Midori
Michele Watley, known professionally as Midori, is an American singer, dancer, model, actress and former pornographic film actress. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Urban X Hall of Fame in 2023. She was named one of the top 10 "hottest black porn stars" of all time by Complex.
Midori
- Name
- Midori
- Occupation
- * Singer
- Known for
- First African-American woman to win an AVN Award
- Born
- 1968. · Durham.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Fields
- pornographic film.
- Honours
- AVN Hall of Fame.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
Michele Watley, known professionally as Midori, is an American singer, dancer, model, actress and former pornographic film actress. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Urban X Hall of Fame in 2023. She was named one of the top 10 "hottest black porn stars" of all time by Complex.
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Authority files
getty · 500678398 · wikidata · Q443503
In this article
Biography
Biography
The Independent named her "the queen of the black hardcore market".
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Midori • Other Names — Michele Watley • Occupation — * Singer • dancer • model • actress • Years Active — 1989–present • Known for — First African-American woman to win an AVN Award • Relatives — Jody Watley (sister) • Website — http: www.midorimusic.net
Early life
Early life
Watley has a sister, R&B singer Jody Watley, and a brother. Her grandfather and father were ministers. As a young adult, Watley lived in England for nine months and in 1986, she attended dance school in France.
Career
Career
Whatley appeared briefly in the 1988 movie Coming to America. After the movie was released she changed her stage name to Midori. She worked as an exotic dancer for four years and started performing in hardcore pornography. Watley's rationale for entering the adult film industry was to increase the representation of women of color in the industry, which has historically been white. In the 1990s, Watley began directing pornographic films. She initially tried to avoid appearing in stereotypical Black themed films, and early in her career was mostly featured in interracial scenes in white-produced films. Watley eventually started working with Black male performers because she "didn't want to have Black guys thinking I didn't do them too". She became a spokesperson for the Free Speech Coalition. She was co-featured, as Michele, in the 1997 stripper documentary The Unveiling, alongside Dixie Evans and Eldad Sahar. Variety described Watley as "a petite African-American single mom who does an athletic pole-climbing act". The Los Angeles Times described Watley as being "loaded with personality, and you hope that she fulfills her dream of moving into mainstream entertainment as a singer or actress". In 1997, she recorded a duet with Oran "Juice" Jones at Tommy Boy Records and performed on tour with Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim. The next year, Spike Lee offered Watley a role in He Got Game - as a prostitute - a role she declined because she did not want to play a sex worker. Watley was featured in the British documentary Glamour Girlz on Channel 4, which documents Black women in the adult film industry. Watley was featured in the show alongside Charmaine Sinclair, who had relocated to Los Angeles from London to further her career, and porn legend Ron Jeremy. In the series, Watley helps Sinclair expand her career into the adult film industry. Watley also discusses her desire to move into music, and is seen meeting by phone with Luther Campbell of 2 Live Crew to discuss prospects. In 1999, she had one track entitled 5-10-15-20, which she wrote on the Porn to Rock compilation, which was released on Tommy Boy Records. The single features Oran "Juice" Jones. In an interview with the National Post, Watley said that she was pursuing a career in hip hop by using her fame as a porn star. Then National Post music critic Finbarr O'Reilly called Watley's single on the compilation "one of the better tracks". To support the compilation, Watley toured with fellow porn performers Madison Stone, Johnny Toxic, and Nina Whett, including performing at South by Southwest. That same year, Kid Rock produced the track F.M.A. for the Deep Porn compilation with Midori on vocals. The New York Daily News described the single as "moaning unprintable pillow talk over a backdrop of distorted guitars and hip-hop drums". She also appeared on the cover of the Bad Meets Evil's single "Nuttin' to Do". Watley has a second track, "Zap", produced by Wide. Watley credits Madonna and Lil' Kim as opening the door for sex positive performers, and sex workers, to perform music in mainstream entertainment. Watley appeared on the cover of Andrew Dice Clay's album Face Down, Ass Up in 2000. She also released her first album, the dance LP Midori (AKA) Michele Watley. In 2001, she released the rap album Miss Judged, which featured rapper AMG. In 2001, she appeared in the video for Coo Coo Cal's "My Projects." She starred in the Polish porn Big Sister and toured Poland. Watley appeared as singer and MC on rapper Warrior's single "Who's Hustlin' Who" in 2003. Watley was described as "decent but uninteresting" on the single by Rap Reviews.
Personal life
Personal life
In a 1997 interview with Black Video Illustrated, Watley said she was straight; however, in the 1998, documentary The Unveiling, Watley identified as bisexual. She is monogamous. In 1999, Watley was in a relationship with Kid Rock. The relationship ended after three months, with both Rock and Watley citing Rock's busy schedule as the reason for the break up. Watley discovered she was pregnant after her relationship with Rock ended, and she decided not to have the baby. Watley has a daughter. Watley does not like watching pornography. It took considerable time for her family to accept that she was an adult film entertainer. She took her mother with her to an adult film award ceremony in an attempt to convince her mother that the adult film industry "also holds formal events where people dress up in black ties and fancy dresses".
Albums
Albums
• Midori (AKA) Michele Watley (2000) • Miss Judged (2001)
Singles
Singles
• "Who's Hustlin' Who", Warrior featuring Midori (2003)
Album appearances
Album appearances
• 2002: Perfect Weapon, Warrior, "Who's Hustlin' Who" feat. Midori • 2000: Deep Porn, Various Artists, "F.M.A." - Kid Rock featuring Midori, "Zap" - Wide featuring Midori • 1999: Porn to Rock, Various Artists, "5,10,15,20" - Midori featuring Oran "Juice" Jones • 1997: Player's Call, Oran "Juice" Jones, "Let's Stay Together" (featuring Midori)
Cover girl
Cover girl
• "Nuttin' To Do," Bad Meets Evil (1999) • Face Down, Ass Up - Andrew Dice Clay (2000)
Music video appearances
Music video appearances
• 2001: "My Projects," Coo Coo Cal (guest appearance)
Holdings and surviving copies
Where the work is held
Holdings and surviving copies
Where material relating to Midori is held.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority file
- Getty Union List of Artist Names 500678398, Midori, Mitamura.
Unverified · The Getty Research Institute
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q443503: Midori
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Awards and nominations
• Year — Ceremony — Result — Category — Film • 1998 — AVN Award — Best New Starlet — rowspan=3 • NightMoves Award — Best Actress (Editor's Choice) • 1999 — AVN Award — Female Performer of the Year • 2001 — Best Supporting Actress - Video — American Booty • rowspan=2 — Best Couples Sex Scene - Video (with Dillon Day) — West Side • XRCO Award — Actress (Single Performance) • 2009 — AVN Award — rowspan=2 — Hall of Fame — rowspan= 2 • 2023 — Urban X Award — Hall of Fame
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Smith, Danyel. Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. Roc Lit 101; One World. 162. 2023. 978-0-593-13273-9.
- 2.Gołębiewski, Piotr 'Pi'. Weekendowa Bezsensja: Muzyka 18+, czyli muzyka a branża porno (3). Esensja. December 3, 2011.
- 3.2009 AVN Award-Winners Announced, by David Sullivan January 11, 2009, AVN
- 4.Judah, Hettie. Interview: Charmaine Sinclair - All glammed out and nowhere to go. The Independent. November 28, 1998.
- 5.Jenkins, Sacha. Pimpin' Ain't Easy. Spin. 15. 10. 96. October 1999. 0886-3032.
- 6.Davis, Michael. The Top 50 Hottest Black Porn Stars Of All Time. Complex. August 1, 2011.
- 7.[Interview] Jody Watley: Pop's Fashionista Godmother. Ebony. April 16, 2012.
- 8."Makin' It With Midori". Black Video Illustrated (10). 1997.
- 9.O'Reilly, Finbarr. She sings, too. National Post. June 10, 1999. 1486-8008.
- 10.Mitchell, Ben. Rock's Most Embarrassing Siblings. Blender. 41. 58. October 2005. 1534-0554.
- 11.Watley's Porn-Again Sister. New York Daily News. February 20, 1997.
- 12.Suggs, Donald. Hard Corps: A New Generation of People of Color Penetrates Porn's Mainstream. The Village Voice. 40. October 21, 1997. 0042-6180.
- 13.Thomas, Kevin. 'The Unveiling': Sure-Fire Subject Has Its Charms. Los Angeles Times. March 27, 1997. 2165-1736.
- 14.McCluskey, Audrey Thomas. Frame by Frame III: A Filmography of the African Diasporan Image, 1994-2004. Indiana University Press. 764. 2007. 978-0-253-34829-6.
- 15.Harvey, Dennis. The Unveiling. Variety. June 29, 1998.
- 16.Documentary Days: The Unveiling. LA Weekly. 57. September 25, 1997.
- 17.Puff Daddy leads diverse evening. Lansing State Journal. November 9, 1997.
- 18.Bachelor bliss in drumlin country. The Irish Times. December 5, 1998.
- 19.Glamour Girlz. The Guardian. 93. November 28, 1998.
- 20.Whyte, Chris. Savor the sweet sounds of smut. The Daily Titan. California State University, Fullerton. March 24, 1999.
- 21.Berry, Jahna. Wyclef Jean Raps With The Rock On Second Solo Album. MTV News. August 18, 2000.
- 22.Guzman, Isaac. Rude, Crude and Proud of It: Why a New Crop of Rock Stars Is Sleazing It Up. New York Daily News. August 13, 2000.
- 23.Released This Week. Green Bay Press-Gazette. July 20, 2000.
- 24.Hip-Hop Meets Porn! By Mike Winslow 2000-08-01, AllHipHop
- 25.Werde, William. Porn in the USA. CMJ New Music Monthly. 71. 79. July 1999. 1074-6978.
- 26.Knoxx, A. Warrior :: The Perfect Weapon. Rap Reviews. March 12, 2003.
- 27.Norris, Chris. Honky Tonk Man. Spin. 17. 12. 102. December 2001. 0886-3032.
- 28.Daycart, Renee. Fellatio Angler Story. Spin. 16. 10. 124. October 2000. 0886-3032.
- 29.Wallace, David Foster. Consider the Lobster. Back Bay Books. 36. 2007. 978-0-316-01332-1.
- 30.NightMoves. Past Winner History.
- 31.AVN Publications, Inc. Choices. 1999 AVN Awards Show Program. January 9, 1999.
- 32.Nelson, Steve. The AVN Awards Show a Night to Remember. Adult Industry News. January 9, 2001.
- 33.2001 AVN Awards Nominations List.
- 34.XRCO Award Nominations. March 19, 2001.
- 35.Sullivan, David. 2009 AVN Award-Winners Announced. AVN. January 11, 2009.
- 36.Warren, Peter. Urban X Awards Announces 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees. AVN. March 1, 2023.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Miller-Young, Mireille (2014). A Taste for Brown Sugar: Black Women in Pornography. Durham: Duke University Press.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Getty Union List of Artist Names 500678398, Midori, Mitamura.The Getty Research Institute
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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