Richard Rudolf is a Jewish songwriter and composer. He is famous for working alongside Stevie Wonder in producing Minnie Ripperton’s album, Perfect Angel, and for being the co-writer of one of the most performed songs of all time Lovin’ You.
The songwriter was married to singer, Minnie Ripperton. They have two children, Marc and Maya Rudolph. After the death of his wife, Rudolf got married to a Japanese Jazz singer, Kimiko Kasai.
10 Interesting Facts About American Songwriter, Richard Rudolf
1. Richard Rudolf is of Lithuanian-Jewish Descent
The American singer was born on October 27, 1949, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. His parents are Muriel Eileen Neufeld and Sidney Julius Rudolf.
The family was originally Jewish, and his grandfather’s name was Julius Rudashevsky, which was later changed to Julius Rudolf, and has been called that ever since. His children and their children adopted the new name as their surname which is evident today in Richard’s name.
2. He Started his Career as a Songwriter
Rudolf started his career in the music industry as a songwriter in Chicago’s legendary Chess Records in 1969. One of his earliest compositions was one sung by Minnie Riperton, who would later become his wife.
Subsequently, he met with Charles Stepney, the producer of Earth, Wind, and Fire. The meeting brought about collaborations including many songs for Ripperon and The Rotary Connection.
3. Rudolf later Ventured out to Record Producing
The songwriter started his career as a record producer when he and Stevie Wonder, joined forces o produce Minnie Riperton’s Best-selling Album, Perfect Angel. The album had some of the songs written by Rudolf.
One song that was featured on the Album was “Lovin’ You”. It was written by Richard Rudolf and Minnie Riperton. The song went on to become a number song around the world and one of the most performed songs of all time.
4. The Songwriter has Written Songs for a lot of Artists
In his career as a songwriter, Richard has written over 200 songs for different artists. He is still regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. A lot of hits from different artists are credited to his songwriting skills.
Some of these artists include Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie, Jermaine Jackson, 2Pac, Shanice Wilson, Michael Sembello, The Temptations, and Patti Austin.
5. Richard got Married to Singer, Minnie Riperton
The Jewish songwriter met Minie Riperton in 1967, in what could be called a professional setting. Minnie had a powerful, five-octave voice that was admired by many. Richard was happy to work with her, which they did.
However, things could not remain professional between them, as they developed romantic feelings for each other, and soon after, they were into a relationship.
Their relationship broke color bias as Richard was white while Minnie was black. This was at a time when biracial marriages were frowned upon. However, their love proved to be stronger than any man-conceived barrier. The duo went ahead to get married in 1970.
6. He is a Father of Two
Richard’s marriage to Minnie was blessed with 2 children. Marc was born in 1968 and Maya was born in 1972. They were born in Gainesville Florida.
Subsequently, the family moved to Los Angeles, California, when the kids were still young and they were raised in the Westwood neighborhood. His second daughter, Maya, would grow to be a famous American comedian, actress, and singer.
7. Richard Rudolf Lost his Wife, Minnie to Cancer
In January 1976, Minnie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following her diagnosis, she became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. Shortly after, she received the American Cancer Society’s Courage Award from then-President Jimmy Carter.
Minnie continued her career as a singer and went ahead to get a mastectomy. Despite everything she was going through, she kept a happy spirit. She said she wanted people to remember her as a happy person that brought happiness wherever she went.
Unfortunately, Rippperton died in July 1979, at the age of 31, about 3 years after her diagnosis. She died cuddled in her husband’s arms. At the time of her death, Marc her first son was 11 years old, while Maya was just about 6 years old.
Following the death of his wife, Richard continued to raise money to fund breast cancer research while encouraging men to be part of the journey.
8. Richard Rudolf’s Late wife was a Best-selling Singer
Minnie Ripperton was an African-American singer-songwriter. She is famous for her 1975 single “Lovin’ you”, which she wrote alongside her husband.
Minnie was born on November 8, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. As the youngest of 8 children born into a musical family, she started off as a ballet dancer before her parents recognized her musical prowess and encourage her to pursue music. She studied music, drama, and dance at Chicago’s Abraham Lincoln Center.
The “Lovin’ you” crooner started her career in a Chicago girl group called the Gems. She went on to back up other artists including Etta James, Fontella Bass, Ramsey Lewis, and Chuck Berry. Ripperton was also the lead singer for the experimental rock group, Rotary Connection between 1967-1971.
Ripperton went on to release 6 albums during her life and after she died. She was nominated for the Grammy Awards twice but did not live to receive one.
9. Richard Remarried After the Death of his Wife, Minnie
In 1990, about 11 years after the death of his first wife, Richard got married to a Japanese Jazz singer, Kimiko Kasai. Kimiko was born in Japan on December 15, 1945, in Kyoto Japan.
She took interest in Jazz at the age of 13, after listening to Chris Connor’s “All About Ronnie”, and at the age of16, she moved to Tokyo and began performing in Jazz clubs.
Just like Richard, Kimiko was previously married. She was married to a drummer, Hiroshi Murakami. However, the marriage ended, and she got married to Richard on October 20, 1990.
See Also: Bobby Bruce: Bio, Career, Arrests, Where is He Now?
10. His Daughter is a Famous Comedian, Actress, and Singer
Talking about an apple not falling far from the tree, Maya Khabira Rudolph, the daughter of Richard Rudolf is an award-winning actress, comedian, and singer. She became famous after she was cast as a member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
Maya featured in a lot of movies, some of which include “50 First Dates” (2004), “Grown-ups” (2010), “Bridesmaids” (2011), “Grown-ups 2” (2013), and “Hubie Halloween” (2020). She has also voiced a lot of animated characters.
In 2020, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for voicing “Maya and Mart” a variety show on NBC that she hosted alongside Martin Short. Maya has won several other awards for her outstanding performances.
