Glennon Ricketts Jr. (born March 13, 1975), professionally known as Glenn Lewis, is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...

singer–songwriter A singer-songwriter is a musician who writes, composes, and performs their own musical material, including lyrics and melodies. In the United States, the category is built on the folk-acoustic tradition, although this role has transmuted th ...

. Lewis earned a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nomination in 2004 and has also won a

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

out of a total of six nominations.

Early life

Lewis was born in

Kitchener, Ontario ) , image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_blank_emblem = Logo of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , blank_emblem_type = ...

and raised in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

by a

Trinidadian Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The country is home to people of many different national, ethnic and religious origins. As a ...

mother and

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

n father, Glennon "Glen" Ricketts Sr. Both of his parents were musicians; his father was the lead singer of Crack of Dawn in the 1970s, was a protege of the late Donny Hathaway, and had a solo career under the stage name "Glen Ricks". From the age of eight to fourteen, Lewis lived in Trinidad before moving back to Toronto. Originally planning to pursue a career in

animation Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...

as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. After moving back to the city, he attended high school at

East York Collegiate Institute East York Collegiate Institute (East York CI, EYCI, or East York), formerly East York High School is a public high-school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the former borough of East York at the corner of Coxwell and Cosburn Avenues. ...

, where he won a talent contest by covering

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

's "

I Just Called to Say I Love You "I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a ballad written, produced, and performed by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder. It was a major international hit, and remains Wonder's best-selling single to date, having topped a record 19 char ...

". Lewis has cited Wonder as his biggest inspiration, and he's often been compared to him due to the similarities in their tones. After high school, Lewis began recording demos with musician

Alex Greggs Alex Greggs is a Canadian songwriter, record producer, and remixer. He has worked with some of the biggest names in pop and hip hop. He started as a leading producer in the Canadian music scene, notably for Love Inc. Then he branched to more i ...

and performing at nightclubs, eventually becoming a respected act in the city.

Career

Early success

Lewis parlayed his Toronto success into the release of his first single, " The Thing to Do", in 1997 on

Beat Factory Beat Factory was a Canadian urban music management and production company, and later, an independent record label, based in Toronto, Ontario. In 1982, Beat Factory was founded by Ivan Berry and songwriter Rupert Gayle. Throughout the 1980s and ' ...

BMG Music Canada BMG Music Canada was the Canadian division of BMG, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. History BMG was formed in 1970. In 1986, it acquired RCA Records. In the acquisition, the company acquired RCA Victor Ltd. to form BMG Music Canada as par ...

. The song earned him a

nomination for Best R&B/Soul Recording. His second single, "

Bout Your Love "Bout Your Love" is an R&B song by Glenn Lewis, released in 1998. Produced by 2Rude, the single and remix appear on 2Rude's 1999 album, ''Rudimental 2k''. The song was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the 1999 Juno Awards. Music video ...

", was released in 1998 and garnered a second consecutive Juno nomination. That year, he also appeared on the remix of

Maestro Maestro (; from the Italian ''wikt:maestro#Italian, maestro'' , meaning "wikt:master, master" or "teacher") is an honorific title of respect (plural: maestros or maestri). The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music ...

's single " Stick to Your Vision". In 1999, he was featured on the track "Whatever It Takes", which appeared on fellow Canadian singer Jazmin's debut album ''Better Be Good''. The following year, Lewis was featured on Baby Blue Soundcrew's single "Only Be in Love", from their compilation album '' Private Party Collectors Edition'', earning him his third consecutive Juno nomination. This exposure eventually landed him a deal with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

''World Outside My Window''

Lewis' debut album on Epic Records, ''

World Outside My Window ''World Outside My Window'' is the debut album of Canadian R&B singer Glenn Lewis. Released on March 19, 2002, it featured two singles, "Don't You Forget It" and " It's Not Fair". It also features production by Dre & Vidal. The album debuted at n ...

'', was released on March 19, 2002. Fueled by the hit single "

Don't You Forget It "Don't You Forget It" is an R&B song by Glenn Lewis, released in November 2001. Produced by Andre Harris, it was the first single from his debut album, '' World Outside My Window''. In early 2002, the song became popular after its music video wa ...

", which earned him a Juno for Best R&B/Soul Recording, the album peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts. He promoted the album by touring with

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

and Tweet, among others. The album spawned a second single, " It's Not Fair" which peaked at Number 90 on the R&B chart. In 2002, Lewis recorded a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of "

Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...

