Chic Singer Alfa Anderson Dead At 78
Alfa Anderson, lead singer of the legendary disco band Chic, died Dec. 17. She was 78. Her bandmate Nile Rodgers confirmed the news on Instagram, writing in a tribute post: “Thank you for everything.” A cause of death has not been disclosed.
Anderson was born on Sept. 7, 1946 in Augusta, Georgia, to musical parents who have said she wrote her first song at age three. Growing up, she played the saxophone, flute, and piccolo, and performed in her high school’s marching band. Despite her early interest in music, however, Anderson pursued a traditional career path, earning her master’s at Columbia University’s Teachers College and then becoming an educator at Hunter College.
When she wasn’t working, Anderson sang. Through musical mutual friends, she met and befriended Chic singer Luther Vandross, who’d then connect her with the band’s founding members Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. She sang background vocals on their self-titled 1977 debut, on which Norma Jean Wright sang lead vocals.
After Wright left Chic to pursue a solo career, Anderson was promoted to become the group’s new lead vocalist. Chic’s sophomore album C’est Chic arrived in 1978, containing hit singles “I Want Your Love” and their chart-topping classic “Le Freak.” She also sang lead on their 1979 LP Risqué, which featured their second No. 1 hit “Good Times.” During the height of Chic’s popularity, Anderson appeared regularly on shows like Soul Train and Top Of The Pops, and worked on other Chic-produced records like “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge and Diana Ross’ Diana.
In the mid-’80s, Chic went on hiatus and Anderson returned to teaching, eventually becoming the principal of Brooklyn’s El Puente Academy For Peace And Justice. She continued releasing music intermittently, including her self-released 2017 solo album Music From My Heart. “Le Freak” was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2015 and the National Recording Registry in 2018.
