Sheree Hicks

Sheree Hicks (born 31 August 1972; Memphis, Tennessee) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and record label owner, best known for her work across R&B and house music and as the founder of Chic Soul Music.

Early Life

Hicks began singing in church in her native Memphis before her family relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where she was raised. At the age of seventeen, she was approached to join a female R&B vocal trio, an opportunity that led the group to relocate to Los Angeles, California, and marked the beginning of her professional music career.
 

Career

Hicks's early group was signed first to Def Jam Recordings under Russell Simmons, and later to Universal Records under Gene Riggins. She secured her first paid professional engagement through SAG/AFTRA, providing background vocals for 1980s Geffen Records artist Christopher Williams on The Robert Townsend Show, and soon after sang backing vocals behind Brandy and her brother Ray J on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. These appearances helped establish her within the industry, and by the early 1990s she had become a sought-after background vocalist and vocal arranger.

As a songwriter, Hicks has written for artists including Blackstreet, in collaboration with Teddy Riley, as well as Heavy D, C&C Music Factory, Terry Dexter, Nick Loren and Emily Bell. She went on to found her own label, Chic Soul Music, based in Elmhurst, Illinois, through which she has released and produced much of her more recent output as a house and soulful dance artist.

Working closely with Chicago-based production duo DJ Sean Ali and Chuck Robertson of SOL4ORCE, Hicks recorded a string of tracks that reached the top of the dance charts, including "Sacrifice," "Dream Come True," "Hypnotic," an "Electricity" remix and "Green Light," the latter entering the top 20 within its first week of release. She has also recorded a duet, "Your Only," with house artist RaShaan Houston, released on a label associated with Ten City's Byron Stingily.

Her catalogue includes further releases such as "Let Love In," "No Place Like Home," "Searching," "Inside the Groove," "Thinking of You" and "Addicted," alongside collaborations with Deep Sole Syndicate, DJ Beloved, Yuichi Inoue, Josh Milan, Cafe 432, Booker T and Alankara.

Hicks has performed internationally, including appearances at the Groove Odyssey Festival in Ibiza, Spain, and the Southport Weekender Festival in Camber Sands, UK, as well as regularly with Chicago's Chosen Few DJs collective and at venues including The Promontory and The Shrine in Chicago.
 

Personal Life

Hicks has lived in a number of major cities over the course of her career, including Los Angeles and New York, in addition to her long associations with Chicago and Elmhurst, Illinois.

She has spoken candidly about the more difficult realities of a career in the music industry, alongside its rewards. Outside of music, she values time spent with her family, particularly her daughter, and has cited writing, event planning and travel among her personal interests.

Hicks is regarded within house and soul music circles as a versatile talent whose songwriting and vocal arranging work behind the scenes has been as influential as her recordings as an artist in her own right.

Current Activities

Hicks continues to write, produce and release music through Chic Soul Music, building on a steady stream of releases and collaborations in recent years.