3 Future Icons Who Sang Backup Before Making It Big in the 1970s

The idea of musical stardom often feels distant, like something that happens overnight to a select few. Big voices, sold-out arenas, and instantly recognizable names can make it easy to overlook how uncertain those early years really were. Before the headlines and platinum records, many future stars were just another name on a studio call sheet or a voice tucked quietly into the background.

The 1970s, in particular, were full of these hidden beginnings. It was an era when backup singers played a crucial role in shaping records, tours, and entire scenes, even if they rarely received much attention themselves. Standing a few steps behind the spotlight offered a front-row education in songwriting, performance, and the realities of the music business.

Looking back now, some of those supporting voices feel almost impossible to miss in hindsight. This article traces three artists who spent time singing backup before stepping into their own moment during the 1970s. Their stories reveal how patience, timing, and persistence often mattered just as much as raw talent on the road to becoming an icon.

Whitney Houston

Long before Whitney Houston became synonymous with vocal excellence, she was learning the craft in far less glamorous settings. Growing up around music thanks to her mother, Cissy Houston, she spent her teenage years singing backup in New York cabaret clubs and churches. These early performances weren’t about stardom but discipline, phrasing, and learning how to blend rather than dominate a song.

By the late 1970s, Houston had become a reliable session singer, quietly contributing to recordings by established artists. Her voice can be heard supporting Chaka Khan, Lou Rawls, and other major acts, where she absorbed professional studio habits and sharpened her control. Even a disco track like Zager’s “Life’s a Party” featured her voice, though few listeners at the time knew who she was.

That period of working behind the scenes laid the groundwork for what followed. When Houston released her self-titled debut album in 1985, it didn’t feel like the arrival of a newcomer, but of someone already fully formed. The confidence and clarity in her performances reflected years spent singing in service of other artists before stepping into her own spotlight.

Phil Collins

Phil Collins entered Genesis in 1970 with no expectation of becoming its frontman. Answering a newspaper ad for a drummer, he joined a band still finding its identity, with Peter Gabriel firmly established as lead singer. For years, Collins focused on rhythm while providing backing vocals that subtly shaped the group’s evolving sound.

During Gabriel’s tenure, Collins learned how to support complex arrangements without pulling focus, a skill that became crucial later. His backing vocals weren’t flashy, but they added warmth and structure to Genesis’ early progressive material. Behind the kit, he also developed an understanding of pacing and dynamics that went beyond percussion.

When Gabriel left in 1975, the band searched for a replacement singer, even auditioning outside candidates. Collins continued singing backup during those sessions, until it became obvious his voice already fit the music naturally. The first album with Collins as lead singer, A Trick of the Tail, became Genesis’ breakthrough in the U.S., marking one of the clearest transitions from background role to frontman success of the decade.

Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross’ path to recognition was unusually long, even by industry standards. His passion for soul music showed early, including founding a Patti LaBelle fan club while still in high school. By the mid-1970s, his voice was everywhere, though rarely credited in a way listeners could easily trace.

Vandross became one of the most in-demand backup singers of the era, lending his smooth, precise vocals to artists across genres. He sang behind Roberta Flack, David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Ringo Starr, and Bette Midler, adapting his style to each project without losing his identity. These sessions sharpened his ability to elevate a song while remaining invisible.

Despite that extensive résumé, solo success took time. It wasn’t until 1981, with the release of Never Too Much, that Vandross finally stepped into the foreground. By then, his voice sounded unmistakably confident, shaped by years of supporting others before claiming his own space in popular music.