Rene & Angela

Biography

René & Angela were an American R&B duo formed in 1977 (or 1979-1980 per some sources) by René Moore, born in Los Angeles, California, and Angela Winbush, born January 18, 1955, in St. Louis, Missouri. Winbush began singing in church and studied architecture at Howard University, performing music to supplement her income. In 1977, she recorded a demo that led to a connection with Stevie Wonder through music businessman Wayne K. Garfield and DJ Gary Byrd, joining Wonderlove as a backing vocalist. While in Los Angeles with Wonder, she met Moore, a singer, composer, and church organist (brother of Rufus member Bobby Watson), and they began collaborating on melodies, releasing their self-titled debut album on Capitol Records in 1980.

The duo's career progressed with albums Wall to Wall (1982) and Rise (1983) on Capitol, followed by a move to Mercury Records for the 1985 breakthrough Street Called Desire, featuring hits like 'I'll Be Good,' 'Save Your Love (For #1),' and 'Your Smile' (a #1 R&B hit sung solely by Winbush). Their style blended quiet storm and post-disco with soulful R&B, marked by smooth vocals and production prowess. They also wrote and produced for others, including tracks on Janet Jackson's 1982 debut and Stephanie Mills' 'I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love' (1985). Tensions arose from Winbush's external projects (e.g., The Isley Brothers' 1987 Smooth Sailin') and an onstage incident involving Moore's violent behavior in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1986, leading to a bitter split where they communicated via attorneys.

Post-breakup, both pursued successful solo paths. Moore contributed to Michael Jackson's 1991 Dangerous and 1995 HIStory albums, later founding Multi-Media Communications (radio stations, 2008-2012). Winbush scored five top 10 R&B solo hits, produced for The Isley Brothers, Sheena Easton, Stephanie Mills, and Lalah Hathaway, and married Ronald Isley in 1993 (later separated). Their legacy endures through iconic 1980s R&B hits and production influence.

Fun Facts

• Angela Winbush initially studied architecture at Howard University and sang only to supplement her income before pursuing music full-time.
• The duo's split was so acrimonious that René Moore and Angela Winbush communicated exclusively through attorneys after 1986.
• René Moore is the brother of Rufus keyboardist Bobby Watson.
• Their 1985 hit 'Your Smile' reached #1 on the R&B chart, but was sung solely by Winbush, contributing to tensions as Moore felt sidelined.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Stevie Wonder - Indirect mentor via Wonderlove backing group; facilitated meeting with René Moore (Wonderlove tours) [1977-1980]

Key Collaborators

• Janet Jackson - Produced songs for debut album (Janet Jackson (1982))
• Stephanie Mills - Wrote and produced track ('I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love' (1985))
• The Isley Brothers - Winbush co-wrote and produced album (post-duo) (Smooth Sailin' (1987))
• Michael Jackson - Moore's songwriting and production (post-duo) (Dangerous (1991), HIStory (1995)) [1991-1995]

Artists Influenced

• Lalah Hathaway - Winbush wrote/produced songs (Various tracks) [1980s-1990s]
• Sheena Easton - Winbush wrote/produced songs (Various tracks) [1980s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia