Miki Howard was born into music. She grew up in the church where both of her parents were gospel singers. Her mother was also a member of the gospel group the Caravans, and was acquainted with various entertainers. As a child, Howard's mother would take her to the homes of various stars such as Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples.

While still in elementary school, Howard moved to Los Angeles with her mom. At the age of 15, she performed in a teen pageant. After the show, she met Side Effect member Augie Johnson, who happened to be in the audience and began working with Howard creatively. After a period of time, Howard became a Side Effect member upon the departure of Sylvia St. James. Howard's tenure with Side Effect lasted a few years. During this time, she also had two children by Johnson. In addition to singing with Side Effect, she did background vocals for Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, Stanley Turrentine and others.

After leaving Side Effect, Howard signed a deal with Atlantic Records. Her first hit for Atlantic was the Billboard R&B Top Ten single "Come Share My Love." She followed that with the remake of Glenn Miller's 1940 hit "Imagination." Her success continued with two more Top Ten singles, "Baby Be Mine" and "That's What Love Is." The latter was a duet with Gerald Levert, and was the result of the creative union Howard formed with Marc Gordon and Levert. Howard and Levert later became romantically involved, and that romance spawned one of Howard's biggest hits, "Love Under New Management." The song was written during their brief love affair, but was released after their romance had dissolved.

In 1990, Howard signed a deal with the now-defunct Giant Records, which facilitated the release of her number one smash hit "Ain't Nobody Like You." Howard's lifeline at Giant was cut short due to an altercation her husband had at the label. She also made an appearance as Billie Holiday in a club scene in the Spike Lee movie Malcom X. Howard continued issue albums throughout the nineties, however her success wasn't recognized like prior occasions. Her roster includes: Femme Fatale (1992), Shining Through (1993), Live Plus (1996), and Can't Count Me Out (1997). Three Wishes marked her new millennium debut with Peak in early 2001. ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide