Patrice Rushen

There’s much more to the fiercely intelligent, multitalented singer-songwriter-keyboardist Patrice Rushen than “Forget Me Nots,” though that song, with its get-up-and-dance groove and Rushen’s sweet vocals, is undeniable. Not only was it a Grammy-nominated hit in 1982, but it served as the basis for Will Smith’s “Men in Black” (amid a tense negotiation) and in 2021 became a viral TikTok dance sensation. Just what you’d expect from a formally trained jazz pianist who began studying music at age 3, was signed to the jazz label Prestige at age 17 and moved on to record funky, genre-defying music for Elektra. She also has scored films such as Hollywood Shuffle, served as music director for the Grammy and Emmy Awards, and chairs the University of Southern California’s Popular Music Program. It’s all of a piece, she explains, and straight from the heart.