Melinda Edwards Chatman, 57 "A Life To Remember" Melinda Edwards Chatman entered into eternal rest Monday, September 5, 2011 at W. O. Moss Regional Hospital. Melinda was born October 14, 1953 to Leonard D. Edwards Sr. and the late Annie Harris Edwards in Los Angeles, CA. She later moved to Lake Charles, LA., and united with the Greater Live Oak Baptist Church under Rev. J. W. Rhodes and was baptized at the age of 5 and later united with Mt. Calvary Baptist Church under the late Rev. Horace Allison. After a lengthy career in LA, she moved back to Lake Charles and united with Warren United Methodist Church and remained until her death. Melinda was a 1971 graduate of W. O. Boston High School; her class prophecy was that she would someday sing with Aretha Franklin. She attended Southern University and Mc Neese State University. She was preceded in death by her mother, Annie Harris Edwards; Grandparents, Henry and Prudence Chatman; two brothers, Leonard D. Edwards Jr., and David Edwards. While attending Southern University, Melinda met famed musician, Julius Farmer (who recorded with Dr. John, Chick Corea, George Benson, Professor Longhair and more) and they made a beautiful child named Shanon, who is now 39 years old. She returned to LA in 1975. Edwards. Her first job in LA was at the Bank of America in Hollywood. There she met Bernadette Blakely from Grambling, a former Ms. Senior. Her brother, James Blakely was General Manager at Stevie Wonder KJLH radio station. He helped get Melinda hired at Motown Records. Melinda worked there for 2 years and managed all of the major recording budgets. After Motown, Melinda went on to become Contract and Show Talent Paymaster for shows like American Bandstand, the American Music Awards, Bloopers and many more. She even went on the road in Dick Clark's Good Old Rockin' Roll Show as a member of the Shirelles with original member, Doris Jackson. Chatman became her stage name to honor her grandparents who raised her in Lake Charles. Melinda has sung with the Commodores on Jesus is Love, and, Lady U Bring Me Up, she also has worked with Lionel Richie on the songs All Night Long , Se La, and Dancing On the Ceiling. She has also worked with the likes of Rod Stewart, Gladys Knight, Isaac Hayes, Nancy Wilson, Andrae Crouch, Tramaine Hawkins and Pastor Shirley Caesar. She has appeared on the Arsenio Hall Show, as performer and ensemble coordinator for the 1992 American Music Awards for MC Hammer. She was also on the 2002 Grammy Awards as ensemble coordinator for the gospel segment with Grammy Legend Rev. Al Green, Brian McKnight, CeCe Winans, the late 5th Beatle, Billy Preston and more. She moved on to become a fly-on" weekly headliner " performing a one-woman show, arranged by HB Barnum, Aretha Franklin's music director/ for an 11-piece orchestra for Carnival Cruise Lines, flying weekly to exotic locations like San Juan, Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, Tortola, Vancouver, Alaska, Panama Canal Cabo San Lucas and may other spots. Toured with the late Lyn Collins (James Brown protégée), going to Zurich, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Friedberg, Basel, London, Dover and Milan, Italy. In 1981, Melinda was one of the founding members of H.B. Barnum's LIFE Choir. She continued to support LIFE throughout the years with her time and donations until her call to the Heavenly Choir. Whenever in the Los Angeles area Melinda's voice was always in demand as a background singer on recording sessions with the likes of Lou Rawls, O C Smith, Tom Jones, Dianna Ross, Nancy Wilson, and of course LIFE Choir to name a few. Melinda leaves to cherish her memories, one son, Shanon L. (Crystal) Edwards; one grandson, Brandon Edwards, all of Eganville, Ontario Canada; her father, Leonard D. Edwards Sr. & stepmother Dorothy Edwards; two sisters, Jessica Donovan & Jennifer Hackett Edwards; two brothers, Rickey & Robert Edwards, all of Los Angeles, CA; foster parents, Antoine and Mary Ellen Fondel Semien of Lake Charles; two aunts Bertha Lewis Piggue of Los Angeles & Beulah Toussaint of Lake Charles; one sister-in-law, Patricia Edwards of Lake Charles; a devoted friend, Carolyn Andrus of Lake Charles and a host of nephews, nieces, relatives, and friends.