Aside from her solo career, she was a member of an early line up of Faith, Hope and Charity and worked as a backing vocalist and songwriter with Aretha Franklin.

[1] Zulema and her school friend Brenda Hilliard joined a local group called The 5 Crystals, before the two formed the trio the Lovelles, together with fellow Tampa native Albert Bailey.

She appeared on a bill with Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Earth, Wind and Fire and Sly Stone at the Push Expo in Chicago, a concert which became a motion picture called Save the Children.

The movie's soundtrack was released on Motown Records and included Zulema's single mother anthem, "This Child of Mine".

[4] In 1978, she released the album Z-Licious on Le Joint Records, which featured a duet with long-term collaborator Van McCoy.