" for the tribute album, ''Conception: An Interpretation of Stevie Wonder's Songs.'' He also appeared in the 2002 film ''

Maid in Manhattan ''Maid in Manhattan'' is a 2002 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Wayne Wang and based on a story by John Hughes, who is credited using a pseudonym. It stars Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, and Natasha Richardson. In the film, a h ...

'' starring

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

and

Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( ; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shak ...

, with the film's soundtrack featuring his song " Fall Again", which was originally written by

Walter Afanasieff Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasyev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is an American record producer and songwriter of Russian-Chinese descent. He was a collaborator with Mariah Carey on her first ...

and

Robin Thicke Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 hit single " Blurred Lines", which is one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, h ...

for

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's ''

Invincible Invincible may refer to: Film and television * ''Invincible'' (2001 drama film), a drama by Werner Herzog about Jewish cabaret during the rise of Nazism * ''Invincible'' (2001 TV film), a fantasy / martial arts TV movie starring Billy Zane ...

'' album, but did not make it onto the track list. A demo of the song by

was later released on the '' Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' CD set. Later that year, he released his first concert DVD, ''Glenn Lewis Live''.

2003–2009

In 2003, Lewis began work on his sophomore album ''Back for More''. The first single, also titled " Back for More", and featuring rapper

Kardinal Offishall Jason Drew Harrow (born May 11, 1976), better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall (), is a Canadian rapper, record producer, DJ, and record executive. Often credited as Canada's " hip hop ambassador", he is regarded as one of the country ...

, was released to radio and a video began to air. However, the album was later shelved by his label. Later that year, Lewis netted a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nomination for his contribution to

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jaz ...

's "Where Is the Love", a duet also featuring

Amel Larrieux Amel Eliza Larrieux (née Stowell; born March 8, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory along with Bryce Wilson. After leaving the group in 199 ...

. Lewis was also the recipient of an International Achievement Award for the song "Don't You Forget It" at the

SOCAN The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is a Canadian performance rights organization that represents the performing rights of more than 135,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization collects ...

Awards in Toronto. In 2006, he signed with Underdog Entertainment and began work on an album with The Underdogs titled, ''Remember Me'' which was to be released in 2007. He premiered the song "Storm" in October 2006 which created a huge viral buzz in the underground soul music world. Shortly thereafter in 2007, Lewis parted ways with The Underdogs. During this time Lewis performed frequently overseas, particularly in London where he developed a strong following.

''Moment of Truth''

Lewis reconnected with Andre Harris and Vidal Davis "

Dre & Vidal Dre & Vidal is a songwriting and production duo consisting of Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, who are best known as the main producers for Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis. Alumni of DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production team, Dre & Vidal were also ...

", the producers of his first album, ''"

"'' in 2009. On December 14, 2010, a popular soul music website leaked the song "Good One" leading Lewis to officially release the song the following week. He released the official music video in September 2011. On November 9, 2011, Lewis signed with Ruffhouse Entertainment with his upcoming album project distributed through Capitol/Caroline. On April 29, 2013, Lewis debuted his single "Can't Say Love" which was #2 most added at Urban AC Radio and hit #25 on BDS. His album ''Moment of Truth'' was released October 15, 2013 and features production from Grammy Award-winning duo Dre & Vidal, DJ Camper, Carvin Haggins & Ivan Barias, Certifyd and up-and-coming producers Matrax as well as a duet with Roc Nation vocalist Melanie Fiona.

''Chasing Goosebumps''

In 2017, he collaborated with

DJ Jazzy Jeff Jeffrey Allen Townes (born January 22, 1965), known professionally as DJ Jazzy Jeff (or simply Jazz), is an American disc jockey (DJ) and music producer. He was a member of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince with Will Smith. He is credited, alo ...

on a concept album with ThePLAYLIST called ''Chasing Goosebumps'' which was recorded and mixed in 7 days.

Discography

Albums

*''

'' (2002) *''Moment of Truth'' (2013) *''Chasing Goosebumps'' (2017) (with ThePLAYLIST)

Singles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Glenn 1975 births 21st-century Black Canadian male singers Canadian contemporary R&B singers Canadian people of Jamaican descent Canadian people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Canadian soul singers Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year winners Living people Musicians from Kitchener, Ontario Musicians from Toronto Neo soul singers Sanctuary Records artists Epic Records artists Capitol Records artists Ruffhouse Records artists