Born in Harlem, Hicks began performing in her grandfather's church choir as a child. In her early teens, Hicks and her older sister Miriam formed a singing group "The Hicks Sisters" and eventually cut a demo. The duo's demo caught the attention of Broadway producers of the stage play Mama I Want To Sing! were impressed by Hicks' voice. In late 1985, Hicks was offered the lead role of Doris Winter in the play, in which she portrayed from April 1986 until 1990.[1] The play eventually became the most successful off-Broadway black musical in theatrical history.

During her time on Broadway, Hicks received a solo deal with Capitol Records in 1989. Hicks released her self-titled debut album under the Capitol label on September 9, 1989. With production contributions from Narada Michael Walden and Nick Martinelli, Hicks' album debuted at number sixty-three and sat ten weeks on the Top R&B Albums chart. Hicks later scored roles in Tyler Perry's stage plays including Madea's Family Reunion, What's Done in the Dark.