Deborah Cox

A native of Toronto, Deborah Cox began singing for TV commercials at age 12, also entering various talent shows with her mother's help. She performed in nightclubs as a teenager, and around that time, she also began to write her own material with the help of writer, producer, and future husband Lascelles Stephens. Much like Whitney Houston, with whom she is often compared vocally, Cox was discovered by Arista Records president Clive Davis shortly after graduating from high school. Davis recruited some of the top names in R&B to provide Cox with material for her 1995 debut, i...