Janice Gadsden Pendarvis is an American singer, songwriter, and voiceover artist. She has worked with artists such as Sting, David Bowie, Steely Dan, Peter Tosh, the O'Jays, Philip Glass, Jimmy Cliff, Laurie Anderson, the Naked Brothers Band, and the Rolling Stones.
Biography
Janice was born and raised in Queens, New York. She attended and graduated from Hunter College High School and from Queens College, NYC. She started her career as a songwriter.
She sang on a Roberta Flack background session for the Feel Like Makin' Love album, which included fellow background singers Deniece Williams and Patti Austin.Interview with Janice Pendarvis on Walking Passions (Blog Talk Radio) David Spinozza, a good friend of Pendarvis, convinced her to become serious about learning the craft of singing.
Janice provided background vocals for Sting on his first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, which was nominated for a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1986. Pendarvis took part in Sting's first solo tour, sharing choruses with Dolette McDonald on the live album and movie Bring on the night. They both returned for Sting's next studio album ...Nothing Like the Sun. Finally, she was featured on Sting's ...All This Time live album recorded at the British singer's "Villa Il Palagio" in Italy, on September 11, 2001. Her most well-known commercial success has been being featured in the documentary Bring on the Night,Bio of Janice Pendarvis on Berklee Website profiling the music of Sting at the beginning of his solo career. She was featured in the music video "If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free)". She also sang lead on the song "Lightning" from the Philip Glass album Songs from Liquid Days.
Personal life Pendarvis was previously married to Leon Pendarvis, a longtime Saturday Night Live Band member and composer-arranger.
Pendarvis has served on the National Boards of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). She has also served on the NY Chapter Board of Governors of The Recording Academy (NARAS).
In popular culture Pendarvis appears in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), directed by Morgan Neville.
Discography 1974 : Feel Like Makin' Love by Roberta Flack 1977 : Jungle Girl/It Ain't Easy - Single by Tamara Dobson 1978 : Evolution (The Most Recent) by Taj Mahal 1979 : City Connection by Terumasa Hino 1981 : Holding Out My Love To You by Max Romeo 1985 : The Dream of the Blue Turtles by Sting 1986 : Dirty Work by the Rolling Stones - Alongside with Dolette McDonald on backing vocals 1986 : Bring On the Night by Sting 1986 : Magnetic Love by Steps Ahead 1986 : Songs From Liquid Days by Philip Glass 1986 : Home of the Brave (soundtrack) by Laurie Anderson 1987 : ...Nothing Like the Sun by Sting 1990 : Terumasa Hino by Terumasa Hino 2001 : ...All This Time by Sting 2008 : I Don't Want to Go to School by the Naked Brothers Band - Soundtrack of the movie of the same name. 2013 : The Next Day by David Bowie
Filmography 1978 : The Wiz by Sidney Lumet - Singer 1985 - 1986 : American Masters by Susan Lacy - TV Series - Herself 1986 : Bring On the Night by Michael Apted - Herself 1986 : Home of the Brave - Herself 1990 : Green Card by Peter Weir - Singer 1997 - 2014 : Behind the Music by Gay Rosenthal - TV Series - Herself 2001 : Sting ...All This Time by Jim Gable - Herself 2004 - 2017 : The Apprentice by Mark Burnett - TV Series - Herself 2013 : 20 Feet from Stardom by Morgan Neville - Herself
References
External links
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0671648/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t119