Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds

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"Babyface" redirects here. For other uses, see Babyface (disambiguation).

Kenneth Brian Edmonds (born April 10, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana), known professionally as Babyface, is a successful American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, record producer, film producer, and entrepreneur. He is associated with the R&B groups After 7 and Milestone, both of which include his brothers, Kevon and Melvin.

[edit] Early career

Edmonds,who is the 5th of six brothers, attended North Central High School and as a shy youth, wrote songs to express his emotions. Edmonds later played with funk superstar 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"), 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.

[edit] Commercial Success

In 1989, Edmonds co-founded the successful R&B/hip hop label 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 is also behind some of the biggest successes in contemporary music. He 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 provided background vocals on Madonna's 1995 #1 hit "Take A Bow," and he shared billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner "Change the World" from the Phenomenon soundtrack. Additionally, he has produced and written music for many artists including Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Sisqo, Dru Hill, Céline Dion, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, En Vogue, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Japanese singer Ken Hirai, Pink, Sheena Easton among others, and he has received an amazing three consecutive Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year, in 1995–1997.

In the mid-1990s, Edmonds and his 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 is participating in a charity single written and produced by Michael Jackson. It is unclear if he is participating in the single as a performer or producer. The single to be titled "I Have This Dream".

Babyface was made a comeback as the duet partner on the FOX reality show Celebrity Duets.

[edit] Discography

• 1986: Lovers (R&B) #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)
• 1997: Babyface MTV Unplugged NYC (live) #106 US, #33 R&B (US Gold)
• 1998: Christmas with Babyface #101 US, #34 R&B
• 2001: Face2Face #25 US, #8 R&B
• 2003: Cool in Love
• 2004: A Love Story
• 2005: Grown & Sexy #10 US, #3 R&B

[edit] Singles

[edit] Production Credits

• "Always In My Heart" (Tevin Campbell)
• "I'm Ready" (Tevin Campbell)
• "Can We Talk" (Tevin Campbell)
• "Long Way From Home" (Johnny Gill)
• "Most Girls" (Pink)
• "Something In Your Eyes" (Bell Biv Devoe)
• "Roni" (Bobby Brown)
• "Humpin' Around" (Bobby Brown)
• "Don't Be Cruel" (Bobby Brown)
• "Every Little Step" (Bobby Brown)
• "On Our Own" (Bobby Brown)
• "Good Enough" (Bobby Brown)
• "Rock Steady" (The Whispers)
• "Girlfriend" (Pebbles)
• "Take a Bow" (Madonna)
• "Forbidden Love" (Madonna)
• "As" (George Michael and Mary J. Blige)
• "Queen of the Night" (Whitney Houston)
• "My Name Is Not Susan" (Whitney Houston)
• "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Whitney Houston)
• "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (Whitney Houston)
• "Count On Me" (Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans)
• "When You Believe" (Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey)
• "Never Forget You" (Mariah Carey)
• "You Are My Life" (Michael Jackson)
• "Breathe Again" (Toni Braxton)
• "Another Sad Love Song" (Toni Braxton)
• "How Could An Angel Break My Heart" (Toni Braxton)
• "You're Makin Me High" (Toni Braxton)
• "There's No Me Without You" (Toni Braxton)
• "Let It Flow" (Toni Braxton)
• "Find Me A Man" (Toni Braxton)
• "Why Should I Care" (Toni Braxton)
• "In The Late Of Night" (Toni Braxton)
• "Fiary Tale" (Toni Braxton)
• "I Wanna Be(Your Baby)" (Toni Braxton)
• "The Lover In Me" (Sheena Easton)
• "Change the World" (Eric Clapton)
• "Baby-Baby-Baby" (TLC)
• "Diggin' On You" (TLC)
• "Red Light Special" (TLC)
• "Dear Lie" (TLC)
• "I Miss You So Much" (TLC)
• "Whatever" (En Vogue)
• "You Are The Man" (En Vogue)
• "I'll Make Love to You" (Boyz II Men)
• "End of the Road" (Boyz II Men)
• "The Power of the Dream" (Céline Dion)
• "Secret Rendezvous" (Karyn White)
• "Superwoman" (Karyn White)
• "These Are The Times" (Dru Hill)
• "We're Not Making Love No More" (Dru Hill)
• "So Sexual" (Sisqo)
• "Rudo Rwangu (2-lani)
• "Carpal Tunnel of Love" (Fall Out Boy)

[edit] External links

• Babyface Websitede:Kenneth Edmonds

es:Babyface fr:Kenneth Edmonds ja:ベイビーフェイス (音楽) zh:娃娃脸