Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.

This week’s theme is  “Avenue/Boulevard/Drive/Lane/Road/Street.”

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Memory Lane was the first release off Minnie Riperton’s fifth and final album simply titled Minnie. The single peaked at number 16 on the Billboard R&B charts after a 22-week run.

The song is a bittersweet memory for Riperton fans (and her family), as it was written, recorded, and released during Riperton’s three-year battle with breast cancer.

She lost her battle just two months after Memory Lane’s release – in July of 1979. She was only 31 years old.

• Riperton revealed on The Tonight Show on August 24, 1976, that she had undergone a mastectomy due to breast cancer. At the time of her diagnosis, Riperton found out her cancer had already spread to the lymphatic system, and was given about six months to live. She continued touring in 1977 and 1978.
• Riperton was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from August 1970 until her death in July 1979. Together, Riperton and Rudolph had two children; music engineer Marc Rudolph (b. 1968) and actress/comedian Maya Rudolph (b. 1972).
• Riperton’s daughter, Saturday Night Live actress Maya Rudolph, was a child when Lovin’ You was recorded. According to the liner notes from Riperton’s Petals compilation CD, the melody to Lovin’ You was created as a distraction for Maya when she was a baby, so Riperton and Richard Rudolph could spend time together.
• Extreme lymphedema immobilized her right arm in early 1979 and in the Memory Lane video her right arm remains in a fixed position.

Enjoy!

See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for FeliciaDenise.com.

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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.