Miriamm

Former "Peaches" Miriamm Wright holds a breast cancer benefit in town.

Date published: 1/24/2008

BY JONAS BEALS


For five years, Washington, D.C., rhythm-and-blues singer Miriamm Wright had a different name: "Peaches."

Indeed, Ms. Wright played the female foil to funk and soul crooner Herb Fame. She was the fifth woman to hold that spot since Peaches & Herb started cutting tracks in 1965. The mercurial duo is most famous for the late '70s hits "Shake Your Groove Thing" and "Reunited."


It was a tremendous opportunity for Wright, a lifelong singer, and it gave her the inspiration and courage to pursue her own music.


"My stint as Peaches was a wonderful one," she said. "Working with Herb was awesome. I had a chance to do several of the PBS installments, so we got a chance to work with Aretha Franklin, The Stylistics, The Chi-Lites, Deniece Wil-liams. It gave me a push to keep on doing and staying true to what I know."


Wright coupled those experiences with her degree as an accountant to pursue a number of music-related ventures. She is still a full-time musician, creating her own music, as well as doing freelance studio work. She has her own label, JasMar Entertainment, and she is most proud of her nonprofit organization, the Edith P. Wright Breast Cancer Foundation.


The foundation is named for her mother, who passed away from the disease at age 39. Miriamm Wright hopes to comfort cancer patients by providing basic needs like groceries, house cleaning and transportation.


"I turned my pain into my passion," Wright said. "It's a wonderful celebration of my mom's life. She was a lover of music as well."


The foundation is funded mainly by Wright's benefit concerts. "It's kind of like a form of music therapy," she said. "You use the arts to make people feel good."


Wright will be performing two benefit shows at The Loft on Princess Anne Street this Saturday.


Her new album "The Road of Peace" will be released on her own label in March, and the concerts will offer a sneak-peek at new material from the CD. Washington's all-woman funk band Lady Rhythm will back her up onstage.


Concert-goers can expect a show that hits on a wide range of styles, including R&B, gospel, pop and soul. Wright cites Minnie Riperton, Chaka Khan and Celine Dion as influences, but her experience singing R&B classics has allowed her to find her own voice.


"We're just excited to let the funk flow," she said. "Whenever I get a chance to share the gift, that's what I do."


Jonas Beals: 540/368
- The Free Lance-Star

Bejeweled from head to toe and dressed in fuchsia and white silk, Miriamm took the Kennedy Center stage by storm, never leaving the Terrace Theatre the same. This came as no shock to me since I’ve had the privilege of being blessed by this songbird’s voice numerous times. But this performance was different.

It was personal.

At age ten, Miriamm lost her mother to breast cancer. In lieu of this, and to further her mom’s legacy, Miriamm founded the non-profit organization the Edith P. Wright Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc (EPW) whose mission is to assist persons and families facing breast cancer with their practical day-to-day living.

With all the singing and dancing on stage, your eyes were constantly drawn to the “Walk of Courage” inscribed pink carpet draped behind her. The carpet honors women and men who have and are battling breast cancer. Friday, October 5, 2007, the carpet was unveiled and names read serving as a traveling memorial celebrating breast cancer survivors and families.

Unselfish of her time and God-given talent both vocally and as a thespian, I can only imagine the great lengths this single mother of two will go to in helping to find a cure for breast cancer. After witnessing her Kennedy Center performance, I asked myself the question, “What great lengths am I willing to go?”

For foundation information and artist contact info go to www.miriamm.com and www.epwfoundation.org.



- by FOX 5 WTTG myvoicedc.com staffer TLynLo