Alfa Anderson’s Passing
Alfa Anderson, who once sang lead for Chic, passed away on December 17 at 78. Nile Rodgers, her bandmate, shared this sad news.
"Huge thanks for everything," Rodgers posted on Instagram, showing photos of them with the band. A montage played "At Last I Am Free," a song she led in 1978. It ended with "RIP Alfa Anderson. CHIC organization. Forever loved." No more info about her passing was shared.
Anderson did lots of things before Chic. She had a role in Cannonball Adderley’s Big Man in 1976, shown at Carnegie Hall, and starred in Children of the Fire at Lincoln Center, with music by Marvin Peterson. She also sang on the soundtrack for The Wiz, produced by Quincy Jones.
Fans remember how special her voice was and how it made everyone want to dance.
Luther Vandross brought her into Chic during a vocal session in 1977. At that time, the band was just forming. Rodgers and Edwards had gathered some musicians, and she added her voice to "Everybody Dance" and was part of "Dance Dance Dance."
When Anderson toured with Chic, she became co-lead singer with Luci Martin after Norma Jean Wright left. From 1978 to 1983, she shared her voice on songs like "Le Freak" and "Good Times," a hit that made Rolling Stone’s "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
Chic and Beyond
With Chic, she not only performed but also contributed to projects like Sister Sledge’s "We Are Family" and Diana Ross’ Diana. After Chic split in 1983, Anderson worked with many other artists like Bryan Adams, Mick Jagger, and Sheena Easton through the Eighties and Nineties. She even joined Vandross on tour between 1982 and 1987.
2017 saw the release of her solo album, Music From My Heart. Before that, in 2015, she reunited with Chic for "I’ll Be There," their first single in over twenty years.
In 2015, "Le Freak" made it to the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2018, it joined the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone also called it one of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time."
Reflecting on Chic’s lasting appeal after their 2013 compilation Up All Night, Anderson told Pop Matters that their music feels timeless. “They’re imbued with a spirit that is all-embracing and universal,” she said. “It still makes you get up and dance no matter where you are. It’s just classic. I’m humbled and honored to be a part of that history and that legacy.”
