Patrice Rushen (born September 30, 1954 in Los Angeles, CA) is an award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, producer, jazz pianist, composer, and music director. She earned a degree in music from the University of Southern California and she released her debut album Prelusion, a primarily instrumental jazz album, in 1974 on Prestige Records. After two more jazz albums with Prestige, she signed with Elektra Records and moved towards an R&B sound, causing a bit of backlash towards her from the jazz community.
