Riperton was born in Chicago, the daughter of Thelma Inez (née Matthews) (1911-2005) and Pullman porter Daniel Webster Riperton (1898-1991). As the youngest of eight children in a musical household, she grew up enjoying the arts.
Although she began with ballet and modern dance, her parents encouraged her to pursue music and voice since they were aware of her vocal and musical abilities. She received operatic vocal instruction from Marion Jeffery at the Abraham Lincoln Center in Chicago.
What was Minnie Riperton octave range?
The 1975 hit “Lovin’ You” and Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph’s four-octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range made her a well-known American singer-songwriter (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979).
In the media, she has been referred to as the “Queen of the Whistle Register” due to her extensive usage of the whistle register.
Riperton was lauded for her whistle skills as well as her high-pitched, nearly symphonic voice. In “You Take My Breath Away,” she sang a portamento ending two octaves above the staff.
She has also been acclaimed for her extraordinary ability to hold notes in the sixth and seventh octaves for lengthy periods of time in songs like “Reasons,” “Could It Be I’m in Love,” “Adventures in Paradise,” and “Inside My Love,” as well as “Love Me Now” with the Rotary Connection.
