Sheila Horne

Sheila Horne (also known professionally as Sheila Brody, Blackwood, and Amuka) is an American singer and songwriter best known for her work as a member of the Brides of Funkenstein, Parliament-Funkadelic, and for her solo career in dance and house music.^[1]

Sheila Horne was born in Syracuse, New York.^[1] She began singing as a teenager and moved to Detroit, where she connected with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective in the late 1970s.^[2]

In 1978, Horne joined the P-Funk universe as a backing vocalist, initially performing as a “Bridesmaid” for the Brides of Funkenstein, an all-female group formed by George Clinton.^[1] After founding member Lynn Mabry left the group, Horne became a full member alongside Dawn Silva and Jeanette McGruder.^[1]

She sang co-lead vocals on the Brides’ second album, Never Buy Texas from a Cowboy, which has since been acclaimed as one of the strongest P-Funk spin-off records.^[3] The group won a Cashbox Rhythm & Blues award for Best New Female Artist in 1979.^[1] Horne toured extensively with the Brides and Parliament-Funkadelic during this period.^[1]

Following her time with the Brides, Horne continued recording with George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. She contributed backing vocals to Parliament’s hit single Atomic Dog.^[4]

In 1981, she joined Rick James’ band as an original member of his Mary Jane Girls touring ensemble.^[1] She performed backup vocals on James’ Street Songs tour but left the group after a dispute and later won a legal case against James.^[1]

During the mid-1980s, Horne, credited under her married name Sheila Washington, co-wrote several songs with George Clinton. She co-wrote Do Fries Go with That Shake? from Clinton’s album R&B Skeletons in the Closet.^[5] She also contributed to the Federation of Tackheads project.^[6]

She collaborated with the funk band Aurra alongside her then-husband Steve Washington, recording Satisfaction in the mid-1980s, which was released in 2013.^[7]

In the 1980s and 1990s, Horne performed as a session and touring vocalist for various artists, including Cyndi Lauper^[1] and Was (Not Was).^[8] She also continued to appear with the P-Funk All-Stars.^[2]

In the late 1990s, Horne reinvented herself under the alias Blackwood and found success in the European dance scene.^[9] She fronted the Italian dance-pop project Blackwood and released the album Friday Night in 1998.^[10] The single "Peace" reached number one on the Italian pop charts.^[11]

She also recorded the song "Everything Changes" for the 1999 Pokémon 2.B.A. Master soundtrack, credited as Sheila Brody.^[12]

In the early 2000s, Horne launched her solo dance career as Amuka, collaborating with DJ Peter Rauhofer.^[11] She released the single "Appreciate Me" in 2003, which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart^[13] and appeared on the Queer As Folk: Club Babylon soundtrack.^[14]

Her follow-up single, "U Ain’t That Good," reached number three on the same chart in 2004.^[15] Amuka scored a number one Billboard dance hit with "I Want More (Cling On to Me)" in 2006 and continued to release dance singles that charted in the Top 10.^[16]

Horne contributed vocals to Public Enemy’s albums The Evil Empire of Everything (2012) and Man Plans God Laughs (2015).^[17][18] She has also released music under her own name and with the dance collective Discomind.^[19]

She has stated she is working on a memoir titled Dancing in Heels which will cover her multi-genre career.^[1]

• Never Buy Texas from a Cowboy (1979) – Brides of Funkenstein
• R&B Skeletons in the Closet (1986) – George Clinton (co-writer)
• Federation of Tackheads (1985) – contributor
• Satisfaction (recorded 1984, released 2013) – Aurra
• Friday Night (1998) – as Blackwood
• Pokémon: 2.B.A. Master (1999) – "Everything Changes"
• The Fresh Turnout (2003) – Discomind
• Multiple dance singles as Amuka: Appreciate Me, U Ain’t That Good, I Want More (Cling On to Me)

• Official Flying Carpet Records page
• George Clinton Official Family page