Tara Kemp
Tara Kemp | |
---|---|
Birth name | Tara Leslye Kemp[1] |
Origin | Livermore, California |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1991 – 1994 2013 – present |
Labels |
Tara Leslye Kemp is an American singer best known for her two Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 1991: "Hold You Tight" and "Piece of My Heart."
Career
[edit]Kemp signed to Giant Records in 1990, a new sublabel of the Warner Brothers music label. In January 1991, her self-titled album and debut single "Hold You Tight" were released. "Hold You Tight" became a hit, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; the song was certified gold by the RIAA and ranked as the twenty-fifth best-selling single of 1991. The song also peaked at No. 69 in the UK Singles Chart.[3] In May, Kemp released her second single "Piece of My Heart", which reached number seven on the Hot 100 in July and was the eighty-fourth best-selling single of the year. A third single "Too Much" was released, but stalled at number 95.[4]
Following the release of her debut album, Giant began to interfere with Kemp's recording of her sophomore album. Wanting to sign to Atlantic Records – where most of the people who had signed her to Giant had moved to – Kemp asked to be released from her contract.[5] However, Atlantic did not sign her. Kemp released two more songs: in 1993, "Action Speaks Louder Than Words" was featured on the soundtrack for the Fox television series, Beverly Hills, 90210;[6] and "Come Correct", which was released independently in 1994. Owing to issues in her personal life, she left the music industry soon after.[5]
In 2013, Kemp launched a Facebook page and YouTube channel containing new photography, uploads of vintage material, and teasers to a new track called "Water." In 2014 and 2015, Kemp revealed in interviews that she was working on new material.[7][8] In April 2016, Kemp released "Paris in Spring" (featuring D'wayne Wiggins), her first single in 22 years, as a charity single to benefit victims of the November 2015 Paris attacks.[9]
In January 2021, Kemp revealed plans to independently release her shelved sophomore album and remastered versions of her 1991 singles.[10][5] She is working with New York City-based Shakir Entertainment Management.
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]Year | Album details | Peak positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US [11] |
US R&B [11] |
AUS [12] | ||
1991 | Tara Kemp
|
109 | 34 | 140 |
Singles
[edit]Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [11] |
US R&B [11] |
US Dan [11] |
AUS [13][12] |
CAN [14] |
NZ [15] |
UK [16] | ||||||||
1991 | "Hold You Tight" | 3 | 4 | 15 | 68 | 24 | 19 | 69 | Tara Kemp | |||||
"Piece of My Heart" | 7 | 47 | — | 156 | 81 | — | 92 | |||||||
"Too Much" | 95 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
1994 | "Come Correct" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |||||
2016 | "Paris in Spring" (featuring D'Wayne Wiggins) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
References
[edit]- ^ "PARIS IN SPRING". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Farber, Jim (February 1, 1991). "Tara Kemp". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 298. ISBN 1904994105.
- ^ "Artist Chart History - Tara Kemp". billboard.com. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
- ^ a b c McCoy, Tabari (March 24, 2021). "A Tight 45 with Tabari McCoy – Episode 029 – Tara Kemp". A Tight 45 with Tabari McCoy. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- ^ "Beverly Hills, 90210 TV Soundtrack". allmusic.com. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
- ^ "12 - Tara Kemp - part 1". BREAK IT DOWN SHOW.
- ^ "Once Famous". SoundCloud.
- ^ "New Single : Paris In Spring – Tara Kemp & D'Wayne Wiggins | Magic Music Magazine". Magic Music Magazine. WordPress.com. May 2, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ "Reliving My Youth". Soundcloud.
- ^ a b c d e "US Charts > Tara Kemp". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- ^ a b "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing July 15, 1991". Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 152.
- ^ "CAN Charts > Tara Kemp". RPM. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- ^ "NZ Charts > Tara Kemp". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- ^ "UK Charts > Tara Kemp". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- ^ "American certifications – Tara Kemp". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
External links
[edit]- Living people
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American women singers
- 21st-century American singers
- 21st-century American women singers
- American women pop singers
- American contemporary R&B singers
- Giant Records (Warner) artists
- Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area
- People from Livermore, California
- American dance-pop musicians
- New jack swing musicians