The Emotions

Steeped in gospel, R&B sister act The Emotions broke through with a pair of iconic ’70s hits: “Best of My Love” and “Boogie Wonderland,” a collaboration with Earth, Wind & Fire. • The group was founded by lead singer Sheila Hutchinson and her sisters Wanda and Jeanette, all of whom grew up singing gospel in their native Chicago. • In the ’60s, they formed the gospel group Hutchinson Sunbeams and toured with genre superstar Mahalia Jackson. • The sisters rebranded themselves as The Emotions toward the end of the decade and signed with the Memphis soul label Stax. Their 1969 debut album, So I Can Love You, was produced by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. • In 1976, The Emotions signed to Columbia Records and released their third album, Flowers. It featured production from Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, who’d become a key collaborator. • Their platinum-selling 1977 album Rejoice yielded the hit single “Best of My Love,” which topped Billboard’s pop and R&B charts. “Best of My Love” also earned the trio a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus. • In 1979, The Emotions teamed with Earth, Wind & Fire for the Grammy-nominated disco classic “Boogie Wonderland,” a No. 6 hit on the Hot 100. • The group guested on “All In the Way,” off Earth, Wind & Fire’s 2003 album The Promise. The single went Top 20 on Billboad’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. • The Emotions have been sampled by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G., Mariah Carey, 50 Cent, and Kanye West.