Fayette Pinkney

American singer

Fayette Pinkney
Pinkney in 1974
Background information
Birth name	Fayette Regina Pinkney
Born	(1948-01-10)January 10, 1948 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	June 27, 2009(2009-06-27) (aged 61) Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Pop, soul
Occupation(s)	Singer, psychologist, vocal coach
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	1963–2009

Website	www.thethreedegrees.com

Musical artist

Fayette Regina Pinkney (January 10, 1948 – June 27, 2009) was an American singer and one of the original members of musical group The Three Degrees.

Early life and education

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pinkney was one of three young teenagers brought together by manager Richard Barrett to form The Three Degrees in 1963.

Fayette subsequently earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Temple University and a Master's degree in human services from Lincoln University in 1984.^[1]

Career

She was a part of The Three Degrees through their most prominent years with Roulette and Philadelphia International Records and sang on many of their greatest hits, including "When Will I See You Again" and "Take Good Care of Yourself" until her departure in 1976. She traveled to London in January 1979 to record her only solo album, One Degree, which she completed in just two weeks; it was met with critical and fan acclaim upon its release.

She later worked as a counselor and vocal coach and, in addition to singing with her church's inspirational choir, she traveled with a group called the Intermezzo Choir Ministry.^[2]

Personal life

In 1994, Pinkney gave birth to a daughter, Ayana Alexandria Medeiros, who died two days later due to sudden infant death syndrome.

Death

On June 27, 2009, Pinkney died of acute respiratory failure following a short and sudden illness at the age of 61.^[3]

Discography

One Degree (Chopper Records, 1979)

References

^ Sweeting, Adam (July 7, 2009). "Obituary: Fayette Pinkney, The Guardian". London. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
^ "Tribute To Fayette Pinkney". Archived from the original on November 29, 2010.
^ Perrone, Pierre (July 8, 2009). "Fayette Pinkney: Singer with the Three Degrees". The Independent. London. Retrieved October 27, 2009.