Freda Payne Vinyl Record Albums

Freda Charcilia Payne was born September 19, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan to Frederick and Charsilee Payne. She attended Palmer Elementary School and Crossman Elementary School. Payne also modeled and took ballet and Afro-Cuban dance. In 1956, while at Hutchins Middle School, she appeared on the nationally televised Ted Mack's The Original Amateur Hour. Singing jingles, Payne was featured on WJR radio's Make Way for Youth and many other local television and radio shows. Payne's mother spurned a contract from, then unknown, Barry Gordy. When she graduated from Central High School in 1959, Payne toured with Pearl Bailey's musical review and sang with the Duke Ellington Band. Her first album was After the Lights Go Down for ABC's Impulse Records in 1962.