Janis Siegel

Janis Siegel (born July 23, 1952) is an American jazz singer best known as a founding member and lead vocalist of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Siegel began performing at age 12 with an all-girl pop trio called The Young Generation, releasing two singles before transitioning to acoustic folk music in high school and briefly studying nursing. In 1972, she co-founded the modern iteration of The Manhattan Transfer alongside Tim Hauser, Laurel Massé, and Alan Paul, contributing her versatile soprano to the group's blend of jazz, pop, and vocal harmony that revitalized interest in a cappella and jazz vocal styles. The group released its debut album in 1975 and achieved commercial success with Siegel singing lead on hits such as "Operator" from their 1975 self-titled album, "Boy from New York City" (a 1981 cover that reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100), and "Birdland" from the 1979 album Extensions. Over five decades, The Manhattan Transfer toured extensively and marked its 50th anniversary in 2022 with the album Fifty, followed by a farewell tour that concluded in 2023, after which the group retired.