never be forgotten, from your baby at the Fridge. Sleep well and safely

Rod

i bought sharons wonderful 12 single of "never give you up" in the late summer of 1982, and the thing that struck me was how bloody powerful this ladys voice is and how gratweful i was that she used the linn drum on her tracks!!! lol.
i loved her ever since, i cannt claim to have met her or to have seen her live but i sure loved what i did get to hear and i have loved this woman ever since so much.

i was very deeply saddend tohear she had died in jan 92 as she and her music took me through good and bad times times of abuse and i was able to get past anything with this great music.

all i wanted to say was sharon i am still thinking of you my dear, and i will never forget what you gave to me and i want to say thank you sahron nad restin peace.



ps maybe if i get to heaven one day would you like to mee for a little chat and hug to say thanks.


siouxzann xoxoxoxo
r.i.p.
24th july,2006.

I saw Sharon many times here in London at the Fridge in Brixton, her music helped me "Come Out" and I still cant playing her music.

If there is any one from PRELUDE records reading this, was there any outtakes from her previous albums that could be released or unreleased tracks, it would be geat so see what is the the archives.

May you rest in peace sweet Sharon

love

Jon

My ALL-TIME favorite dance song is "In The Name of Love!" I would love for Clive Davis to have Jennifer Hudson re-record it for her debut album as a tribute to Sharon...it would be a big hit again and expose a new generation to the awesome voice of Sharon.

Hey guys,

Check out these videos of Sharon! They're awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sharon+redd&search=Search

Thanks Justin! I am going to check them out later today - this is exciting. Craig :)

Wow!! A lot of comments on SHARON, and she was great! No doubt about it. But she has like ten times the comments then JAMES BROWN?? This fantastic voice was heard on many different records. My favorite thing was, SHE WAS HOT! A FOX!! The young leave too soon. God Bless you SHARON!

Sharon was hot, and that voice. I'm playing In the Name of Love, that song brings back such great disco memories, when disco was hot, and sharon made it so before it became so mainstream

Sharon Redd is like what defines this era of music for me, she had something else to add, something that I've never really heard anywhere else.

As for me, I wasn't even born when her music was big, and was only a young child when she died, but when I bought her album "Redd Hott" for a few dollars while searching for Disco/Funk records, I instantly fell in love. I have since acquired "Love how you feel" simply because I love the cover so much, she must have been a very unique person, as you can tell by her music.

Sharon was one of those ladies with a unique voice - her Album 'Sharon redd' is awesome and so is Redd Hot.....I love the tracks It's A Lie and You got my Love on her first album....there must be something about the artists that I like - most of them are now sadly gobe - Sharon rocked as a disco diva - i always remeber seeing her on TOTP in that large silver hat singing a remix of Can You Handle It just prior to her death-her two albums (12" vinyl) are two of my most prized possessions.

RIP Groovy Chick!