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“I’m amazingly blessed. I will never ever say that I’ve lived the perfect life to be shown such favor with God or the people, but here I am,” declares the incomparable Regina Belle. The Academy Award-winning and Multi Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actress, with a string of hits including “Make It Like It Was,” “If I Could,” “Baby Come To Me,” and “This Is Love,” Regina Belle has made a career following her heart and moving gracefully between the worlds of R&B, Gospel, and Jazz.
She is an entertainer of immeasurable musical talent. This New Jersey native has earned distinction as an international treasure. Her luminous vocals on the Peabo Bryson duet, “A Whole New World” (Grammy’s Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1994) solidified her place as music royalty.
Belle’s vocal abilities were demonstrated at a young age, with her first solo at the age of 8, at Friendship Baptist Church in New Jersey, pastored by her uncle, the late Dr. Fred M. Belle, Jr. The entertainer’s natural gifts were further polished at Dwight Morrow High School and the Manhattan School of Music for Preparatory College, where she studied classical voice training with Inga Wolfe. Although having received a full scholarship to attend Manhattan School of Music, she opted to aim her sights on the elite Rutgers University to study both Africana Studies and Music.
In 1985, Belle left Rutgers University her senior year, just 15 credits shy of completing her degree, to go on the road with the Grammy Award, World Renown Group, THE MANHATTANS. She remained with them for two years before being springboarded into her own career.
Thirty years after leaving Rutgers and 10 albums later, Belle started taking online courses, which earned her a Bachelor’s Degree in Africana Studies and a Minor in Music. Belle walked the stage with her ‘new class’ from Rutgers in May of 2015. She states, “This achievement of finishing my degree which I started almost 30 years ago and finally being done was a bittersweet moment and rates as high as my Grammy Awards.”
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Her life is a constant, eventful journey purposeful but not without misfortune. After releasing her first Gospel album in 2008, “Love Forever Shines,” with the hit single “God Is Good,” she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This devastating news came at the height of her gospel career. After two surgeries and 10 months of rehabilitation, Belle found herself back at the top of her game, ready to take on the world.
Belle’s life experiences and health challenges have made her a champion in the area of caregiving, affording her opportunities to wear different hats. Additionally, she cared for her father and brother all at one time until their passing, and she continues to be a caretaker for her mother. She was honored to have represented AARP as an Ambassador for Caregivers.
Belle has enjoyed career success for which many entertainers can only pray. She can also give thanks for a blessed personal life. She has been married to former NBA player John Battle since 1991. The couple has raised five children and is blessed to have four grandchildren. Bishop John Battle serves as Senior Pastor and Belle, working alongside him as an ordained minister, First Servant, and Minister of Music of their two churches: New Shield of Faith Worship Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and Spread the Word Ministries in College Park, Georgia.
Her latest release, “My Colorful Christmas,” features timeless holiday classics, from the definitive “Silent Night” and “The First Noel” to the spiritual hymns “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Hark the Herald.” But what Belle does is sprinkle her signature magic and personal touch on each track, which adds an unforgettable emotional depth guaranteed to warm the soul.
In addition to her music career, Regina Belle graduated in the top 5 of her class with a Master of Divinity (MDIV) at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in May of 2024. She has starred in several movies including “Deadly Sexy,” “The Brewster Project,” “The Walk,” and the Kirk Franklin movie “A Gospel Christmas” . Regina also celebrated 37 years in the music industry on Mother’s Day weekend of 2024.
Regina’s goal is simple: “If I cannot identify with the songs, and if the music does not move my soul, make me feel better, take me up when I’m down or higher when I’m up, then I don’t want to record it, play it, or sing it!”
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Tour Dates
| July 26 | Jazz and Coffee Escape Concert with Marcus Anderson Raleigh, NC |
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| July 27 | R&B Music Society Concert Atlantic City, NJ |
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| August 2 | Ludlow Garage Cincinnati, OH |
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| August 10 | Richmond Jazz Festival Richmond, VA |
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| August 24 | Soul Music Festival Rochester, NY |
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| August 31 | Taste of the City Wine Festival Charles County Fairground, LaPlata, MD |
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| September 1 | Taste of Soul Atlanta Festival Atlanta, Ga |
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