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Frances Nero was born March 13 in Asheville, North Carolina.
At the tender age of 3, she caught the entertainment bug performing at events and getting paid. Her lyrical talents began at that time as well. Almost as quickly as she learned to talk, she was rhyming everything she said!
She attended Stephens-Lee High School in Asheville where she took great pride as a member of the Glee Club. Her love of music (influenced by Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Etta James and Doris Day) had her simultaneously singing with two high school bands as featured female vocalist; the famous Tams and The Untils, which spawned Stanley Baird, Bynum Griffin, Clifford Cotton and David Williams. These gentlemen worked with such artists as Chuck Jackson and James Brown, to name a few. Today, Frances loves the music of Gladys Knight, Barry White, Teddy Pendergrass, Sade and many more.
In 1960, after dancing to the tunes of Marv Johnson (they later became friends and toured in Europe) Frances came to Detroit in hopes of joining the Motown roster of artists soon destined to become mega stars. She found it difficult to get an audition with this record label but she was persistent. In 1965, her persistence paid off. Frances told her husband, "I'm entering the WCHB Talent Show and I'm going to win." His response was "Nobody wants to sign a 22 year old with 2 babies." Frances replied "You're going to eat those words!"
And eat those words he did! In June 1965 Frances came in 1st place out of 5,000 contestants singing her own rendition of The Shirelles "Everybody Love a Lover". Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, was a judge and co-sponsored the contest. Frances won $500.00, a dozen long stemmed roses and a one year recording contract with Motown. She was awarded the prestigious honor of becoming the first female artist on the Motown Soul Label.
At the tender age of 3, she caught the entertainment bug performing at events and getting paid. Her lyrical talents began at that time as well. Almost as quickly as she learned to talk, she was rhyming everything she said!
She attended Stephens-Lee High School in Asheville where she took great pride as a member of the Glee Club. Her love of music (influenced by Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Etta James and Doris Day) had her simultaneously singing with two high school bands as featured female vocalist; the famous Tams and The Untils, which spawned Stanley Baird, Bynum Griffin, Clifford Cotton and David Williams. These gentlemen worked with such artists as Chuck Jackson and James Brown, to name a few. Today, Frances loves the music of Gladys Knight, Barry White, Teddy Pendergrass, Sade and many more.
In 1960, after dancing to the tunes of Marv Johnson (they later became friends and toured in Europe) Frances came to Detroit in hopes of joining the Motown roster of artists soon destined to become mega stars. She found it difficult to get an audition with this record label but she was persistent. In 1965, her persistence paid off. Frances told her husband, "I'm entering the WCHB Talent Show and I'm going to win." His response was "Nobody wants to sign a 22 year old with 2 babies." Frances replied "You're going to eat those words!"
And eat those words he did! In June 1965 Frances came in 1st place out of 5,000 contestants singing her own rendition of The Shirelles "Everybody Love a Lover". Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, was a judge and co-sponsored the contest. Frances won $500.00, a dozen long stemmed roses and a one year recording contract with Motown. She was awarded the prestigious honor of becoming the first female artist on the Motown Soul Label.
Frances Nero
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