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Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Toronto, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before becoming a professional backing vocalist for Celine Dion. In 1994, Cox relocated to the United States and was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis, releasing her self-titled debut album the following year. Her second studio album, One Wish (1998), was certified platinum in the United States. It was marked by the commercial success of the pop crossover single "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", which would become her most successful entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number two and remaining there for eight consecutive weeks. Cox signed with J Records for her third studio album The Morning After (2002), which saw moderate commercial success.
Cox ventured into acting in the 2000s, making her film debut in the Canadian drama film Love Come Down (2000) and her stage debut in 2004, in the title role in the Broadway theatre musical Aida. She has since appeared in smaller films and several musical productions, including the horror-drama Jekyll & Hyde, the biographical musical Josephine, the musical adaptation of The Bodyguard, and the 2023 revival of The Wiz. Cox's most recent studio albums, Destination Moon (2007) and The Promise (2008), have been released through her own independent record label, Deco Recording Group. In 2017, her single "Let the World Be Ours Tonight" became her 13th number-one hit on Billboards Dance Club Songs over the span of three consecutive decades. In 2016, Billboard listed Cox at 23rd on its list of the Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists. An eight-time Juno Award nominee, she has won four awards and is often cited as Canada's top R&B artist. She received her first Grammy Awards nomination for The Wiz in the Best Musical Theater Album category.
Cox was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2022.
Cox contributed the non-album song "Things Just Ain't The Same" to the soundtrack to the 1997 film Money Talks. A dance remix of the song, produced by Hex Hector, became her second number-one hit on Billboards Dance Club Songs chart and was included on her second album, 1998's One Wish. As with her self-titled debut album, her sophomore effort was once again executive-produced by Davis, but featured more uptempo, contemporary R&B, and a slew of new producers and personnel to incorporate dance and club music, including Montell Jordan, Shep Crawford, Rodney Jerkins, and DJ Quik. One Wish peaked at number 72 on the Billboard 200 and earned a platinum certification from the RIAA, while reaching gold status in Canada. The album capitalized on the crossover success of lead single "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" which became Cox's most successful entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number two, and remaining there for eight consecutive weeks, making it one of the longest stays at number two in chart history. The song also reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, spending a then record-breaking 14 weeks at number one, while the third single "We Can't Be Friends," a duet with R. L. Huggar, reached the top ten, with "It's Over Now" and "I Never Knew" become chart-toppers on the Dance Club Songs chart.
Cox's third album The Morning After was released in November 2002 on J Records following a frustratingly long departure from Arista. It marked the Cox's first record under Clive Davis's label, with Davis, once more serving as executive producer. Keen to build on the success of her previous album One Wish, he enlisted the help of producers such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins, and Shep Crawford as well as up-and-coming producers Warryn Campbell, Johntá Austin and Trackmasters to work with Cox. A blend of urban R&B and adult contemporary songs with additional dance/house tracks, it became her highest-charting album on the US Billboard 200 and Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums yet, debuting and peaking at number 38 and number seven, respectively. Commercially, the album was less successful than her previous album, however, though it produced two singles on the US Dance Club Songs chart, including "Mr. Lonely" and "Play Your Part".
In February 2004, Cox made her Broadway theatre debut in the Elton John-Tim Rice musical Aida when she replaced singer Michelle Williams in her role of the Nubian princess. Her four-month engagement earned largely positive reviews. The same year, she recorded and released a dance remix of the musical's theme song "Easy As Life" as a promotional single. In 2005, Cox starred in the films Blood of a Champion and Love on Layaway. Also that year, her voice was featured in the movie Hotel Rwanda in the song "Nobody Cares". To sustain demand for Cox's club appearances, while focused on her family and new album projects, she released a dance single titled "House Is Not a Home" on Nervous Records in January 2006. Later in the year, her song "Definition of Love" was used in the movie Akeelah and the Bee, but was not released as a single.
Also that year, Cox finished work on her sixth studio album The Promise, released on November 11, 2008, through Deco Recording Group, Cox's own independent label, with distribution handled by Image Entertainment. A breakaway from her previous album, it marked her return to R&B music and saw her working with a wider number of songwriters and producers on the album, including The Avila Brothers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Devo Springsteen, Big Jim, and Shep Crawford. The Promise debuted at number 106 on the US Billboard 200, number 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and number 95 on the Canadian Albums Chart. Earning generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics, it was nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2009 Juno Awards. The second single "Beautiful U R" marked her biggest hit since "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here," becoming a top ten hit in Canada, where it was certified platinum by Music Canada, as well as her tenth chart-topper on the Billboard Dance Club Songs. In support of the album, Cox joined forces with American R&B singer Kenny Lattimore for the joint Timeless Promise Tour in July 2009. Also in 2009, she was featured on the single "Leave the World Behind", a house track produced by four DJs Axwell, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Laidback Luke.
In 2015, she provided vocals for the made for television biographical film Whitney, directed by Angela Bassett based on American recording artist Whitney Houston. Cox performed all of Houston's vocals in the film, including "I Will Always Love You", "I'm Your Baby Tonight", and "The Greatest Love of All." The same year, she released the deep house-influenced "Kinda Miss You", as well as the ballad "More Than I Knew" as singles. Both were set to appear on her sixth album Work of Art, initially announced for an August 2015 release through Deco and Primary Wave Music. However, after several delays, the album remained unreleased. In 2016, Cox played the lead role of Josephine Baker in the Broadway-bound musical Josephine, which chronicled the singer's life between the years of 1939 and 1945, and starred as Rachel Marron in the North American Tour of the musical The Bodyguard based on the 1992 film of the same name. In support of the musical, Cox released the EP I Will Always Love You on Deco and Broadway Records, containing cover versions of seven Whitney Houston originals as well as Houston's cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." In June 2017, she released an uptempo dance single "Let the World Be Ours Tonight" during LGBTQ pride season on Radikal Records and Galactic Media. It marked her 13th single to top Billboards Dance Club Songs.
In 2020, Cox was appointed Executive Director of Alpha Magazines, a U.S.-based lifestyle and entertainment publication.
In 2021, Cox was added to the BET series First Wives Club during its second season, playing the role of musician Regina alongside Michelle Buteau and Jill Scott. The same year, she co-starred as Wendy in the HBO Max post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction miniseries Station Eleven, and appeared on "Summe of Love," another collaboration with Israeli producer Offer Nissim. In 2022, Cox was announced as an inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, becoming the first Black woman to be inducted. "Deborah Cox to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at this year's Junos". CBC Music, March 29, 2022. "Deborah Cox Hits Historic Music Milestone". Get Up! Mornings, July 28, 2022. Beginning in September 2023, Cox starred as Glinda in a US revival of The Wiz, touring nationally in advance of a March 2024 Broadway opening.
| 2000 | Love Come Down | Niko Rosen | Nominated — Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song ("Our Love") Nominated — Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song ("29") |
| 2005 | Blood of a Champion | Sharon | |
| 2005 | Love on Layaway | Monique | |
| 2008 | A Good Man Is Hard to Find | Charlene | |
| 2020 | Influence | Savannah Kirby | |
| 2023 | This Time | Blue Mahoney |
| 2000 | Nash Bridges | Vanessa Swan | Episode: "Hit and Run" |
| 2020 | Canada's Drag Race | Herself | Guest host, Episode: "Not Sorry Aboot It" |
| 2021 | Ruby | Mrs. Thibodeau | Television film |
| 2021–2022 | First Wives Club | Regina Crowell | 12 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Station Eleven | Wendy | 5 episodes |
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