Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong

head voice Head voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Head voice can be used in re ...

, high belting range and

melisma Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...

. McKnight is known for his songs from albums such as ''

Brian McKnight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for h ...

'' (platinum debut), '' Anytime'' and '' Back at One''. His work has earned him 16 Grammy Awards nominations, third only to

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father was the fou ...

and Snoop Dogg for the record of most Grammy nominations without a win.

Early life

McKnight was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

to Claude McKnight, Jr. and Ruth Elaine Willis. His music experience began in childhood when he became a member of his church choir, which was directed by his grandfather. McKnight explored different genres of music, and in his early teens, he started musical ambitions by composing instrumental material while learning to play several instruments. McKnight formed a band and began performing his original songs at local venues. By the age of 18, he was offered a publishing deal.

Career

Mercury Records: ''Brian McKnight'' and ''Anytime'' (1990–1997)

McKnight's older brother, Claude McKnight III (and his band

Take 6 Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group integrates jazz with spiritual and inspirational lyrics. Take 6 has received several Grammy Awards as well as Dove ...

), signed a record deal with Warner Brothers in 1990. This encouraged McKnight to shop his own

demo tapes A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...

and by the age of 19, he signed his first recording deal with

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it i ...

subsidiary,

Wing Records Wing Records was a record label subsidiary of Mercury Records founded in 1955, that found its greatest success during the late 1950s. In 1986, the label was revived by Mercury's parent company, PolyGram and the label had brief success with R&B ...

. His self-titled debut album ''

'' was released in 1992, and peaked at number 58 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. His first release was " The Way Love Goes", which peaked at number 11 on the '' Billboard''

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

chart. The album also featured the ballad, and Top 20 single, " One Last Cry". It was followed by two more albums for Mercury, ''I Remember You'' (1995) and ''Anytime'' (1997). '' Anytime'', McKnight's final album with Mercury, sold over two million copies and was nominated for a Grammy. The video for "Anytime", directed by Darren Grant, was nominated for

Best Male Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video was one of four original general awards that have been handed out every year since the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, though, the award was briefly renamed Male Artist of the Year, and ...

at the

1998 MTV Video Music Awards The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 10, 1998, honoring the best music videos from June 17, 1997, to June 12, 1998. The show was hosted by Ben Stiller at Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Madonna was the most successful winn ...

. In 1997, McKnight recorded "Remember the Magic" for

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

's 25th anniversary.

Motown Records: ''Bethlehem'' and ''Back at One'' (1998–2004)

McKnight signed with Motown in 1998 and released a Christmas album, ''

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

'', the first of five albums he released on Motown. In 1998, McKnight was a guest star on the show '' Sister Sister''. He appeared in multiple episodes, as Tia and Tamera's college professor. In 1999, McKnight released '' Back at One'', his most successful album to date, which eventually went on to sell over three million copies. Additionally, ''Back at One'' is one of four of McKnight's studio albums to reach the Top 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart, reaching number 7 on October 9, 1999.''Billboard'' 200 Chart History

, Brian McKnight's chart history on ''Billboard'' 200 Albums Chart In 2004, McKnight co-wrote the song "Wait" with Australian soul artist

Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter who was the winner of the first ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, judge on Australia's ''The X Factor'' from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach ...

, which appeared on Sebastian's '' Beautiful Life'' album.

Warner Brothers: ''Ten'' and media/radio gigs (2005–2014)

upMcKnight performing in 2006 In late 2005, McKnight signed with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

and released the album '' Ten'' during December 2006. It was his only studio album with the label. Three singles were released from the album: " Find Myself in You" (which originally appeared on the soundtrack to the 2006

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmma ...

movie ''

Madea's Family Reunion ''Madea's Family Reunion'' is a 2006 American comedy-drama film and an adaptation of the stage production of the same name written by Tyler Perry. The film is a sequel to '' Diary of a Mad Black Woman''. It was written, directed by, and starrin ...

''), " Used to Be My Girl" and "What's My Name". In October 2007, McKnight made his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in the show Chicago. Between 2006 and 2010, McKnight hosted ''The Brian McKnight Morning Show'', a radio show with Pat Prescott on

KTWV KTWV (94.7 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, and broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc., and airs an urban adult contemporary radio format. KTWV has studios on ...

