Freda Payne Looks Unrecognizable at 79 & Has a Son with ‘the Most Handsome' Man

American actress and singer Freda Payne is 79 years old and a mother of one but looks many years younger than her actual age. Find out more about the singer, her relationships, and her son.

Freda Payne is famous for her musical career, which reached its peak in the 1960s to the mid-1980s. She is also known for her acting roles in musicals and films.

In her lifetime, Payne has been in relationships with two American musicians and shares a son with one of them. Find out more about her career, relationships, and son.

WHO IS FREDA PAYNE?

Payne was born on September 19, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up listening to jazz musicians like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.

In her teenage years, she attended the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts. She sang commercial radio jingles and participated and won in several local television and radio talent shows.

She moved to New York in 1963 and worked with multiple entertainers like Quincy Jones, Pearl Bailey, and Bill Cosby. In 1964, she released her debut album titled "After The Lights Go Down Low and Much More." The album was a jazz recording in collaboration with arranger Manny Albam.

The following year, Payne went on her maiden European tour and recorded an album in Sweden in collaboration with Don Gardner and Bengt-Arne Wallin.

In 1966, she released her second American album titled "How Do You Say I Don't Love You Anymore." The album was released for MGM Records and was a jazz album like her first.

Occasionally, Payne appeared on television shows like "The Merv Griffin Show" and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Payne was also involved in theatre. In 1967, she understudied Leslie Uggams for the Broadway show "Hallelujah Baby." She also appeared in a production of "Lost in the Stars" alongside the Equity Theatre.

Two years later, her old friends in Detroit, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland Jr., convinced her to sign with their newly created record label Invictus.

After signing with the record label, she released her first single for them titled "Unhooked Generation," which was somewhat an R&B hit. Edward also offered Payne a song titled "Band of Gold," which he, Brian, and Dozier co-wrote with Ronald Dunbar.

The song became an instant hit in the early 1970s and peaked at No. 3 in the U.S. and No. 1 in the U.K. for six consecutive weeks. Through the song, Payne earned her first gold record. After that, she released an album of the same name, and it proved to be a success.

Besides her singing talent, Payne became an in-demand cover subject for Ebony and Jet Magazines because of her raging beauty. In a 2014 chat with Ebony, she recalled the memories of her cover-girl days and said:

"Can I tell you, I think there were some people who were a little jealous. They would say, 'Who do you know?' God bless those people at JET, they're all gone now."

Payne also appreciated Jet and Ebony for always writing about what Black people were doing in the U.S. She said if not for them, many Blacks would not have gotten any exposure.

Payne released many other songs for Invictus, including another smash hit, "Bring the Boys Home," a Vietnam War protest song, which earned her a second gold record. Her other albums for the record label included "Contact," "Best of Freda Payne," and "Reaching Out."

Following her divorce, Payne had a relationship with another musician.

In 1973, Payne left Invictus after enjoying so much success with them. She moved to record albums for ABC/Dunhill and Capitol but was never able to re-enact the commercial success she had with Invictus.

In 1981, she enjoyed a short stint hosting her own talk show, "Today's Black Woman." She also acted in several films, Broadway, and other theatre productions in the 1980s.

Despite concentrating on acting, she still did some music as she released multiple singles and remakes of her hit song "Band of Gold." She also released three albums for Dove Music and an album titled "Come See About Me" for Volt Recordsl in 2001.

PAYNE'S MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIPS

In 1976, Payne married American singer Gregory Abbott. Following their marriage, she explained why she tied the knot. She said she would never marry unless she was swept off.

Payne did not feel like giving up all the comforts and luxuries that had become part of her life through living alone. However, that mindset changed when she met Abbott, who she described as the most handsome, brightest, and nicest man she had ever set her eyes on.

On September 19, 1977, Payne gave birth to her and Abbott's only son, Gregory Abbott Jr. She delivered their son at the Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

Payne and Abbott were a happy couple, but their relationship did not last as it came crashing in 1979. After the couple sealed their divorce, they got joint custody of their son. However, the court ordered Payne to pay Abbott temporary spousal support of $650 per month.

Following the couple's divorce, Payne, who thought she was done with music, was coaxed into returning to the studio to record new music and she recorded the backup vocals on Belinda Carlisle's remake of her hit song "Band of Gold."

When the recording was completed, she said she had no regrets and described it as remarrying the same husband for the second time. She added that love is sweeter the second time around.

Payne also spoke to Jet about why her marriage with Abbott turned sour. She explained that one gets wiser as one grows older. Hence, she learned that married couples should have much more than a physical relationship and love.

The singer said she had many opportunities to have better chances with other men but ended up making a huge mistake. She revealed she was vulnerable when she met Abbott, who used the opportunity to sweep her off her feet just by acting nice.

She described herself as a glutton for having something easy and said she did him an injustice by marrying him because he was not ready for marriage and could not handle it.

Despite having a child with Abbott soon after their marriage, Payne expressed no regrets about that. However, she was disappointed over the misunderstanding that led her to end their marriage.

She discovered painfully that the man she courted was not the same person she married. According to her, Abbott showed himself to be a different kind of person as he started putting his foot down and telling her how he wanted things to be after their marriage.

Payne advised people to agree with their partners on how much commitment they are willing to give to each other before tying the knot.

Following her divorce, Payne had a relationship with another musician, Edmund Sylvers, who was The Sylvers' lead singer. They dated from 1979 until 1983. It was Sylvers who wrote and produced her 1982 single, "In Motion."

WHAT PAYNE LOOKS LIKE NOW

Payne is 79 years old now but looks incredibly younger than her age. She also remains as beautiful as she ever was, as evident in her regular posts on her Instagram page.

In September, she celebrated her son, Gregory Jr.'s birthday by sharing a picture of them posing in matching red outfits and smiling. In the caption, the septuagenarian, who shares the same birthday with her son, wrote:

"Today is also my son's birthday, Gregory Abbott Jr!😊🎁 Let's all wish him a happy birthday!🎂 Thank you all for your kind birthday wishes 💞 love you!. Freda."

Earlier, in September, she shared a photo of her performing on stage while clad in a shiny strapless gown. She also rocked long, black, curly hair. In the post's caption, she celebrated the Jewish New Year by writing:

"L' Shanah Tovah!! Happy New Year- Rosh Hashanah 🥰."

In April, the beautiful Payne shared a picture of her leaning on a white pole while clad in a gorgeous floral gown, which she accessorized with golden hoop earrings. She also rocked curly hair and smiled as she posed. In the post's caption, she advised her followers to remember to have fun and laugh.

Payne has advanced in age but remains a beautiful and elegant singer with an amazing voice.