b. Sandra St. Victor, 28th May 1963, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
Sandra St. Victor was born and raised in Dallas, Texas.
Her earliest musical ambition was to become a classical soprano.
That took her to Arts Magnet High School in Dallas, Texas.
The Arts Magnet High School was also attended by Erykah Badu.
From Arts Magnet High School in Dallas, Sandra received a full scholarship to study opera at the University of Kansas.
It was here she discovered the music of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.
Her musical journey then took her back to Dallas, where she fronted the jazz / pop band called Laissez Faire.
The group eventually moved to New York where Sandra joined Ubiquity, the jazz / fusion band fronted by the vibraphonist Roy Ayers.
As a result of that collaboration, Sandra met Chaka Khan.
The two formed a close professional and personal friendship that lasts to this day.
That connection was cemented with a series of other short-term gigs with the likes of Glenn Jones, Freddie Jackson and many others.
It was at this time that Sandra teamed up with two like-minded innovative producer / performers, V. Jeffrey Smith and Peter Lord, to form the group The Family Stand.
chapter - 1988 / chain - 1990
As Evon Geffries and The Stand, Sandra, Peter and Jeff released their debut album 'Chapters -A Novel by Evon Geffries & The Stand' in 1988.
Two singles were lifted from the LP; 'Sex W/O Love' and 'Stand And Deliver', the latter reaching number 53 R & B in October 1988.
Evon Geffries was a fictitious character that the group created.
moon in scorpio - 1991
In 1991, The Family Stand issued their third album, 'Moon In Scorpio', which originally was planned to be a double-CD.
The Family Stand trio also worked alongside Daryl Hall, whose 'Soul Alone' album, issued in 1993 on Epic, contained the 'I'm In A Philly Mood', Hall's version of Marvin Gaye's '(When Did You) Stop Loving Me, (When Did I) Stop Loving You' and the excellent 'Borderline'.
At the beginning of 1993, The Family Stand disbanded, however the decision to split up the group had nothing to do with personal differences.
Peter Lord and Jeff Smith continued to work as producers and songwriters and Sandra was immediately signed as a solo artist to Elektra Records.
The initial solo album was finished in '93, but was shelved due to songs being replaced and unfinished production work.
It was in 1994 that Sandra was released from her Elektra contract.
mack diva saves the world - 1996 / gemini: both sides - 2001
She chose to sign with Warner Brothers and her first single 'Rise', lifted from the Warner Brothers debut 'Mack Diva Saves the World' album, came out in the autumn of 1996.
That year, Sandra also sang on 'I Believe In You', a duet with the late Curtis Mayfield, and TAFKAP, or The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, recording one of Sandra's songs 'Soul Sanctuary' and issuing it on his 'Emancipation' album.
In 2001, Sandra released her second solo outing 'Gemini: Both Sides', to critical acclaim.
The album featured the artists Roy Ayers and Donald Byrd and was, initially, only available at her website http://www.sandrastvictor.com.
sinner child e.p. - 2010 / oya's daughter - 2013
In 2013, she returned to the studio for the album 'Oya's Daughter.
Albums:
Mack Diva Saves the World (Warner Brothers 1996)
Gemini: Both Sides (Expansion Records 2001)
Oya's Daughter (Shanachie Records 2013)
