Deborah Cox, best known for her 1998 hit “Nobody’s Supposed to be Here,” will be back in her native Toronto to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
The 47-year-old singer is the first Black woman to receive the honour, according to the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). Cox will be inducted – and will perform – at the JUNO Awards on May 15 at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage.
“I feel incredibly grateful to experience this true milestone moment,” Cox said, in a release. “Music has always been about community for me, and I am so thankful to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and CARAS for not only recognizing myself, but my family, friends and loving fans who have supported me and helped make my dream possible for the past 25+ years.
“As the first Black woman to become an inductee, I am honoured to have the chance to show our younger generations that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to with hard work, dedication and passion. I hope that my music can continue to bring peace, happiness and comfort to anyone who might need it, and empower people of all ages to follow their dreams and believe in themselves.”
MORE: Deborah Cox Reflects On Her Breakthrough Hit "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here"
Cox released her debut album in 1995 and found success three years later with “Nobody’s Supposed to be Here” from her sophomore album One Wish. The track spent eight weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (held down for six weeks by “I’m Your Angel” by Céline Dion and R. Kelly and for two weeks by Brandy’s “Have You Ever?”).
In 2008, the multiple JUNOs winner had a Top 10 hit in Canada with "Beautiful U R.”
Cox, who lives in Miami with her husband and their three children, has also starred in stage musicals like Aida, The Bodyguard, and Jekyll and Hyde.
“Deborah is a multi-dimensional artist who has been entertaining and captivating audiences around the world for over 25 years,” said Allan Reid, president & CEO of CARAS and The JUNO Awards, in a release. ”Her resounding voice and powerful performances have made her an international icon.”
Previous Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees include Jann Arden, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Shania Twain and Corey Hart.
Cox was in Toronto in 2019 to receive the Luminary Award at the 10th annual UWI Toronto Benefit Gala, which honours people of Caribbean heritage who have made outstanding achievements on an international scale.