The Wave in Los Angeles. The show was briefly simulcast on KHJZ-FM, Smooth Jazz 95.7 The Wave in Houston, Texas. In January 2009, McKnight hosted "The Brian McKnight Show" on 98.7 KISS FM in New York City. In 2009, McKnight appeared in the eighth season of ''

Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...

''. Each celebrity played to raise money for the charity of his or her choice. McKnight elected to play for Youthville USA. Between September 2009 and May 2010, McKnight served as the media personality and hosted ''The Brian McKnight Show'', a late night talk show billed as a combination of talk and variety which aired in syndication. McKnight sang the National Anthem for

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

Opening Day in Cincinnati, Ohio with his sons Brian, Jr. and Niko on March 31, 2011. He had previously sung the National Anthem for the

1997 NBA All-Star Game The 1997 NBA All-Star Game was the 47th edition of the All-Star Game and commemorated the 50th anniversary of NBA. The game was played on February 9, 1997, at Gund Arena (now known as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse) in Cleveland. The winner of the M ...

in Cleveland, Game 6 of the

2002 World Series The 2002 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s 2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Anaheim Angels and the National Lea ...

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

(near his Los Angeles home), and the

2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 76th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game wa ...

in Detroit. He has also made numerous other "National Anthem" appearances throughout his career. Additionally, McKnight sang "God Bless America" in the 7th inning of Game 7 of the National League Champion Series in San Francisco on October 22, 2012. Brian McKnight 2014

On April 23, 2012, McKnight posted to YouTube "If You're Ready To Learn", which has been characterized by '' Billboard'' as a "filthy jam". Billboard selected this lyric from the work to quote: "Let me show you how your p—y works / Since you didn't bring it to me first." Other media outlets such as MTV, the ''

Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...

'', and ''

NewMediaRockstars ''NewMediaRockstars'' (''NMR'') is an online magazine which was launched in December 2011 and primarily covers YouTube performers, entrepreneurs, and artists with videos and interviews. In 2013, ''NewMediaRockstars'' closed because of lack of fund ...

'' have also written about McKnight's recent, more adult-oriented efforts. Shortly after the single's release, McKnight and

Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a re ...

revealed that the single was a collaboration between the two. McKnight later explained that he wrote the parody as a commentary on the state of R&B, which he noted was in a period of degradation overall with famous radio station 98.7 Kiss FM shuttering and hit singles being inferior quality music, among other ailments.

Brian McKnight Music and Kobalt: ''Better'' (2015–2016)

On August 14, 2015, McKnight released the single "Uh Oh Feeling", the first track from his album '' Better''. It was released on his own label, Brian McKnight Music LLC via

Kobalt Label Services Kobalt Music Recordings is a division of Kobalt Music Group. KLS provides record label services to artists, receiving a share of revenues, while allowing artists to retain ownership of their master recordings. The company was founded in 2012 wh ...

. ''Better'' was released on February 26, 2016. The album received positive reviews.

SoNo Recording: ''An Evening with...'' and ''Genesis'' (2016–present)

On September 23, 2016 (twenty years from the date of his studio album '' Anytime''), McKnight released his first live CD, DVD and Blu-ray collection entitled '' An Evening with Brian McKnight'' (in partnership with independent recording label, SoNo Recording Group, via the

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

). The concert was recorded in Los Angeles, at the historic

Saban Theatre The Saban Theatre ( ) is a historic theatre in Beverly Hills, California, formerly known as the Fox Wilshire Theater. It is an Art Deco structure at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Hamilton Drive designed by architect S. Charles Lee ...

. The release includes fourteen songs performed live with his full band, plus three newly written and recorded songs. The first single, "Everything", reached the Top 20 on the national Adult Contemporary charts in September 2016. The CD version of the concert debuted on the '' Billboard'' R&B chart at number 13, as a Hot Shot Debut. Also included, is a duet with

Gino Vannelli Gino Vannelli (born June 16, 1952) is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter who had several hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s. His best-known singles include "People Gotta Move" (1974), "I Just Wanna Stop" (1978), "Living Inside Myself" (1981) an ...

