Avitone Recordings

Avitone Recordings is an American independent record label associated with the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer Jody Watley. It functions as the imprint through which Watley has released her own independently produced albums and singles, giving her creative and commercial control over her catalog after her major-label years. The label is closely tied to Watley's broader identity as an independent music trailblazer, and its releases sit at the intersection of sophisticated soul, smooth R&B, jazz-inflected textures, downtempo electronic music and soulful house. A central example of the label's output is Watley's 2003 album "Midnight Lounge," described on her official site as her third independently released album on her Avitone label. Written and produced by Jody Watley and Rodney Lee, the record features additional contributions from house music figures including Louie Vega and Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez of Masters at Work, Chicago's Ron Trent, King Britt and Dave Warren of Naked Music. The album blends soulful vocals with atmospheric electronic production and grooves, and has been presented as a timeless, critically acclaimed body of work. Avitone is not a large multi-artist major label; it is best understood as an artist-owned imprint. Its catalog is intertwined with Watley's own discography, which spans disco, R&B, pop, dance and electronica from the 1980s to the present. Watley's official biography notes her multi-decade career from her early pop-R&B era with MCA through what it calls her influential independent label era and beyond, a period in which Avitone served as her primary release vehicle. Because the label is artist-owned and independently operated, detailed corporate information such as headquarters, founding year and formal ownership structure is not widely documented in the available sources. What is clear is that Avitone Recordings exists to release and control Jody Watley's independent music, and that it remains active as new Watley projects continue to appear, including releases such as "EVERLASTING" (2025), "Let's Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats" (2025) and "The Dawn" (2026) Alex di Ciò Remix.

Avitone Recordings is an American independent record label founded by the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer Jody Watley. It emerged as the vehicle for Watley's self-released music after her years with major labels, and it is described on her official website as "her Avitone label." The label's identity is inseparable from Watley's own career, which the site traces from her multi-platinum breakthrough in the 1980s through her influential independent label era and beyond. Watley's major-label period included a multi-platinum debut and a run of hits such as "Looking for a New Love," "Don't You Want Me," "Friends" featuring Eric B. & Rakim, and the gold-certified "Real Love," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart and No. 1 on the Dance chart after debuting on March 11, 1989. Her official biography notes that she built a genre-spanning catalog across disco, R&B, pop, dance and electronica from the 1980s to the present, and that her career continued to evolve "since her early Pop R&B era with MCA through her influential independent label era and beyond." Avitone is the label at the center of that independent era. A defining release for Avitone is Watley's 2003 album "Midnight Lounge," which her official site identifies as her third independently released album on the Avitone label. Written and produced by Jody Watley and Rodney Lee, the album includes additional contributions from house music legends Louie Vega and Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez of Masters at Work, Chicago's Ron Trent, King Britt and Dave Warren of Naked Music. It blends sophisticated soul, jazz influences, smooth R&B, downtempo electronic music and soulful house grooves, and has been presented as critically acclaimed and timeless. The label's activity is tied to Watley's ongoing independent output. Her official biography lists recent releases including "The Dawn" (2026) Alex di Ciò Remix, "Let's Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats" (2025) and "EVERLASTING" (2025), reflecting a continuing release schedule under her own imprint. Because Avitone is artist-owned and independently operated, formal corporate details such as a founding year, headquarters and ownership structure are not documented in the available sources; the label is best understood through its function as Watley's independent release platform.

• Jody Watley's single "Real Love" debuts on the Billboard Hot R&B chart; it would reach No. 1 on both the R&B and Dance charts.

• Jody Watley releases "Midnight Lounge," described as her third independently released album on her Avitone label.

• Jody Watley releases "EVERLASTING."

• Jody Watley releases "Let's Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats."

• Jody Watley releases "The Dawn" Alex di Ciò Remix.

Artist-owned independent label for Jody Watley's genre-spanning soul, R&B, dance and downtempo releases.

• 2003

  Midnight Lounge

  Watley's third independently released album on her Avitone label, written and produced by Jody Watley and Rodney Lee with contributions from Louie Vega, Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez, Ron Trent, King Britt and Dave Warren.

• 2025

  EVERLASTING

  A recent Jody Watley release listed on her official biography.

• 2025

  Let's Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats

  A recent Jody Watley release listed on her official biography.

• 2026

  The Dawn (Alex di Ciò Remix)

  A recent Jody Watley release listed on her official biography.

1. 1Official Jody Watley Website | GRAMMY Winning Solo Artist, Singer, Songwriter, Producerjodywatley.net
2. 2OTD. Jody Watley Chart History – ‘Real Love’ Debuts On Billboard Charts. | Official Jody Watley Websitejodywatley.net
3. 3Jody Watley: The Iconic GRAMMY Winner Blazing Her Trail | Official Jody Watley Websitejodywatley.net
4. 4Avitone Recordings - Wikidatawikidata.org