René & Angela were an early-'80s soul duo from Los Angeles. Before forming in 1977,
René Moore -- the brother of
Rufus'
Bobby Watson -- played with
the Brothers Johnson;
Angela Winbush had sung backup vocals for
Dolly Parton,
Lenny Williams, and
Jean Carn.
René & Angela had their first R&B hit for Capitol Records in 1980 and proceeded to have seven other hits over the next three years. Along with
Watson, they collaborated as songwriters and producers for the likes of
Rufus & Chaka Khan,
Janet Jackson, and Plush. In 1985, the duo switched to Mercury, where they had the number one R&B hit "Save Your Love (For #1)" -- their first single from the album
Street Called Desire. Over the next year, the group had three other Top Ten hits -- including the number one R&B single "Your Smile" and the number two "You Don't Have to Cry" -- before pursuing solo careers.
Moore released a solo album in 1988 and co-wrote
Michael Jackson's "Jam," while
Winbush enjoyed more success during the tail-end of the decade and the first half of the '90s.
Winbush also wrote and produced material for
Ronald Isley,
the Isley Brothers,
Stephanie Mills, and
Lalah Hathaway; she and
Isley were briefly married. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine