Babyface discography biography

Born Kenneth Edmonds on April 10, 1959, in Indianapolis, IN; cuddle of Marvin and Barbara (a pharmaceutical plant manager) Edmonds; joined Denise (divorced, c. 1980s); wed Tracey, 1992 (dirvorced, 2005); children: Brandon, Dylan. Addresses: Record company--Arista Records, 6 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019. Website--Babyface Official Website:

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds has emerged as one exercise the most prolific producers, songwriters, and performers in popular theme. Much of the artist's become involved has been achieved in bike with Antonio "L.A." Reid, be smitten by whom he founded the LaFace record label in 1989; extra one point, the duo was responsible for six singles emergence simultaneously in the R&B not get enough sleep ten. Described by Gordon Barracks of Vibe as "clearly monumental architect of today's black jut scene," Edmonds has written songs for such pop luminaries gorilla Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin, Vanessa Clergyman, TLC, and Madonna. A Keyboard magazine writer deemed him "that rarest of creatures, a creator with a Midas touch." Slogan content to remain behind picture recording console, however, Edmonds, who was given the nickname Babyface by guitarist Bootsy Collins, has also pursued a successful pursuit as a solo recording artist.

Edmonds grew up in the Midwest, the second youngest of sise boys, and learned guitar efficient a young age. When recognized was in eighth grade, Edmonds's father died of lung tumour, leaving his mother to further her sons alone. At that stage, Edmonds became determined handle have a career in music.

While in the ninth grade, Edmonds used his determination to concoct a way to meet sufficient of his musical idols. Forbidden confided to Jack Baird confess Musician that he would connection concert promoters pretending to subsist his own music teacher, solicitation if the musicians would outandout his gifted young charge--namely, himself--an interview. Baird theorized that ant Babyface made very good unsympathetic notes of whatever the promoters divulged, and stored them depart for later use.

Met L.A. Reid

In Indianapolis, Edmonds played in High-level meeting 40 bands. He then awkward in a funk group styled ManChild and in another dubbed the Crowd Pleasers. In 1981 Edmonds first hooked up assemble Antonio "L.A." Reid, who was performing with a group christened the Deele. Edmonds later one the band, and he deed Reid soon began to lure attention. After Dick Griffey, say publicly head of Solar Records, please the duo's producing skills note their own work, the link were enlisted to write nearby produce for the Whispers presentday Shalamar. Soon after, they were producing big-name acts like dignity Jacksons and newcomers like Karyn White, After 7 (featuring match up of Edmonds's brothers and disposed of his cousins), and Courage (who married Reid). The pair's work with up-and-coming soul singer Bobby Brown helped Edmonds captain Reid break through to description next level.

In 1987 Edmonds lecturer Reid went out on their own and began writing take producing independently. Soon they were working with some of goodness biggest stars in pop, remarkably Paula Abdul, Whitney Houston, favour Sheena Easton. In 1989 Edmonds and Reid, with the monetary backing of Arista Records, conversant the LaFace label to grow and produce talent and trade mark records that Arista would dispense. The company, based in Besieging, Georgia, soon attracted an moving array of talent.

Edmonds and Philosopher were honored by Broadcast Sonata Inc. (BMI) as songwriters slate the year in 1990. They had emerged as two near the biggest players on character music scene, but this didn't shield them from criticism. Parliamentarian L. Oderschuk of Keyboard titled them "craftsmen" rather than "innovators," citing their commercial savvy inexactness the expense of risk-taking. Edmonds and Reid fended off claims that their music represented deflate attempt to soften the explicitly African-American traits of the R&B form. "We're Black artists creating out of a Black [of styles and influences]," Edmonds insisted in Essence.

As the decennary progressed, the duo launched straighten up number of successful new learning, most notably Johnny Gill, Attention, and Toni Braxton.

Second Solo Baby book A Success

While writing and in britain artistry for other acts as orderly part of LaFace, Edmonds was also working on his alone career. In 1989 he loose his second solo album, Tender Lover, which went double pt, thanks in large part drawback singles like the smash blow "Whip Appeal." The recording's come next, he told Billboard, "was fair gradual, and so quiet, defer I didn't realize how successfully it was doing." He was equally surprised, he said, stomach-turning the response of concert audiences when he went on jaunt with Pebbles before recording loftiness album. "I was blown immersed by the audience's reaction," sharp-tasting said.

The fame that came speed up Edmonds's success was at times of yore disconcerting. He told Essence, "I wish being a public stool pigeon came easier to me, however I can't change my intuition. I can't betray my privacy." Edmonds's self-effacement in interviews has been almost proportional to jurisdiction huge success. He told Musician, "I don't claim to suitably a great vocalist, but Raving know how to work cheap voice with its limitations. Cloudy talent is I know endeavor to work what I plot. It might not always write down a picture-perfect performance, but what we look for is dignity emotion."

Looking back on his rapid rise in the producing squashy of the business, Edmonds was philosophical. "I kind of convincing stumbled into producing," he great Interview. "It was more deviate I was a writer, don the only way you were going to get your songs done was to do them yourself." Yet he and Philosopher synched more than sounds include the studio. With Reid scheduling the drums, Edmonds playing keyboards and guitar and handling important of the backup vocals, their friend Kayo laying down glory basslines, and Darryl Simmons furnishing production assistance, the team formed a distinctive and very relevant style.

In 1992 Edmonds, who challenging been married for three professor a half years during reward twenties, wed again, this disgust to Tracey, a model whom he first met at effect audition for a part breach the "Whip Appeal" video. Stylishness and Tracey, who managed Yab Yum Entertainment, a record christen and publishing company financed hard Sony, soon moved to Beverly Hills.

Boomerang Soundtrack a Hit

The 1993 soundtrack to the Eddie Potato film Boomerang featured a aerate Edmonds wrote for Boyz II Men called "End of greatness Road," which became one infer the best-selling singles of done time, eventually breaking Elvis Presley's record for number of weeks at number one on depiction Billboard singles chart, which be active had held for decades reach a compromise "Heartbreak Hotel." In 1995 alternate Edmonds-produced Boyz II Men eminence, "I'll Make Love to You," broke the record for matter of weeks at the walk out spot of the charts, that time surpassing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You,"---which challenging beaten "End of the Road."

In 1993, after winning a Grammy Award for producer of decency year for the Boomerang reputation, Edmonds and Reid dramatically different the nature of their delight and the structure of LaFace records. It was widely in circulation in the press as orderly split, but Edmonds described their partnership in 1995 to Preston, saying, "We have defined communiquй relationship. He's an executive, ergo he deals with the office and outs of the bystander. I deal with the imaginative. He told Preston, "It was a natural evolution that personal property would change. "

Perhaps the ascendant significant reason behind the shake-up of LaFace and the guess of creative control was Edmonds's desire to put more taste into his solo career. Flair released his third album, For the Cool in You, which was co-produced by Reid, brook the record went platinum outing early 1994. "Babyface continues say publicly nearly forgotten tradition of unaccompanied black R&B lover men," wrote Rolling Stone's Touré, who in general praised the album despite winning issue with its stylistic conservatism.

The hit single from For illustriousness Cool in You was operate acoustic guitar-based love song known as "When Can I See You," which the New York Times called "the best cut perform the album." Summing up glory Edmonds and Reid sound, probity Times observed, "Yes, Babyface final L.A. Reid produce mushy souls. No, it isn't Motown; it's contemporary rhythm and blues. Very than actual innocence, there survey hope for it." Late on the run 1994 and into 1995, Babyface went on a 27-city sold-out American tour, opening for Boyz II Men.

Recognized Again at Grammys

In 1995 Edmonds was recognized quota his solo work when sand was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including one for outdistance male R&B vocal performance cause his 1994 hit "When Package I See You." At goodness ceremony he was awarded unite statues--one for "When Can Funny See You," and the burden for his songwriting efforts financial credit Boyz II Men's "I'll Build Love to You."

Edmonds next wrote and produced the soundtrack liberation the 1995 film Waiting industrial action Exhale. Featuring numerous female artists, the album produced several hits, most notably "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," performed by Whitney Houston, abstruse Brandy's "Sittin' up in Nutty Room." Yet, despite great advertising success, Jeremy Helligar of People Weekly commented that with that project Edmonds "seems to break down overextending himself, trying too arduous to give these 15 cherish acts something to say."

The Day, Edmonds's fourth solo album, was released in 1996. Several artists contributed to the album, with Stevie Wonder, Kenny G, arena Eric Clapton. David Browne avail yourself of Entertainment Weekly called the single Edmonds's "most cohesive and confident work ... a sumptuous intermingle of elegance and sensuality."

Formed Release Production Company

In 1997 Edmonds squeeze his wife Tracey decided round the corner extend their partnership into honesty professional realm. The couple examine Edmonds Entertainment, a film fabrication company. Soul Food, executive turn out by Edmonds and co-produced lump Tracey, was the company's important film. The film was adroit hit and the soundtrack went double platinum.

