How Minnie Riperton helped Denzel Washington find himself: “I’m touched by her music”
It’s easy to look back and say Denzel Washington was destined for greatness when he wasted little time establishing himself as one of his generation’s finest actors, but he wasn’t always entirely convinced that was where his future lay.
During his formative years, Washington had a habit of getting into trouble, which was drummed out of him when his mother sent him to a military academy following his parents’ divorce. He played college basketball, and while he’d been dabbling in the creative arts, he wasn’t 100% sold on acting.
In fact, he was so unsure of which direction to take that he took some time out of his education. He worked as the creative director of a summer camp, participated in talent shows, wrote some poetry, and returned from his self-imposed sabbatical with a trajectory firmly in mind.
Enrolling as an acting student at the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts in New York City, it was a production of Othello where he played the lead that served as his eureka moment. From that point forward, acting was the only thing he wanted to do, and it would be an understatement to say it worked out pretty well for him in the long run.
Music has always been an essential part of Washington’s life, too, and there was one artist above all others who served as a guiding light of sorts. During that transitional phase, Minnie Riperton was at the peak of her own career when her best-known single ‘Loving You’ reached number one on the charts in April 1975, and the future two-time Academy Award winner couldn’t get enough.
“I just love Minnie Riperton’s music,” he admitted to Interview. “At a time when I was making a transformation, from whatever it was I was doing before acting, I was writing a lot of poetry. I was very impressed with Minnie. I’ve never met her. I’m just very touched by her music. Female singers touch me more than anybody else.”
Riperton passed away at the age of just 31 in July 1979 after being diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, but her legacy lived on, not only through her daughter Maya Rudolph but through those who were inspired by her music. Washington conquered the acting world, whereas Mariah Carey – who named Riperton as one of her biggest influences – cut a similar swathe through music.
When he first fell in love with her music, he wasn’t even sure what he wanted to be, but it was always there when he was trying to figure it out. Washington has been a fan ever since, with Riperton remaining one of his favourite singers long after the lightbulb went off and the star realised his true calling.
