The Revolution (1990)

Lore & Background

Coleman, the middle child of three, was born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother was Mexican-American visual artist Marylou Ynda-Ciletti (April 4, 1936 – November 17, 2013). Her father, Gary Coleman (born 1936), is an Anglo-American session musician. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was part of the collective The Wrecking Crew and befriended fellow musician Mike Melvoin.

Their families became close, and Lisa Coleman formed a close relationship with Melvoin's daughter Wendy, saying once 'We've been familiar with one another since we were in diapers.' Coleman got her professional start at age 12, playing keyboards in the bubblegum pop band Waldorf Salad, which also featured her siblings and Jonathan Melvoin, and was signed to A&M Records in 1973. In 1975, she played a small role as a high school pianist in the Linda Blair made-for-TV film Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic.

She was a recent high school graduate, working as a shipping clerk and teaching piano, when friend Niki Yoergler brought her to the attention of Prince. After some convincing, Yoergler got Coleman an audition and she was hired as part of Prince's backing group in 1980 for his Dirty Mind album and tour. She replaced keyboardist Gayle Chapman, and Wendy Melvoin would soon replace Dez Dickerson. Coleman played keyboards for Prince on his Controversy and 1999 albums, providing vocals on the latter, as well as the three albums she played as an official member of The Revolution: Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day and Parade.

She was also featured as a session player on recordings by The Time and Vanity 6. Shortly after the completion of Prince and The Revolution's Parade project, Prince started a new band, and Coleman and Melvoin started working together as a duo. As Wendy & Lisa (and for one album, Girl Bros.), they released five full-length albums for various labels, as well as their own independent imprint. They also worked as a collaborative team as film and television composers; their credits include Crossing Jordan, Heroes, Nurse Jackie (which won them an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Theme), Prime Suspect, No Tomorrow, Witches of East End, Touch (for which they received an Emmy nomination), and Shades of Blue.

In 2009, Coleman played vibraphone on the Alice in Chains' song 'Black Gives Way to Blue'. In 2019, she self-released her first solo instrumental album titled Collage.

Reader's Guide

Coleman and Melvoin were awarded with an Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title in 2010 for their theme to Nurse Jackie. Coleman (and Melvoin) also share the honor of winners of a Grammy and Oscar for being part of The Revolution, as Purple Rain won two Grammys, and the Oscar for Best Original Score. Coleman (along with Melvoin) received the inaugural ASCAP Shirley Walker Award in 2014.