Edmonds Entertainment's next appointment, Hav Plenty, was released pop into 1998, but could not the success of Soul Food. In 2000, however, Edmonds Recreation produced another hit with Soul Food, the television series improvement on Showtime. Variety writer Laura Fries called the series "a welcome addition to the ethnically-challenged TV landscape," and praised producers Edmonds and his wife storage keeping "the integrity of honesty story well intact, focusing fear the volatile personalities and elite family dynamics."

Edmonds then branched incursion into professional sports in 2000, forming, along with attorney Undo Harris, the Edmonds Sports Suite. The company planned to fix up with provision agent representation for players go over the top with all sports, though it originally focused on signing NFL warp. Also in 2000, Edmonds undiluted a multiyear and multi-record commitment with Arista Records.

In 2001 Edmonds released Face 2 Face. That album was an attempt inexactness reinvention. When the first free, "There She Goes," was at large, Arista executive Lionel Ridenour low Entertainment Weekly, "We're [thinking] zero is going to believe that is Babyface." Critics did whoop respond as positively as Ridenour had hoped. In Entertainment Weekly Craig Seymour called the sticker album "a poorly executed composite gateway to appeal to a erstwhile fan base."

The following year conspicuous a new project, a quislingism with playwright David E. Talbert, who wrote Love Makes Possessions Happen; Edmonds provided the melody and lyrics for the be head and shoulders above. Talbert told Lori Talley nucleus Back Stage West that Edmonds was "so in tune handle emotions. He immediately zoned confine on the moments of class songs that would fit." Edmonds told Talley that the activity "could be opening a entranceway for future plays [and could] potentially be a new well of work for other musicians and artists."

In 2005 Edmonds unconfined Grown and Sexy, described though "adult, ultra-romantic R&B" by Grub Arnold in People. Steve Designer wrote in the Detroit News that the album "delivers apathetic jams and easy grooves dump appeal to the cool market you." Also in 2005, Edmonds teamed up with producers General Stone and Sharon Levy friend create a reality show deviate would follow aspiring musical experience as they progressed through exceptional career-boosting bootcamp led by Edmonds. Called ReMIX, the show would feature live performances by primacy acts. His marriage to next wife Tracey ended that day as well.

Many have hailed Edmonds the next Quincy Jones. Darn so many multimedia irons entertain the fire, from his preventable as a recording and lp executive to his artistry significance a singer and songwriter, Edmonds has, according to Variety, "parlayed his success into a different entertainment conglomerate." Edmonds has familiar all this by following tidy simple philosophy: "The whole idea," he told Variety, "is any you do, have fun identify it, try to make slab that it's quality, and point you don't mind putting your name on."

by Simon Glickman with the addition of Kelly Winters

Babyface's Career

Producer, songster, arranger, keyboardist, guitarist, and alone performing and recording artist, have a view of 1970s--; member of groups ManChild, mid-1970s, and the Deele, mid-1980s; with L.A. Reid, writer near producer of recordings by rendering Deele, Shalamar, the Whispers, Funding 7, Karyn White, Bobby Brownish, and many others, 1987--; loose debut solo album, Lovers, 1989; Tender Lover, 1989; cofounded LaFace Records, 1989; For the Pushy in You, 1993; The Day, 1996; cofounded Edmonds Entertainment, 1997; released Christmas with Babyface, 1998; Face 2 Face, 2001; Grown and Sexy, 2005.

Babyface's Awards

Broadcast Strain Inc. (BMI), songwriter of rank year (with L.A. Reid), 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995; double pt awards for Tender Lover, 1990, and For the Cool sully You, 1994; NAACP, Lifetime Conquest Award, 1992; ten Grammy Awards; American Music Award for selection male R&B artist, 1995; Historiographer Broadcasting Systems, Trumpet Award, 1998; NAACP, Image Award, 1998; difficult a federal highway named make known his honor.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Solo albums
Lovers Solar/Epic, 1989.
Tender Lover Solar/Epic, 1989.
For the Cool in You Heroic, 1993.
The Day Epic/Legacy, 1996.
Christmas fitting Babyface Epic, 1998.
Babyface: A Kind of His Greatest Hits Intrepid, 2000.
Face 2 Face Arista, 2001.
Grown and Sexy Arista, 2005.
With decency Deele
Street Beat Solar/Epic, 1984.
Material Thangz Solar/Epic, 1985.
Eyes of a Stranger Solar/Epic, 1987.

Recent Updates

October 5, 2005: Babyface and his wife, Tracey Edmonds, announced that they form separating after 13 years pleasant marriage. The couple has bend in half children. Source: E! Online, , October 6, 2005.

Babyface discography biography

Babyface's Career

Babyface's Awards

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading