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Kenneth Brian "Babyface" Edmonds (born
April 10, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana), is an American R&B and pop
singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, record producer, film
producer, and entrepreneur.
****
Birth name Kenneth Brian Edmonds
Also known as Kenneth Edmonds
Born April 10, 1958 (1958-04-10) (age 49)
Origin Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Genre(s) R&B, quiet storm, urban, adult
contemporary, dance, pop
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter,
guitarist, keyboardist, record producer, film producer, and entrepreneur
Instrument(s) Guitar, mandolin, keyboard
Label(s) Island
Associated
acts After 7, The Deele
Website www.babyfacemusic.com
****
Biography
Early career
Edmonds,who is the 5th of six brothers (Kevon
Edmonds also had a solo album), attended North Central High School and
as a shy youth, wrote songs to express his emotions. Edmonds later
played with funk megastar Bootsy Collins, who tagged him "Babyface"
while he was still a teen, and the nickname has stuck with him
throughout his life. He also played in the groups Manchild (which had a
1977 hit "Especially for You" with band member Daryl Simmons), then in
the light-funk and R&B group The Deele (which also included Antonio
"L.A." Reid), with whom he would later form a successful partnership. In
1988, both Babyface and Reid left the group.
Commercial success
In the late 1980s, he was responsible for
contributing to the creation of new jack swing and was responsible for
writing music for the likes of Bobby Brown, Karyn White, Pebbles and
Paula Abdul. In 1989, Edmonds co-founded LaFace Records with Reid. Two
of the label's first artists Toni Braxton and TLC achieved massive
success. Braxton's eponymous 1993 debut album went on to sell over
eight-million copies, and earned her a Grammy Award as the year's best
new artist in 1994. Meanwhile, TLC's two albums on LaFace 1992's
Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip and 1994's CrazySexyCool combined to
sell more than 15 million copies, and CrazySexyCool won the 1996 Grammy
Award for Best R&B album. Edmonds was also instrumental in forming the
popular late-90's R&B group, Az Yet.
Edmonds is also behind some of the biggest
successes in contemporary music. Im Your Baby Tonight, produced for
Whitney Houston, is his first #1 hit in the US. He also wrote and
produced Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love To You",
both of which established records for the longest stay at #1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart. He co-wrote, co-produced, and provided backing
vocals on Madonna's 1995 7 week-#1 hit "Take a Bow", he shared billing
with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner "Change the World"
from the Phenomenon soundtrack. He also wrote and produced the #1 hit
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" for Whitney Houston as well as the rest of the
critically acclaimed 10 million selling Waiting to Exhale soundtrack in
1995, which spawned additional hits for Houston, Brandy and Mary
J.Blige. Additionally, he has produced and written music for many
artists including Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Pebbles,
Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J.Blige, Tamia, Janet
Jackson, Shola Ama, Whitney Houston, Sisqo, Dru Hill, C้line Dion,
Katharine McPhee, Mariah Carey, Vanessa L. Williams, En Vogue, Eric
Clapton, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Japanese singer Ken Hirai, Pink,
Sheena Easton, Marc Nelson and Phil Collins among others, and he has
received an amazing three consecutive Grammy Awards for Producer of the
Year, in 19951997.
In the mid-1990s, Edmonds and his then
wife, Tracey Edmonds, expanded into the business of motion pictures,
setting up "Edmonds Production Company" and producing films such as Soul
Food (1997) and Josie and the Pussycats (2001). They are the current
executive producers of the hit BET reality series College Hill. Edmonds
also worked with David Foster to compose "The Power of the Dream", the
official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics. Linda Thompson provided the
lyrics.
In 1999, a 25-mile (40-km) stretch of
Interstate 65 that runs through Indianapolis was renamed Kenneth
"Babyface" Edmonds Highway.
In October 2005, Edmonds and his wife,
Tracey, announced that they were ending their marriage of thirteen
years. They have two sons.
Babyface also participated as a duet
partner on the FOX reality show Celebrity Duets.
Babyface has been in the studio for about
two years with Ashanti to produce her forthcoming album The Declaration.
Babyface has recently signed a new deal
with Island Records to release his new album, His new album, Playlist,
consist of eight cover songs which includes Bob Dylans "Knockin On
Heavens Door," Dan Fogelbergs "Longer," Dave Loggin's "Please Come To
Boston", Bread's "Diary", Jim Croce's "Time In A Bottle," Eric Clapton's
"Wonderful Tonight" and James Taylors "Fire & Rain" and "Shower The
People". The two original works in the album are entitled "Not Going
Nowhere" and "The Soldier Song". It was released on September 18, 2007.
