February 1983: Patti Austin & James Ingram Hit #1 with "Baby, Come to Me"

Patti Austin and James Ingram
Photo Credit
(YouTube)

In September 1981, singer Patti Austin released the album Every Home Should Have One. One of the album's singles was a Rod Temperton-penned duet with James Ingram, "Baby, Come to Me." Released as a single in April 1982, the song had modest success on charts, peaking in the bottom half of the Hot 100.

Later on that same year, however, the song was used on wildly popular daytime soap opera, General Hospital, as a love theme for characters Luke Spencer and Holly Sutton. Warner Bros was quick to jump on the momentum, and quickly reissued the track as a single.

The song would re-enter the charts on October 16, 1982, at #91. After a steady ascension up the ladder, "Baby, Come to Me" peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 for the week of February 19, 1983, dethroning Men at Work's "Down Under." The song would also top the Adult Contemporary chart.

"Baby, Come to Me" would hold the #1 spot for two weeks. On March 5, 1983, Michael Jackson would take the position with "Billie Jean."

Sadly, James Ingram died in January 2019 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 66 years old.

“There are no words to convey how much my heart aches with the news of the passing of my baby brother James Ingram," producer Quincy Jones told Billboard. "With that soulful, whisky sounding voice, James Ingram was simply magical. From the minute I first heard his voice on the demo tape for 'Just Once,' to 'One Hundred Ways,' his classic duet with Patti Austin 'How Do You Keep the Music Playing,' 'Secret Garden,' 'We Are the World,' and all of our recordings, every beautiful note that James sang pierced your essence and comfortably made itself at home. But it was really no surprise because James was a beautiful human being, with a heart the size of the moon. James Ingram was, and always will be, beyond compare. Rest In Peace baby brother. You will be in my heart forever.”

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(Run-D.M.C./Aerosmith/YouTube)
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