Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley (born 1951) is an American singer and actress who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom "Night Court" for one season. In music, she has released five solo albums but is best known for her collaborations with rock singer Meat Loaf. Early life and education. Foley was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of John and Virginia B. Foley. She attended Webster University. Career. Vocalist. Foley gained public recognition through singing a duet with Meat Loaf on the hit single "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" from the 1977 album  Bat Out of Hell. Foley's part was recorded individually and in one take with Meat Loaf present in the room so she could sing in character. Although Karla DeVito (who toured with Meat Loaf in support of the album) is featured in the music video, DeVito is lip synching to Foley's vocals. Her debut album "Night Out" was released in 1979; the album's single "What's a Matter Baby" reached No. 7 in the Dutch charts and No. 92 on the US charts. The single "We Belong To The Night" reached No.1 in the Netherlands. The album  itself, which peaked at No. 152, was produced by Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson. Foley recorded a duet with Ian Hunter in 1980, "We Gotta Get Outta Here". Her creative relationship with Hunter also led her to singing backing vocals on the Iron City Houserockers' 1980 album "Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive!", produced by Hunter, Ronson, and The E Street Band's Steven Van Zandt. She also sings in the title cut of the 1979 Blue Öyster Cult album "Mirrors" and on The Clash album "Sandinista!" (released in 1980) in the songs "Hitsville UK" and "Corner  Soul", and on the unreleased track "Blonde Rock 'n' Roll". In 1981, all four members of The Clash appeared on her second album, "The Spirit of St. Louis", and Mick Jones and Joe Strummer co-wrote a number of songs for the album. Jones produced the album, which also featured members of The Blockheads and peaked at No. 137 on the US charts. In 1982, she provided backing vocals on The Clash's song "Car Jamming" from the album "Combat Rock". The Clash's hit song "Should I Stay or Should I Go", written and sung by Jones, was about  the turbulent relationship he shared with Foley at the time. She released her third solo album "Another Breath" in 1983; it failed to chart. In 1984, she sang backing vocals on Joe Jackson's album "Body & Soul" and had a large role in the music video for Utopia's "Crybaby". Foley was one of four female vocalists to front the group Pandora's Box, formed by Jim Steinman in the late 1980s. Their album "Original Sin", released in 1989, was the first to feature the song "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (vocals by Elaine Caswell); both Celine  Dion and a duet between Meat Loaf and Marion Raven had separate chart successes with that song in some countries, years later. Broadway, film and television. Foley studied acting at HB Studio in New York City. She has appeared on Broadway in such shows as "Me and My Girl" and the revival of "Hair", and off-Broadway in "Beehive". Foley originated the role of The Witch in Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, but was replaced by Bernadette Peters before the musical opened on Broadway. Foley eventually played the role on Broadway  from August 1, 1989 until the show's closing on September 3, 1989. Her best known television acting role is that of Billie Young on "Night Court" for season two (1984–85), after which she was succeeded by Markie Post as Christine Sullivan, who had been Reinhold Weege's first choice for the public defender part, but Post had been unavailable while under contract on the television series "The Fall Guy" on ABC. Foley was reportedly let go from the series because producers felt her relationship with star Harry Anderson was more like that of a brother and sister than as  potential paramours. She had roles in Miloš Forman's film adaptation of the stage musical "Hair" (1979), as well as in the movies "Fatal Attraction" (1987), "Married to the Mob" (1988) and "Cocktail" (1988). Foley was also in the short-lived 1977 series "3 Girls 3", co-starring with Debbie Allen and Mimi Kennedy. Other pursuits. As of the mid-2000s, she teaches voice at The Paul Green School of Rock Music in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Personal life. In 1990, Foley married writer Doug Bernstein, co-author of the Off-Broadway revue "Showing Off". Discography. Studio albums. Note : all of these were originally issued by Epic within the U.S. on vinyl LP. They have been reissued on Compact Disc by Wounded Bird Records.