Melba Moore is ready to tell her story in the upcoming memoir This Is It – Marvelous… And Getting Better.
Arriving in November, the memoir will chart “the highs and lows of her five-decade career, revealing how she continually pivoted in an industry that often struggled to define her powerhouse voice,” according to a statement from the actress and singer’s team.
The Tony Award winner and three-time Grammy nominee has made a mark on stage, with her music, and on TV.
Moore, 79, debuted on Broadway in the original cast of Hair in 1968. Then in 1970, she took home a Tony Award for her role in Purlie, becoming the first Black actress to win in the category of Best Female Supporting Actress.
Her Broadway legacy also includes parts in Timbuktu, Inacent Black, Ain’t Misbehavin, Chicago, and Les Misérables.
Related: Melba Moore Reveals Katt Williams Covered $75,000 Fee for Her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
In terms of her recording career, Moore’s debut album I Got Love climbed the charts in 1970, bringing a new legion of fans, and earned her a Best New Artist Grammy nomination in 1971, according to Grammy.com.
She is best known for her hit songs “You Stepped Into My Life,” “Read My Lips,” “Fallin’” and “This Is It.”
Moore’s television credits include co-starring with actor Clifton Davis in the then-couple’s variety series in 1972. She also appeared on daytime drama All My Children, plus The Love Boat, Falcon Crest and The Cosby Show.
In 2023, she was awarded the 2,760th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in live theater and live performance.
Entertainment insiders Freda Payne, Jimmy Jam, Luenell, Tisha Campbell, and Katt Williams all attended the ceremony in Los Angeles.
“I love Melba and Melba’s got a pure heart. She’s a sweet person and she’s multi-talented,” said Freda Payne.
“This is one of those ‘just because’ stars on the Walk of Fame because she deserves it, just because!” Tisha Campbell shared.
“As a young man with a moustache growing up in Dayton, Ohio, I thought that Melba Moore exemplified the elegance, grace, dignity and strength of the Black woman,” Williams added from the podium.
Moore got emotional with all of the attention.
“I’m humbled,” she told the crowd gathered at the ceremony. “I want you to know that I’m honored. I’m absolutely astonished. I never, ever thought of anything like this.”
Her memoir This Is It – Marvelous… And Getting Better will be released in November 2025.
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