Unlike fellow retro-soul sisters Corinne Bailey Rae and Amy Winehouse, Melinda grew up in the States and studied music in Nashville. Her energy, passion and vocal intimacy spans Tina Turner to Aretha Franklin. She earned her chops singing back up for Michael McDonald, Aaron Neville and CeCe Winans. But Melinda is already much more than a just a singer. She is using her growing fame to help eradicate malaria from the globe—going so far as to travel with the First Lady to Africa to illustrate the problem.