LIZ TORRES The fierce Liz Torres has fascinated the club music underground ever since 1986 when her first 12" single, the darkly defiant and wildly percussive "Mind Games" thundered through quaking sound systems the world over. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Liz was three when she, her father (a preacher), mother, and five brothers and one sister moved to Chicago. Raised in a strictly religious home, allowed no radio or television, she grew up listening to "Spanish church records" and singing every chance she got--for her church ("I was so nervous I sang with my eyes closed") as well as for her family. In high school she hung out at Gramophone Records absorbing "everything" from Barbara Streisand, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Luther Vandross to Grace Jones and Loleatta Holloway. ...show more

LIZ TORRES The fierce Liz Torres has fascinated the club music underground ever since 1986 when her first 12" single, the darkly defiant and wildly percussive "Mind Games" thundered through quaking sound systems the world over. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Liz was three when she, her father (a preacher), mother, and five brothers and one sister moved to Chicago. Raised in a strictly religious home, allowed no radio or television, she grew up listening to "Spanish church records" and singing every chance she got--for her church ("I was so nervous I sang with my eyes closed") as well as for her family. In high school she hung out at Gramophone Records absorbing "everything" from Barbara Streisand, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Luther Vandross to Grace Jones and Loleatta Holloway.

But it was her discovery of house music on a Chicago beach as it rocked from the boom-box of then soon-to-be boyfriend and producer, Jesse Jones, which set her on fire. She explains, "I began hanging out at Jesse's house, because that's where the music was. One day one of his friend [Carl Bias] came over with this really hot track and I told Jesse I could sing to it. Jesse said, 'Yeah, right.' So I asked if he had words to it.

He said he didn't, but was thinking about singing on the track himself. I said, well, I just want to let you know I can sing a little. He said all right, prove it. " Boom, "Mind Games" was born. ...show less