Jody Watley's got that golden dance-pop flair that struck all kinds of chords in the 1980s, and "the Queen of Cool" has proven in her classic timeless style that her beauty and charm can last through the decades. The great entertainer has pleased fans for more than 20 years, and Watley keeps surprising the masses with smash hits and album releases.

Before she was a phenomenal solo act and (prior to that) one third of the dance-soul group Shalamar, Watley was just known as Jody, a Chicago-born tough chick. Watley grew up in Los Angeles, landing a gig on Soul Train that eventually led to her meeting Dick Griffey, a booking agent who brought her to join the trio Shalamar in 1977. Shalamar wowed the U.S. and the U.K. with hits like 1979's "Take That to the Bank," but Watley jumped ship in 1982 to pursue a solo career that took her to London, where she collaborated with the Art of Noise and Band Aid before returning to the U.S. in search of some classic American acclaim. Working with a number of pop-producing gurus, Watley released her eponymous debut album in 1987, immediately hitting it big with the single "Looking for a New Love." The ‘80s dance-pop hit meshed perfectly with other ‘80s acts like Paula Abdul, and Watley continued to impress fans with singles like "Don't You Want Me" and "Still a Thrill."

Aside from a budding urban dance music career, Watley made the most of the media circuits, producing an extremely successful exercise video Dance to Fitness, also appearing in fashion spreads and a Gap ad campaign before claiming a spot on People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People List. Though the ‘80s and early ‘90s were Watley's most memorable times for her career, the pop chanteuse continued to release hits in the rest of the ‘90s, even coming back for more in the 2000s (and still making the Billboard charts today)!