Angela Winbush: 10 Unknown Facts About Ronald Isley’s Ex-Wife

Angela Winbush is a 70 years old American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer popular with songs like Angel (1987), Hello Beloved (1987) and Treat U Rite (1994).

The singer who is also known as Ronald Isley’s ex-wife announced in 2003 that her one-decade-long marriage with Isley had ended just at the period she was battling ovarian cancer.

Both Angela and Ronald have refused to give love another chance ever since their relationship went south. They have however continued to pursue their age-long music careers independently as was the case before they met.

Early Life/Music Background of the Singer

Angela Lisa Winbush was born on the 18th of January 1955 in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. She later attended Northwest High School in the middle-class area of St. Louis. Lisa did not begin exploring music professionally until she got admitted to Howard University where she was initially facing her academics and only doing music for financial gains.

Years later, Angela got used to singing and decided she was going to take the art more seriously. She changed her major to music education in Howard and began working on her demo which was later heard by a famous New York D.J called Gary Byrd after Wayne K presented it to him. This made Lisa be called upon and given a slot in Stevie Wonder’s backing vocal group called Wonderlove. Her performance in Wonderlove became a breakthrough for her future collaborative and solo career.

What is the Real Truth Behind Angela and Ronald’s Divorce

Angela was the first to file for a divorce in 2001. It is said that she was worried about how her husband was involved for most of her adult life and was also always at the front of her music career to her detriment.

Other reasons that led to Angela calling it to quit with her ex-husband could be linked to depression and rumors about a possible affair with Rene Moore her erstwhile music partner with whom she later had lengthy court battles over songwriting credits.

As speculations about the couple’s divorce continued to fly, Winbush claimed that what she did was just the best option for her career at that time and she and Ronald are still good friends.

Over a decade after Ronald and Lisa parted ways, neither of them has remarried.

Angela Winbush’s Ex-Husband is Also a Musician

Ronald Isley Angela’s estranged husband is also an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. The couple first met on professional grounds in the early 90s but later got emotionally attached. This led to their union on the 26th of June 1993.

Ronald who received an honorary doctorate of music from the Berklee College of Music has remained the lead singer and founding member of the family music group called The Isley Brothers. The group is known for songs like Between the Sheets (1983), Busted (2003), and Voyage to Atlantis (1977).

Fascinating Facts About Ronald Isley’s Ex-Wife You Should Know

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A post shared by Àngela Winbush (@theangelawinbush)

1. She Began Singing in Church

Angela’s music career stems from the church just as in the case of popular musicians like Allen Stone, Katy Perry, and Whitney Houston. Her church music days also gave her the opportunity to work with Richard Smallwood, an American gospel artist who formed The Richard Smallwood Singers in 1977 in Washington DC.

The singer however now does more of R&B, soul, and new jack swing.

2. Angela Abandoned Architecture for Music

Angela was initially training at Howard University to be an Architect. Although she could sing, she did not initially consider doing music professionally and was only performing with groups in order to get paid.

Things changed later on when she became very passionate about the art of music in 1977 and decided she was not going to be an architect anymore. She changed her major the same year to music education and began to do music professionally.

3. She Has Written and Produced Songs For Janet Jackson

Angela and her colleague Rene Moore had the privilege of producing 4 songs for Janet Jackson, sister to Michael Jackson who is popularly referred to as the king of pop. The songs featured in Janet Jackson’s 1982 self-titled debut album. Among the songs that Angela and Rene wrote and produced, Young Love became Jackson’s first top 10 US R&B hit which reached number 6 on the chart.

4. She is a Multi-Instrumentalist

Lisa is leaving a lasting legacy for her prowess not just as a singer but also as a producer who is good with many instruments. Sources have revealed that the musician is an excellent vocalist and she also plays instruments like the keyboard, bass guitar, and drums.

This feat makes her outstanding because there are very few women who are singers and also music producers at the same time. Moreso, Angela is said to be good with different music softwares that are vital for composition, digital recording mix down, and other forms of music production.

5. Angela Winbush Went Solo in 1987

The singer went solo in 1987 after several partnerships with music groups and of course Rene Moore with whom she was working. She made her solo debut with the album Sharp (1987). The album featured songs like Angel which showcased the singer’s 4-octave range and also reached the No.1 R&B position for 2 weeks in the same year it was released. Sharp further spent 28 weeks on the billboard 20 album chart and 51 weeks on the Hot R$B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The singer released her second solo album in 1989 titled The Real Thing. It also did well on various R&B charts just like her first album. Her third album was released in March 1994 and it is self-titled Angela Winbush.

6. She Has an Impressive Record

The musician has sold millions of copies of her songs over the years. Her music has also been sampled by renowned musicians such as Notorious B.I.G, Foxy Brown, and Jay-Z.

She has previously been ranked on the list of most popular R&Bsingers. She has also been named on the elite list of famous celebrities born in the United States of America.

Moreso, in her solo career, the musician has released 3 studio albums, 2 compilation albums, and at least 11 singles not to mention others that she did in collaboration with others.

Winbush has further been nominated for Soul Train Music Award twice (1987/1988). She notably won the ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Awards in 2002.

7. Angela Was Her Ex-Husband’s Producer

Winbush oversaw the entire songwriting and production on The Isley Brother’s 25th album titled Spend the Night (1989). She also co-wrote and co-produced with Isley another album of Isley Brothers in 1992 titled Tracks of Life.

The couple was said to have also worked on several songs together until they went their separate ways.

8. Winbush Fought and Beat Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer

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Angela revealed to her fans during her 80s hit performance at the Tom Joyner Sky Show that she had successfully fought and had victory over Ovarian cancer. Also in 2006 during an interview with a Christian TV show, the singer revealed that she overcame a cyst in her breast, depression, and malignancy after undergoing chemotherapy for 6 months in 2003. She attributed her survival to her faith in God.

9. What is Her Net worth?

The musician has undoubtedly remained resourceful in the music parlance. Given her track record, she is expected to be within the million-dollar bar. While this comes to mind, there has been no authoritative statement that has captured the exact net worth of the singer over the years.