Connie Harvey, a Scotland Neck NC native, has performed backup vocals for a variety of artists, including Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass, Debbie Harry, Cosby Jocelyn Brown, Martha Wash and a host of others.
But Harvey’s musical ambitions didn’t start and finish There. Although a native of Scotland Neck, Harvey spent most of her childhood growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., first dabbling in music while at church.
“I would sing in the church choir with my Mom,” Harvey said. “She always loved to sing. She would sing around the house.”
Then, one day, she happened to be heard by Ernest Wright, of the rhythm and blues band Little Anthony and the Imperials (the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009).
“Wow, you’ve got a beautiful voice,” she recalled Wright telling her.
She said he invited her to sing with him and do live shows, giving her a start in the industry. She credited him with teaching her to harmonize. Now, her voice can be heard on hit records such as longtime friend Jocelyn Brown