, on the song "Brothers in the End". The Blu-ray and DVD version of the release premiered on the ''Billboard'' Music DVD chart at number 9. McKnight released the album ''

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

'' on August 25, 2017. It featured three Top 30 Urban AC and AC hits: "Everything", "Forever" and "I Want U". ''Genesis'' premiered on the Nielsen SoundScan Top 10 Current R&B Albums and Top 20 Current Hip Hop/R&B Albums. The album was produced by

Tim Kelley Tim Kelley (born May 20, 1986) is a former American Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer. He was born in Burlington, Vermont to former alpine skier Lindy Cochran and her husband Steve Kelley. His siblings Jessica Kelley and Robby Kelley both raced on ...

, part of the legendary duo

Tim & Bob Tim & Bob (Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson), also known as Funktwons, were a songwriting and production duo. Tim & Bob have discovered and or worked on some of the biggest artists in the music industry and has helped develop the Atlanta music scene ...

. In January 2018, McKnight was nominated for two

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

. He was nominated for Outstanding Male Artist and Outstanding Album for ''Genesis'' (alongside

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...

, Charlie Wilson,

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

, Jay-Z and

Mary J Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

). In May 2018, McKnight announced he was working on his next studio album tentatively titled ''Bedtime Story'', which would be 60 minutes of music "for the bedroom aka baby-making music". In 2021, Brian McKnight competed on ''

The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' spin-off '' The Masked Dancer'' as "Cricket".

Personal life

McKnight was married in 1990 to singer-songwriter and his college sweetheart, Julie McKnight. They have two children, Brian Jr., and Niko. They divorced in 2003. McKnight also has a daughter named Brianna McKnight. In 2014, he began dating Dr. Leilani Malia Mendoza, and they announced their engagement in May 2017. On December 29, 2017, McKnight and Mendoza were married. Mendoza has two children from a previous relationship; McKnight and Mendoza had a child who died in infancy.

Religion

Brian McKnight was raised a

Seventh-day Adventist The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...

. Religion was important in the McKnight family, with many generations being Seventh-day Adventists. His grandfather was a pastor of a church, and his mother played the piano and sang in a gospel choir in Buffalo's Emanuel Temple. Being the youngest of four boys, McKnight became a member of an a cappella

gospel quartet The term Gospel quartet refers to several different traditions of harmony singing. Its origins are varied, including 4-part hymn singing, shape note singing, barbershop quartets, jubilee songs, spirituals, and other Gospel songs. Gospel quartets ...

with his brothers. He also attended Oakwood College, a Seventh-day Adventist university in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in ...

, from 1987 to 1989. In his second year, McKnight got into trouble for violating Oakwood's rules about dormitory visitors for having his girlfriend in his dorm room. They were both expelled.

Discography

Studio albums * ''

'' (1992) * '' I Remember You'' (1995) * '' Anytime'' (1997) * ''

'' (1998) * '' Back at One'' (1999) * '' Superhero'' (2001) * ''

U Turn A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a m ...

'' (2003) * ''

Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Norther ...

'' (2005) * '' Ten'' (2006) * '' Evolution of a Man'' (2009) * '' Just Me'' (2011) * ''

More Than Words "More Than Words" is a song by American rock band Extreme, released as the fifth track and third single from their second album, ''Pornograffitti'' (1990), in March 1991. It is a ballad built around acoustic guitar work by Nuno Bettencourt and ...

'' (2013) * '' Better'' (2016) * ''

'' (2017) * ''

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...

'' (2020)

Filmography

Television

Film

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Brian McKnight official website

Brian McKnight entertainment website

Brian McKnight's Biography
from VH1
Brian McKnight's Profile
from

VIBE ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

Brian McKnight Fans Website

Brian McKnight JUST ME 2011 World Tour

Music.Yahoo.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKnight, Brian American soul guitarists American tenors American contemporary R&B singers Record producers from New York (state) American male trumpeters American male guitarists African-American guitarists American multi-instrumentalists Ballad musicians Motown artists Warner Music Group artists Musicians from Buffalo, New York 1969 births Living people 20th-century American keyboardists African-American record producers African-American male singer-songwriters Participants in American reality television series Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Guitarists from New York (state) 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American pianists 21st-century trumpeters American male pianists 21st-century American pianists The Apprentice (franchise) contestants African-American pianists 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century African-American male singers