Anita Baker fans rapturous over the songstress’ new tour (and it has a stop in L.A.)
NEW YORK — Anita Baker has some things she would dearly love for the entire world to know.
The iconic rock ‘n’ roller, whose new album, “Guitar One,” was released last month, has openly disclosed being the only woman to win a Grammy Award for recording a “Best Rock Vocal Performance.” She’s a proud lesbian, has an ex-husband and is friends with another woman. She’s not afraid to ask questions. And in the process, the singer — who has always been a shy, quiet private person — has become one of music’s most compelling figures to millions of fans.
“Anita Baker is an artist that inspires millions of people to do something on any day — to make a difference,” said a spokesperson from the Recording Academy, one of only a half-dozen or so music organizations to receive a copy of her new album.
“A lot of people who have never met Anita would learn of her in a way through her song, which is the way her music is written and performed. We just want to let her fans know that the Academy loves her music and has taken it very seriously.”
This is no surprise to the musician, who said earlier this year there will be a special show for those who have supported her since she broke out on the charts in the early 1970s.
Although she has toured the U.S., Europe, North America and beyond, Baker was in New York earlier this week for a show at the Highline Ballroom. The concert coincided with the release of the new album, “Guitar One,” and a new tour schedule, which kicked off in Seattle on Monday and continues through Sept. 6 at the Highline Ballroom in New York. The concerts will be televised on KCSB Channel 6 in San Francisco, WFAN-Ch. 8 and WWBT Channel 22 in Atlanta, and on Fox 8