Who are Maya Rudolph's parents? SNL alum opens up about coming from family of singers

Actress and comedian Maya Rudolph opened up about having parents in the entertainment industry in the latest episode of Dax Shepard's podcast, Armchair Expert. In the episode, which released on Monday, April 22, 2024, the former Saturday Night Live star told Shepard that having famous parents, Richard Rudolph and the late Minnie Riperton didn't help her advance in her comedy career. She said that she "had to get there" on her own as she explained:

"They were musicians. They weren't actors. My trajectory was, I wanted to go to New York, and I wanted to be on Saturday Night Live. That’s a huge undertaking. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh my dad writes songs, that’s gonna make me a comedian.’ There was no direct line. I knew I had to get there myself."

Maya Rudolph is the youngest child of music producer Richard Rudolph and Minnie Riperton, who is best known for her iconic song Lovin' You, which released in the 1970s. Rudolph's parents made a name for themselves in the music industry over the years and she also initially followed in their footsteps. However, she was passionate about comedy and soon went on to pursue a career in the field.

---

Maya Rudolph was six years old when her mother died of cancer at the age of 31

Maya Rudolph's parents frequently collaborated with each other as Richard wrote and produced several of Minnie's songs.

Maya Rudolph's mother, Minnie, was a Chicago native and began her singing career at 15 as the lead vocalist for The Gems. She also sang backing vocals for established artists including Etta James, Fontella Bass, and Muddy Waters. She released her solo debut album, Come to My Garden, in 1970, and several songs from the album were written by her husband, Richard Rudolph.

Her second album, Perfect Angel (1974), became a best-seller, with a gold certification from the RIAA. Lovin' You, the fourth single from the album, topped several charts across the globe, including the US R&B charts, and reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

However, in the late 1970s, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer. In addition to touring, Minnie also took the role of national spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society's 1978–1979 campaign. She died at the age of 31 in July 1979, and speaking about her trajectory growing up, Maya Rudolph told Shepard that she was just six years old when her mother passed away.

"So when I started doing SNL, people didn't really know she was my mom, and they figured it out later. So, look, when you're a kid and your mom dies, you don't want people to know that. I’ll never get over how young she was," she said.

As per People, Lovin' You was originally written as a lullaby for Maya Rudolph. Richard, who started writing it a bit before Maya was born, said in a 2008 interview with Mix Online that he would play it nonstop after she was born.

"One day while Minnie was cooking, she started to hum along, and she came up with the final melody. Then I wrote the lyrics and developed the bridge," he said.

He added:

"We actually made a loop of that demo that we played for Maya while she was in her Swing-o-Matic. It would make her think her mother was there while Minnie and I slipped off for some private time. The demo was just Minnie singing to my accompaniment on the guitar."

While Richard, a Pennsylvania native, had written songs before, Perfect Angel was his first as a record producer. Over the years, he has written hundreds of songs for artists including Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie, 2Pac, The Rotary Connection, and more.

He has also produced music for hit films such as The Black Dahlia, Cocoon, Flatliners, Whitney, and more. The 77-year-old also started a music label, Third Stone Records, with Michael Douglas.

Inspired by her parents, Maya Rudolph initially began a career in the music industry. During the mid-1990s, the 51-year-old comedian was part of the indie rock group The Rentals. In a 2015 interview with the Guardian, Maya spoke about her decision to pursue a career in comedy and said:

"Make no mistake, the comedy gene was in me before my mom died. But it was very much my manifesto after, because it was my only shield. You know, it was all that I had. The only thing to keep me from crying."

Maya Rudolph has four children with her partner Paul Thomas Anderson and she named her fourth child Minnie Ida Anderson, after her mother. In a 2022 appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, she stated that all four of her children are musically talented.