Jody Watley (born January 30, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and label owner. To date, Watley has sold over twenty million albums and singles worldwide. Along with Janet Jackson and Madonna, she ranks as one of MTV Video Music Awards most nominated female artists ever, with ten nominations. She won the 1988 Grammy Award for "Best New Artist". She ranks as the #144 most successful R&B artist of all time according to Billboard magazine. Biography Shalamar (1977 - 1984) Watley got her start as a dancer on the hit TV show Soul Train at the age of fourteen. From 1977 to 1984, she was a singer in the R&B group Shalamar with Howard Hewett and Jeffrey Daniel. The group achieved a platinum-selling album, Friends, and the #1 R&B singles "A Night To Remember", "This Is For The Lover In You" and "The Second Time Around" in the U.S.; the group also