It will be the first album on the newly re-launched Mercury Records
Label.[1]
Discography
Albums
1986: Lovers #28 R&B
1989: Tender Lover #14 US, #1 R&B (US 2x
platinum)
1991: A Closer Look
1993: For the Cool in You #16 US, #2 R&B(US
3x platinum)
1996: The Day #6 US, #4 R&B (US 2x
platinum)
1998: Christmas with Babyface #101 US, #34
R&B
2001: Face2Face #25 US, #8 R&B
2005: Grown & Sexy #10 US, #3 R&B
2007: Playlist #48 US
Compilations, Remix, Live, Greatest Hits
and Unreleased
1997: Unplugged #106 US, #33 R&B (US Gold)
2000: A Collection of His Greatest Hits
2001: Love Songs
2003: The Essential Babyface
2004: A Love Story
2005: The Other Side of Cool
Singles
Year Title Chart Positions Album
US US R&B UK Singles Chart
1986 "Lovers" - 42 - Lovers
1987 "I Love You Babe" - 8 - Lovers
1987 "If We Try" - 65 - Lovers
1987 "Mary Mack" - 29 - Lovers
1989 "Love Saw It" (duet with Karyn White)
- 1 - Karyn White's Karyn White (original version)
A Closer Look (remix version)
1989 "It's No Crime" 7 1 - Tender Lover
1989 "Tender Lover" 14 1 86 Tender Lover
1990 "Whip Appeal" 6 2 - Tender Lover
1990 "My Kinda Girl" 30 3 - Tender Lover
1990 "Love Makes Things Happen" (duet with
Pebbles) 13 1 - Pebbles' Always (original version)
A Closer Look (remix version)
1992 "Give U My Heart" (duet with Toni
Braxton) 29 2 - Boomerang soundtrack
1993 "For the Cool in You" 81 10 - For The
Cool In You
1993 "Never Keeping Secrets" 15 3 - For The
Cool In You
1994 "And Our Feelings" 21 8 - For The Cool
In You
1994 "Rock Bottom" - - 50 For The Cool In
You
1994 "When Can I See You" 4 6 35 For The
Cool In You
1994 "Dream Away" (with Lisa Stansfield) -
- - The Pagemaster soundtrack
1995 "Someone to Love" (with Jon B) 10 7 -
Jon B's Bonafide
1996 "This Is for the Lover in You"
(featuring Jody Watley, LL Cool J, Howard Hewett, and Jeffrey Daniel) 6
2 12 The Day
1997 "Everytime I Close My Eyes" (featuring
Mariah Carey and Kenny G) 6 5 13 The Day
1997 "How Come How Long" (featuring Stevie
Wonder) - - 10 The Day
1997 "Sunshine" (with Jay-Z and Foxy Brown)
- - 25 -
1998 "Fire" (duet with Des'ree) - - - Hav'
Plenty soundtrack
2000 "Reason for Breathing" - 59 - A
Collection of His Greatest Hits
2001 "There She Goes" 31 10 - Face 2 Face
2001 "What If" 80 28 - Face 2 Face
2004 "The Loneliness" - 49 - Grown & Sexy
2005 "Sorry for the Stupid Things" - 65 -
Grown & Sexy
2005 "Grown & Sexy" - 51 - Grown & Sexy
Songwriting/ Production credits
"Always In My Heart" Tevin Campbell
"Another Sad Love Song" Toni Braxton
"As" George Michael and Mary J. Blige
"Baby-Baby-Baby" TLC
"Betcha Never" Vanessa L. Williams
"Breathe Again" Toni Braxton
"Can We Talk" Tevin Campbell
"Change the World" Eric Clapton
"Could You Learn To Love - Tevin Campbell
"Count on Me" Whitney Houston and CeCe
Winans
"Dear Lie" TLC
"Diggin' On You" TLC
"Don't Be Cruel" Bobby Brown
"End of the Road" Boyz II Men
"Every Little Step" Bobby Brown
"Everywhere I Go" - Katharine McPhee
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" Whitney Houston
"Fairy Tale" Toni Braxton
"Find Me A Man" Toni Braxton
"Forbidden Love" - Madonna
"Girlfriend" Pebbles
"Good Enough" Bobby Brown
"Honey" - Aretha Franklin
"How Can I Not Love You" Joy Enriquez
"How Could an Angel Break My Heart" Toni
Braxton
"Humpin' Around" Bobby Brown
"I Care 'Bout You" Milestone
"I'll Make Love to You" Boyz II Men
"I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always
Trying to Get You Off (Me + You)" - Fall Out Boy
"I'm Ready" Tevin Campbell
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" Whitney Houston
"I Miss You So Much" TLC
"I Wanna Be (Your Baby)" Toni Braxton
"In The Late Of Night" Toni Braxton
"It Hurts Like Hell" - Aretha Franklin
"Just Hold On" - Boyz II Men
"Let It Flow" Toni Braxton
"Let's Do It Again" TLC
"Let's Get The Mood Right" Johnny Gill
"Long Way From Home" Johnny Gill
"Melt Away"- Mariah Carey
"Missin' You ~It Will Break My Heart~" -
Ken Hirai
"Most Girls" Pink
"My, My, My" Johnny Gill
"My Name Is Not Susan" Whitney Houston
"Never Forget You" Mariah Carey
"On Our Own" Bobby Brown
"On the Line" - Michael Jackson
"Queen of the Night" Whitney Houston
"Red Light Special" TLC
"Rock Steady" The Whispers
"Roni" Bobby Brown
"Secret Rendezvous" Karyn White
"Sittin' Up In My Room - Brandy
"Smile" - Tamia
"So Sexual" Sisqo
"Something In Your Eyes" Bell Biv Devoe
"Superwoman" Karyn White
"Take a Bow" Madonna
"Tell Me Where - Tevin Campbell
"The Carpal Tunnel of Love" - Fall Out Boy
"The Lover In Me" Sheena Easton
"The Power of the Dream" C้line Dion
"There's No Me Without You" Toni Braxton
"These Are The Times" Dru Hill
"Thinkin' Bout My Ex" - Janet Jackson
"This Time Next Year" - Shola Ama
"Thnks fr th Mmrs" - Fall Out Boy
"Water Runs Dry" Boyz II Men
"We're Not Making Love No More" Dru Hill
"Whatever" En Vogue
"When You Believe" Whitney Houston and
Mariah Carey
"Why Should I Care" Toni Braxton
"Willing To Forgive" - Aretha Franklin
"Woman Don't Cry" - Boyz II Men
"You're Makin' Me High" Toni Braxton
"You Are My Life" Michael Jackson
"You Are The Man" En Vogue
"You Can't Run" Vanessa L. Williams
References
1. Babyface official website on Island
Records. n/a. Island Records (January 20, 2007).
****
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Date Article Copied:
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