Beloved Singer Alpha Anderson Passes Away at 78

Alpha Anderson Passes Away

Alpha Anderson, the singer behind some of Chic’s biggest hits, has sadly died at the age of 78.

Nile Rodgers, her bandmate, announced the news on Tuesday (December 17) through an Instagram post. The details surrounding the cause of her death were not disclosed.

With a montage of images featuring him, Anderson, and the entire band, Rodgers included a heartfelt tribute set to “At Last I Am Free,” one of Anderson’s solo tracks from their 1978 album C’est Chic. He wrote: “Thank you for everything.” Above the montage, a message reads: “RIP Alfa Anderson. GREAT organization. Loved forever.”

Early Life and Career

Born in Augusta, Georgia, on September 7, 1946, Anderson reportedly wrote her first song at the tender age of three, participated in her school choir, and made her debut as a backing vocalist with the group Cannonball Adderley at Carnegie Hall in 1976.

Although she initially pursued a career in teaching, Anderson began lending her vocal talents to musicians like Dionne Warwick and Roy Buchanan, as well as contributing to the 1978 film soundtrack Wizard, produced by Quincy Jones.

While working on the film’s soundtrack in 1977, she met Luther Vandross, who encouraged her to audition for Chic.

At that time, the band was working on their self-titled debut album, on which Anderson provided backing vocals.

Following the departure of Norma Jean Wright in 1978, Anderson took over as the group’s lead vocalist, making significant contributions to Chic’s releases, including the major albums C’est Chic (1978) and Risqué (1979). Her powerful voice can be heard on some of their most iconic tracks such as “Le Freak,” “Good Times,” and “My Forbidden Lover.”

Chic disbanded in 1983, after which Anderson regularly appeared on Soul Train and Top Pop Music. She also lent her voice to albums produced by Chic for artists such as Sister Sledge with “We Are Family” and Diana Ross’s “Diana,” reuniting with Vandross for an international tour during the mid-1980s.

In the following two decades, she collaborated with artists including Bryan Adams, Gregory Hines, Mick Jagger, Teddy Pendergrass, Jennifer Holliday, Billy Squier, Sheena Easton, Jody Watley, Bryan Ferry, and Jonathan Butler.

Later, she returned to her roots in education and took on the role of principal at Brooklyn’s El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice. Throughout the 2010s, she released music sporadically, such as the single “Former First Lady of Chic” and a self-titled album in 2017 called “Music From My Heart.”

In 2015, she rejoined Chic as a lead vocalist on “I’ll Be There,” marking their first single in almost 25 years. That same year, Chic’s “Le Freak” was honored with an induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame and, three years later, into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.

In other news, Nile Rodgers has inadvertently confirmed that he and Chic will be performing at Glastonbury 2025.