Grammy Award-winning vocalist, producer, and songwriter Jody Watley made a name for herself with the dance-soul trio Shalamar before she embarked on a solo career that brought her several Top Ten pop hits and a reputation as "The Queen of Cool." Watley was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 30, 1959, but grew up in Los Angeles. Her teenage gig as a dancer on Soul Train led to a meeting with the hit TV show's booking agent, Dick Griffey. Along with Jeffrey Daniel and Gerald Brown, Watley was recruited by Griffey to join Shalamar in 1977. A string of poppy dance-soul hits fea...