Melba Moore: A Part Of New 'Unsung' Crop

Melba Moore is getting another shot in the limelight.The Tony Award winning star of the 1970s musicals 'Purlie,' 'Timbuktu' and 'Hair' will be the subject of an episode of TV One's critically acclaimed biographical series, 'Unsung.'BlackVoices.com has learned that the five-year-old digital cable network has signed a pact with A. Smith & Co. Production for eight more episodes of the show, which celebrated the ups and downs of once-successful black music acts.The first four episodes of 'Unsung' featured compelling and tragic chronicles of Motown Records family group DeBarge, soul crooner Donny Hathaway, powerhouse vocalist Phyllis Hyman and crossover gospel group The Clark Sisters. Airing last fall, the episodes were viewed by a total 1.1 million people, and the Hyman premiere was TV One's highest-rated original program in 2008, according to data released by the network."'Unsung' really resonates with our audience," said TV One's programming chief Toni Judkins. "When it first aired, we may have gotten more comments and positive feedback about it than any other entertainment program since we aired the 30th anniversary telecast of Roots." Moore, who rose to major stardom after her Broadway success –starring in TV shows, recording hit songs ('This Is It,' 'You Stepped Into My Life' and 'Falling'), performing at the Metropolitan Opera House and even endorsing her own clothing line – hit rock bottom in the 1990s and was forced to apply for welfare after a devastating divorce battle with her then-husband/manager Charles Huggins. She even was sentenced to 30 days in jail for violating a gag order. The three-time Grammy Award nominee has been on the comeback trail over the past decade, releasing acclaimed gospel music recordings and performing her one-woman stage-play around the country. On March 6 and March 13, she will be the featured headliner at Lee Summers 'Just A Piano' showcase at New York City's famed Triad Theatre. She's also featured, alongside other 1970s and 1980s chart-toppers Jody Watley, Teddy Pendergrass, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Howard Hewett and Freddie Jackson, on the new Time Life inspirational compilation, 'Songs 4 Worship --Soul.'