Chimera Patrice, known to fans as Chimmy (pronounced Shimmy] is a powerhouse vocalist whose voice has elevated the performances of music’s modern-day icons, including Beyoncé and Kanye West.
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Chimmy’s dedication to music was developed early on; she began ballet at age 5, singing in clubs by 16, and quickly became the go-to singer at family events.
Her grandmother played a pivotal role, taking her weekly to the library to discover more music, and it was there Chimmy fell in love with the elegance of background singers.
She recalls, “I loved the way the background singers looked. The tuxedos and the evening gowns, it was something so special.”
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As a young adult, Chimmy furthered her career as an original musician in a band similar to the Black-Eyed Peas, and she was also touring regionally with Conya Doss.
“[Touring] opened my eyes to travel and background singing,” she reminisced, “We would drive to so many shows, I loved being on the road. I thought, if I’m having fun regionally, I’d have so much fun traveling the world.”
Coming back to Cleveland with greater clarity on her next endeavors, Chimmy parted ways with the band and embarked upon a solo move to Los Angeles in 2015. She immediately began navigating the musical and social landscape of L.A., attending jam sessions and open mics to build her name, brand, and community.
Her talent and persistence opened doors, landing her gigs with major artists mainly through word-of-mouth. One of her defining moments came during an audition for Beyoncé where she received a call to have a same-day audition. Soon after, she found out that she not only booked the job but was also handpicked by Beyoncé.
“Watching [Beyoncé] work taught me so, so much. I learned a lot about how to speak to people: she’s kind, but we knew we had to bring it,” Chimmy remarked. One morning, in particular, stood out to Chimmy: as she was going into the wardrobe for an upcoming performance, her and Beyoncé crossed paths and Beyoncé looked at her, smiled, and said ‘Good morning.’
Although that’s simple etiquette for most of us, Chimmy shared, “I’ve worked with artists who don’t even do that. [Beyoncé] laughed because I turned back so surprised. I had no idea she was talking to me.”
While Chimmy loves the teamwork and intimacy of background singing, she’s also developing her solo artistry, writing songs about love, personal experiences, and relatable stories.
Songwriting, she says, is “80% stress-free; the rest is just me putting that stress on myself.”
Looking forward, Chimmy envisions a career that blends background work with established icons and performing her own music worldwide.
“If I had to pick an artist to tour with, it would be Sting or Patti [LaBelle],” she admitted. “They could not have dropped an album for 20 years, and it’d still be a sold-out arena.”
For now, Chimmy finds joy in seeing the raw talent of artists like Ari Lennox and Summer Walker. As she puts it, “I come from the era of, ‘Oh, you can sing? Do it now,” and she’s determined to keep pushing that authentic talent forward.
With a voice that’s taken her across the world and the talent to stand on her own, Chimmy Patrice is carving her place in music, honoring her roots while building a dream.
Align yourself with Chimmy on Instagram: @chimmy_p and TikTok: @chimmyy.p
