As soon as Rick James' main squeeze proved herself a great singer there was no looking back. Never to be confused with a ditzy bimbo, she quickly started writing and producing her own work. Marie weathered R&B barbarians at the gate during the 1980s but she fell victim to the diva onslaught of the '90s. This is a shame because Marie remains one of the best Soul singers around and could teach the current crop of young upstarts about getting funky with feeling.
