Anita, far right, singing with Natalie Cole and Sissy People on stage at a concert.
While visiting Natalie Cole backstage at a concert in Los Angeles, Anita Anderson watched Natalie argue with her back-up singer, and then she fired her on the spot.
“Natalie was a friend of mine from UMass Amherst where we both went,” explained Anita, who has worked in BCArc’s residential programs for the past three years. “Natalie turned to me and asked if I could learn her show and get on the road with her in two weeks. I told her two days.”
Anita spent the next 10 years traveling the world as a back-up vocalist with Natalie Cole. When not recording or traveling with Natalie, she sang with Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Jeffrey Osborne, and more. You can hear her singing on the gold record “Natalie Live,” as well as see her name on the record sleeve.
Anita, far left, singing with Natalie Cole and Sissy People on stage at a concert.
Her stories are endless. On stage included concerts at Carnegie Hall, the LA Amphitheater, and arena-sized shows in Australia, South America, Japan, and Europe. Off stage there was lavish spending, private celebrations with pop stars and VIPs, and excessive all-night parties.
This was the late 70s and early 80s, Anita explained. “It was an amazing lifestyle, but it was also a grueling lifestyle. It ran you down. People in those circles lived hard and partied hard.”
“We had sound check around 1 p.m. or so, and then had time to see the sights and hang out until the show,” Anita said. “Whether we were the headliner or the opener, after shows we were all pumped up with energy, so it was a while before we’d get to sleep.”
The road crew and equipment traveled by bus, while Anita and the performers traveled by plane, for the most part.
By the mid- to late 80s, Anita left it all and eventually moved from L.A. to her hometown of Springfield, Mass., to take care of her mom and herself.
“I’ve been up and down and all around,” Anita says, thinking about those years. “I’ve been fortunate. I’ve done a lot. I’ve seen a lot. I will never complain about the road I’ve taken.”
“Working at BCArc has been the best job I’ve ever had,” she said flatly. “This is far more rewarding than anything I’ve ever done. Yes touring was exciting, but taking care of people like this, that feels important. I love the ladies and they love me.”
The framed gold records hang at her home above a Yamaha keyboard given to her by Stevie Wonder.
Anita was singing as a young kid in her church, and sang Born Free solo at her high school graduation in Springfield. She still sings with her local congregation at the Price Memorial Baptist Church. She doesn’t read music, but says, “You play me a song, and I’ll find the key and the chords on the piano pretty quickly.” She adds that the piano at her Pittsfield home is the Yamaha given to her by Stevie Wonder back in the day.
“On the road with Natalie, we sang three-part harmonies,” Anita said. With only two back-up singers – Sissy Peoples was her counterpart — “Natalie anchored the third part of the harmony. You had to have an ear to hit the right notes,” she said. “As you know, Natalie had a powerful voice, so we had to really sing,” she said, laughing.
She keeps her framed plaque from Capitol Records on the wall above her piano, commemorating Gold – 500,000 in sales — for “Natalie Live,” and for “Unpredictable” turning Platinum – 1 million in sales.
“I like thinking back to the old days, but I’m lucky to have this new and rewarding life with my BCArc family,” she said.
Watch Anita sing live in video below.
Anita with staff at BCArc’s Main Office. Maryann Hyatt, President & CEO, is to the left of Anita.
Anita with one of the individuals who lives in the BCArc program where she works.
