The most famous unknown singer of the 1990s
In short: For years, a powerhouse voice defined the global dance charts while the woman behind it remained invisible. Models lip-synched to her vocals in music videos, and producers stripped her name from the credits. Her legal battles eventually forced a revolution in how music is credited and sold.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Martha Wash became a victim of 'commercial appropriation.' Producers frequently used her studio vocals on massive hits without permission or credit. Her vocals appeared on the house track "Everybody Everybody" and the multi-platinum "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", while 'visualization' roles in the videos were filled by Zelma Davis and Katrin Quinol. This practice left Wash denied royalties and recognition for some of the most recognizable sounds of the era.
Wash fought back through a series of high-profile lawsuits. In 1990, she settled a case with RCA Records over the group Black Box, which resulted in her being signed to an eight-album contract and receiving a 'substantial' financial fee. In 1994, a settlement with Sony Music Entertainment led to an unprecedented request to MTV: adding a disclaimer to the "Gonna Make You Sweat" video to credit Wash for vocals and Zelma Davis for lip-synching. Legislation requiring music videos and CDs to include vocal credits was initiated in the early 1990s, a move driven by these legal triumphs.
Despite the era of invisibility, Wash's career was prolific. She gained initial recognition during the late 1970s as a member of Two Tons O' Fun, providing backing for Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". She subsequently joined the Weather Girls, famous for the 1982 anthem "It's Raining Men". In 2016, Billboard named her the 58th-most successful dance artist ever, having secured fifteen number-one dance chart positions to become 'The Queen of Clubland'.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Martha Wash
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