Speaking from Los Angeles by telephone last week, the pop-soul singer with a late-blooming career was reflecting on the time it has taken for her debut album, "Circle of One" (Fontana/Polygram), to become a hit.

Outside of "Ballads, Blues and Bey," a remarkable album of only voice and piano from 1996, this is Mr. Bey's best recording in a late-blooming career; it is very sure of itself.

Mr. Gray, an English songwriter, has a late-blooming career.

"I am coming out of left field," Ms. Woodman said with a laugh as she discussed her relatively late-blooming career and her dynamic presence in the museum.

Mr. Pollard recently quit his job as a fourth-grade schoolteacher to devote more time to his late-blooming musical career.

Reitman, who has encountered resistance to his own late-blooming career, recognizes that some people are appalled or suspicious.

But he will be challenged in any speed duel by the rookie rocket Furiously, who has started three times in a late-blooming career and has won three times by a combined total of 31 lengths.

"I showed no real aptitude for music," Mr. Lieberson said with undue modesty, talking about his late-blooming career as a composer.

Pauline Ames Plimpton, who had a late-blooming career as a writer that startled but not did not surprise her famous literary offspring, George Plimpton, died yesterday at her home in New York City.