| 1974 | Landed the starring role of Dorothy in the original Broadway production of 'The Wiz', earning widespread acclaim as 'the little girl with the big voice' in the seven-time Tony Award-winning show. |
| 1979 | Closed her five-year Broadway run as Dorothy in 'The Wiz', transitioning from theater prodigy to R&B recording artist with a loyal national following. |
| 1981 | Won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for 'Never Knew Love Like This Before', the only million-selling certified single of her career. |
| 1987 | Built a run of five gold-certified albums across the decade, including 'Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'', 'Sweet Sensation', 'Stephanie', 'If I Were Your Woman', and 'Home'. |
| 1989 | Scored a No. 1 R&B hit with 'Home' from the gold album of the same name, completing a string of charting singles that included 'I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love', 'I Feel Good All Over', and 'Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)'. |
| 2015 | Returned to 'The Wiz' universe as Auntie Em in NBC's primetime live television production 'The Wiz Live!', broadcast nationally to millions of viewers. |
| 2021 | Squared off against Chaka Khan in a special holiday-edition Verzuz battle at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, drawing viral social media reaction as the two R&B legends performed back-to-back catalog hits. |
| 2023 | Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, capping decades of recognition that also include a Grammy Award and induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. |
| 2024 | Stepped onto Broadway for the first time in forty years, joining the cast of the Tony Award-winning musical 'Hadestown' at the Walter Kerr Theatre in the role of Hermes. |
| 2025 | Named by Billboard among the '75 Best R&B Singers of All Time', affirming her place alongside the genre's foundational voices. |