Indigo: Women of Song, a tribute album covering songs by female artists such as Joan Baez, the Carpenters, Doris Day, Nina Simone, Minnie Riperton and others, was released in 2004.

Minnie Julia Riperton ( November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979 ) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her vocal range of five-and-a-half octaves, and her 1975 single " Lovin ' You ".

In January 1976, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy.

In 1978, Riperton also received the American Cancer Society's Courage Award which was presented to her at the White House by President Jimmy Carter.

Riperton was born in Chicago to Thelma and Daniel Riperton, a Pullman porter.

The young Riperton was, however, becoming very interested in soul, rhythm and blues, and rock.

Perfect Angel went gold, and Riperton was finally revered as the " lady with the high voice and flowers in her hair.

According to the liner notes from Riperton's Petals compilation CD, the melody to " Lovin ' You " was created as a distraction for Maya when she was a baby, so Riperton and Richard Rudolph could spend time together.

Riperton incorporated the sadness of the ending of a relationship while suddenly shifting to cries of " I don't want to go ," " save me ," " now I'm slippin ' fast ," " thought it was over ; here I go again ," and " travelin ' down, faster than the speed of sound.

On August 24, 1976, Riperton told Flip Wilson, who was guest-hosting for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, that she had undergone a mastectomy due to breast cancer.

At the time of her diagnosis, Riperton found out her cancer had already spread to the lymphatic system, and was given about six months to live.

That Sunday, following a funeral service attended by more than five hundred mourners, Riperton was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Riperton was also noted for her ability to sound almost mechanical or instrumental in the whistle register.

1999-2000 was the last season for Colin Quinn, Cheri Oteri, and Tim Meadows, and the first for Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph ( daughter of the late singer Minnie Riperton ).

Her first popular single was the Minnie Riperton song " Inside My Love ," featured on the 1997 platinum-selling film soundtrack Love Jones.

Her classmate and best friend at school was the late American soul singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton.

In 1969 Riperton, along with Rotary Connection, played in the first Catholic Rock Mass at the Liturgical Conference National Convention, Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI, produced by James F. Colaianni.

This also shows off her vocal range and does not go unnoticed by music reviewer Tracy E. Hopkins at Barnes and Noble who remarks how this record " showcases Moore's Minnie Riperton – reminiscent pipes ".

* February 15 – Minnie Riperton appears on the Grammys as a presenter with Stephen Bishop.

Stepney had previously worked with The Dells, The Rotary Connection, Terry Callier, Minnie Riperton, and the Ramsey Lewis Trio, to name a few.

Riperton reached the apex of her career with her number-one hit single, " Lovin ' You ," on April 4, 1975.

Raynard Miner, a blind pianist, heard Riperton singing during her stint with Hyde Park's A Cappella Choir and became her musical patron.

Riperton signed with Epic Records, and the family moved to Los Angeles, California.

Richard Rudolph wrote the song, " Now That I Have You " for Riperton, but she never got the chance to record it ; he gave the song to Teena Marie, who recorded it ( and coproduced it with Rudolph ) on Marie's second LP, Lady T. Finally, in 1981, Capitol Records released The Best of Minnie Riperton, a greatest hits collection.

It included interviews with her husband Richard, son Marc, daughter Maya ( Maya Rudolph ), sister Sandra Riperton, and many others who worked with Riperton.

Epic's commercial success continued to grow in the 1970s with releases from ABBA, Boston, Cheap Trick, The Clash, Charlie Daniels, Heart, The Isley Brothers, The Jacksons, Labelle, Meat Loaf, Johnny Nash, Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, Minnie Riperton, Pegasus, Charlie Rich, Sly & the Family Stone, Steve Vai and Edgar Winter.

Songs like ' Lovin ' You ' by Minnie Riperton and ' The Morning After ' by Maureen McGovern were topping the pop charts with alarming regularity, leaving many rock-and-roll fans feeling like they were left out in the cold without a jacket.

* " Here We Go ", with Minnie Riperton

He has worked with such artists as The Crusaders, Minnie Riperton, Lionel Richie, Simply Red, Hugh Masekela, Dr. John, Randy Crawford, B. B.

Jeffery also trained Riperton to use her full range.

While a part of Studio Three, Riperton met her mentor, producer Billy Davis.

Some months after her Andrea Davis singles hit the radio, Riperton joined Rotary Connection, a funky rock-soul group creation of Marshall Chess, the son of Chess Records ' founder Leonard Chess.

Near the end of the unedited " Lovin ' You ", Riperton sings " Maya, Maya, Maya "; in concert, near her death, she changed this to " Maya, Maya, Ringo, Maya.

In 1977, Riperton lent her vocal abilities to a track named, " Yesterday and Karma ," on Osamu Kitajima's album, " Osamu.

In 1978, Riperton's attorney Mike Rosenfeld and her husband, Richard Rudolph, orchestrated a move to Capitol Records for Riperton and her CBS Records catalogue.

In April 1979, Riperton released her fifth and final album, Minnie.

On Thursday, July 12 at 10 am, while lying in her husband's arms, Riperton died while listening to a recording Stevie Wonder had made for her.

After Riperton died, several artists contributed vocals to tracks she had recorded before her death, to help compile Richard Rudolph's final tribute to his wife, Love Lives Forever.

Aside from her various hits, Riperton is perhaps best remembered today for her ability to sing in the whistle register, in which she had rare facility.

Riperton possessed a five-octave vocal range ( the liner notes to her Petals legacy album ascribe five-and-a-half octaves to her ).

Riperton had a short successful solo career ( most notably the 1975 hit " Lovin ' You ") until breast cancer ended her life in 1979.