Jean-Michel Byron (born Jean-Michel Byron DuPlessis) is a South African-born

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

and rock vocalist. The singer-songwriter is best known for serving for a time as the lead vocalist for the rock band Toto for new material on their first

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

, '' Past to Present'', as well as the band's '' Greatest Hits Live...and More'' project. Byron was the fourth frontman in the band's history, replacing Joseph Williams after Williams had suffered from voice issues due to intense touring as well as drug abuse. The South African singer was pushed heavily by the group's record label. The line-up change divided Toto's band-members, yet key group member

Jeff Porcaro Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (; April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work with the rock band Toto but is one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on ...

expressed support at first. His tenure with the band ended up being both brief and highly controversial with fans. In more recent years, Byron has collaborated with the

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

group Michael Sanders & the One Tribe Nation.

Biography and career

Byron's musical career began in 1983 as a session singer, having also played in groups doing

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...

. Originally from

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, South Africa, he attended high school (senior secondary) at John Bissicker High School in a former "coloured area". He sang at high school concerts and community shows. Byron joined Toto for their '' Past to Present 1977–1990'' album. Singing on the release's four new tracks, including the popular

-fueled song "Love Has the Power", Byron had a style mixing rock music with R&B different than the group's past vocalists, being directly influenced by artists such as

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

. The album proved to be a hit after it came out in mid-1990, reaching top 20 spots on album ranking charts in over four nations including Germany and

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, and it also attracted critical praise. Reviewers had mixed remarks on Byron's vocal abilities, with

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's William Ruhlmann finding the artist "more soulful than his predecessors, but no more memorable." The band's record label had strongly pushed Byron on the other band members, who felt uncertain given the difference of styles between Byron's

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background and Toto's previous rock work. Despite album success, things would soon become more intense. During the album's supporting tour in 1990, Byron and the band began to openly clash. His on-stage antics and

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-like behavior irked other band members and had a strongly polarizing influence on Toto's fans, some concertgoers even flipping him off and heckling him during performances. "Byron comes out and starts dancing around. I’m looking at Jeff orcarowith bulging eyes. In rehearsal, Byron was just sitting there, but now he's out doing this

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 ...

on crack shit, with a golf glove on one hand, and my jaw was on the floor," Toto guitarist, songwriter, and co-vocalist

Steve Lukather Steven Lee Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a stea ...

later remarked, "We’re mortified... but it had all gone to his head". The group ended up bringing in additional singers, and Steve Lukather took on a more prominent role until Byron ended up being basically relegated to the role of a backing vocalist. Upon Byron's dismissal, Toto were once again at a crossroads, having had an acrimonious divide during his tenure. Fans' anti-Byron sentiment had built up to the point that all of his songs were cut from the filmed ''Toto Live'' video from the aforementioned tour, though his studio work has remained a hot topic among critics and listeners alike over the years. After being kicked out of Toto, Byron released a solo album, simply titled ''Byron,'' which contains an alternate version of "Love Has the Power" More recently, Byron has collaborated with the group "Michael Sanders & the One Tribe Nation", a band playing a mix of

jazz rock Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

with

, world music, and more, and he appeared on the outfit's 2005 debut album ''Servants of a Lesser God''. With Byron's material alongside works by

Luis Conte Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best-known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began ...

and Andy Vargas of

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among others, the release has received positive remarks from several critics such as Morley Seaver of antimusic.com, who praised the "hypnotic blend of musical virtuosity and melodic ear-pleasers" on the album. Byron also contributed to the Star Jasmine Music Foundation project's 2007 release, titled simply ''Star Jasmine'', with his material alongside songs performed by artists such as

Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and Music of Africa, Africa ...

and

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

. His song was called "For a Dancer". The charitable organization assists Californians in many ways such as operating "JAMS", a volunteer-run music school giving instruments and lessons to at-risk youths in the Santa Barbara area. In 2021 he was on the jury for the regional finals of the Italian music talent format ''Sanremo Rock'', during which he performed in a live jam session with Nora Hime, art name of Eleonora Almonti, front of the winning Italian band Tothem.https://www.confinelive.it/carsoli-al-sanremo-rock-festival-byron-incanta-tutti-sorpresa-dei-bad-medicine-con-dc9u/

Highlighted discography

*1990 – '' Past to Present'' / Toto (vocals, composition) *2005 – ''Servants of a Lesser God'' / Michael Sanders & the One Tribe Nation (vocals)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byron, Jean-Michel Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century South African male singers Toto (band) members 21st-century South African male singers