Lost Gem: “Good Times” actress Bern Nadette Stanis found her “Lover” on vinyl

[As the iconic television show “Good Times” celebrates its 50 anniversary, we are posting one of our favorite musical stories related to the show]

For men of a certain age, she was crush #1 in the 1970s, when she was part of the cast of “Good Times.” But Bern Nadette Stanis was more than a pretty face. As Thelma Evans in the long running series, she showed both her acting and comedic chops, and the former Miss Brooklyn then began a career that has taken many turns as an actress, author and…to the surprise of some, singer.

In 1989, Stanis released a couple of singles, including “Lover,” a dance song that was a product of its time, with a Full Force/Lisa Lisa freestyle feel. The song wasn’t a hit, but showed yet another talent that Stanis possessed.

Though in the years since “Lover” was released, Stanis has focused her career more on her writing — she has authored four books — it is still fun for us to take a look back to a time and place when she was having fun showing off her vocal chops. “Lover” has been out of print for years, but there are still copies out there. It is definitely a song that deserves to be a SoulTracks Lost Gem. Check it out below.

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