I was born in The Bronx, New York, and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her uncle Avon Long had played the part of Sportin' Life in the first Broadway revival of Porgy and Bess and worked with Lena Horne at the Cotton Club. Her father sang back-up for groups at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Her mother managed a group called Quality Red.

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She was discovered as a young woman while working with her mother at Philadelphia International Records as an office cleaner. Producer Theodore T. Life overheard her singing in a washroom and began coaching her. She was eventually signed to a production deal with Life's Galaxy Productions and a recording contract with RCA Records.

 

King released her debut album, Smooth Talk, in 1977. It included the song "Shame", which is her only top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #9; the song also reached #7 Soul and #8 on the dance chart. The record was eventually certified gold. Another single from that album, "I Don't Know If It's Right", peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 Soul; it would become her second certified gold single. In 1981, the single "I'm in Love" was released from the same-titled album; it reached #1 on the R&B singles chart and dance chart in August of that year; it also peaked at #40 on the pop chart.