Singer Laurell Nurse makes a comeback to the music scene with ‘It’s My House’, a reggae cover of Diana Ross’ 1979 hit. Her version, produced by Richie Stephens, was released in May.
Based in the tri-state region, Nurse was encouraged to record the song by Stephens after she sent him a voice demo. He said her sound reminded him of Diana Ross, and she should take a crack at ‘It’s My House’.
“I wasn’t familiar with the original. I listened to it a few times and wasn’t ready, but Richie said just follow his guide, so I became his protege in the studio and now out of the studio,” said Laurell Nurse, who is from Kingston.
While best known as founder of the Queens of Reggae Island Honorary Ceremony (QORIHC), which salutes women in the entertainment industry, she is a registered nurse who launched her recording career just over 10 years ago. To date, Nurse’s songs include a cover of Gregory Isaacs’ ‘Night Nurse’.
Due to her health sector duties and organizing the QORIHC, singing took a backseat. Last year, after opening the show alongside singer Gem Myers, the enthusiastic audience response prompted Nurse to make a return to the recording studio.
“Music never left my mind, never left my unfinished things to complete, but when I opened the last QORIHC, Gem Myers and I did Whitney Houston’s The Greatest Love of All and instantly we knew it was time,” she recalled.