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Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.
At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, while her instrumental song, "Number One" was nominated Best R&B Instrumental; both songs were from her seventh studio album, Straight from the Heart (1982).
Since 2008, Rushen has served as an ambassador for artistry in education at the Berklee College of Music, and the chair of the popular music program at the USC Thornton School of Music from 2014 to 2024.
After winning a competition at the age of 17 that enabled her to perform with her band at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Rushen signed with the Prestige Records label, releasing three albums with them – Prelusion (1974), Before the Dawn (1975), and Shout It Out (1977). In 1978, when she was 23, she began recording with Elektra Records.
Rushen married Marc St. Louis, a concert tour manager and live show production specialist, in 1986. They have one son, Cameron and one daughter named Jadyn. The name of her publishing company, Baby fingers Inc., is pulled from her nickname Babyfingers for her tiny hands. In 2005, Rushen received an honorary doctorate of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. She served as chair of popular music at USC 2013-2023, and the ambassador of Artistry in Education at the Berklee College of Music. She has served as the film composer for numerous movies, television shows and documentaries. She has been a member of jazz fusion band CAB, The Meeting (GRP Records) with Ndugu Chancler, Alphonso Johnson and Ernie Watts. Rushen is also a music director, having worked on various television events as well as Janet Jackson second concert tour Janet World Tour.
Rushen was the first woman to serve as music director for the 46th, 47th, and 48th Grammy Awards. She was the only woman music director/conductor/arranger for a late-night show titled The Midnight Hour, which aired on CBS in 1990. She is a classically trained pianist and composer: her Fanfare and Fantaisie has been recorded by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Sewell. Convergence, Albany Records TROY2002 (2025)
| 1983 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | "Number One" | |
| Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female | "Forget Me Nots" | ||
| 1998 | Best Contemporary Jazz Performance | "Signature" | |
| +Overview of Patrice Rushen studio albums !scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year !scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title !scope="colgroup" colspan="6" | Chart positions | ||||
| 1974 !scope="row" | Prelusion | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1975 !scope="row" | Before the Dawn | — | 48 | 14 | — | — | — |
| 1977 !scope="row" | Shout It Out | 164 | — | 16 | — | — | — |
| 1978 !scope="row" | Patrice | 98 | 27 | 5 | — | — | — |
| 1979 !scope="row" | Pizzazz | 39 | 11 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 1980 !scope="row" | Posh | 71 | 23 | — | — | — | — |
| 1982 !scope="row" | Straight from the Heart | 14 | 4 | — | — | 74 | 24 |
| 1984 !scope="row" | Now | 40 | 7 | — | 7 | — | 73 |
| 1987 !scope="row" | Watch Out! | 77 | 19 | — | — | — | — |
| 1994 !scope="row" | Anything but Ordinary | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997 !scope="row" | Signature | — | — | 11 | — | — | — |
| 2000 !scope="row" | Jazz Straight Up | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006 !scope="row" | Standards | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||||
| +Overview of Patrice Rushen compilations !scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year !scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title !scope="colgroup" colspan="1" | Chart positions | ||||
| 1980 !scope="row" | 42 | ||||||
| 1985 !scope="row" | Anthology of Patrice Rushen | — | |||||
| 1996 !scope="row" | Forget Me Nots and Remind Me (Japan) | — | |||||
| 2002 !scope="row" | The Essentials: Patrice Rushen (US) | — | |||||
| 2003 !scope="row" | Forget Me Nots & Other Hits (US) | — | |||||
| 2013 !scope="row" | Patrice + Pizzazz + Posh (UK) | — | |||||
| 2013 !scope="row" | Straight from the Heart + Now (UK) | — | |||||
| 2019 !scope="row" | Remind Me (The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978–1984) (UK) | — | |||||
| 2022 !scope="row" | Feels So Real (The Complete Elektra Recordings 1978–1984) (UK) | — | |||||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||||
| +List of singles, with selected peak chart positions and certifications !scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year !scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title !scope="colgroup" colspan="4" | Chart positions !scope="col" rowspan="2" | Certifications | ||
| 1975 !scope="row" | "Kickin' Back" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1977 !scope="row" | "Let Your Heart Be Free" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1978 !scope="row" | "Changes in Your Life" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1979 !scope="row" | "Hang It Up" | — | 16 | — | — | |
| 1980 !scope="row" | "Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1981 !scope="row" | "Never Gonna Give You Up (Won't Let You Be)" | — | 30 | 2 | 66 | |
| 1982 !scope="row" | "Forget Me Nots" | 23 | 4 | 2 | 8 | |
| 1984 !scope="row" | "Get Off (You Fascinate Me)" | — | 26 | 40 | — | |
| 1987 !scope="row" | "Watch Out" | — | 9 | 22 | 78 | |
| 1994 !scope="row" | "I Do" | — | — | — | — | |
| 2004 !scope="row" | "Forget Me Nots / Number One" | — | — | — | 90 | |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||
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