When Chi Coltrane's first single, "Thunder and Lightning" made the US top 20 in 1972, it seemed like the auspicious start of a long and distinguished career.
The timing was right, and the performer appeared to have everything going for her - she was a prodigious pianist, a skilled composer, a fine vocalist, and distinctly photogenic. Furthermore, her style - a sort of ultra-sophisticated take on Carole King and Elton John - was perfect for the times. But, for various reasons (an aversion to self-promotion, in particular), she never consolidated her initial success, and settled instead for a small, but loyal cult following, both in North America and Europe. Chi (pronounced "shy") Coltrane (b.Nov 16, 1948 Racine, Wisconsin) was one of seven children born to a Canadian mother, and a German violinist father. She studied a number of instruments as a child, and gave her first piano recital at 12. In 1970, she formed Chicago Coltrane, playing blues, funk and gospel in local clubs and bars.
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