Trey Lorenz (born Lloyd Lorenz Smith; January 19, 1969) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

and is a graduate of Wilson High School. Lorenz is best known for his duet with recording artist

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

on " I'll Be There", a

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

of the 1970 number-one

Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

recording of the same name. The record topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and

R&B singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart a second time in 1992 and earned Lorenz and Carey both 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 for

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1967 to 1968 the ...

s. They would later perform the song again at the funeral of

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 July 7, 2009.

Biography

Lorenz met

in 1990, while he was a junior at

Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with its main campuses in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University currently offers more than 100 degree programs to its students. In addition to its tw ...

; at the time, he was singing with the R&B group Squeak & the Deep. He began his career supporting Carey on her first promotional tour in 1990, and the following year he provided background vocals on her album ''

Emotions Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...

''. Lorenz again served as Carey's backing singer on her March 16, 1992 appearance on the television show ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

'', where he and Carey sang a cover of

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

's " I'll Be There" - a duet the two reprised at

memorial service A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

at the

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it was ...

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on July 7, 2009. Their ''Unplugged'' performance was released as a single that went to number one in the United States. Lorenz was subsequently offered a record deal and recorded a critically successful self-titled debut album. The single " Someone to Hold" (co-written and co-produced by Carey, who also sang backup vocals) peaked at number 19 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart. The album itself, however, only peaked at number 111 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart, and Lorenz was dropped by his label

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 ...

. In 1994, he co-wrote "

If You Go Away "If You Go Away" is an adaptation of the 1959 Jacques Brel song "Ne me quitte pas" with English lyrics by Rod McKuen. Created as part of a larger project to translate Brel's work, "If You Go Away" is considered a pop standard and has been recor ...

" for

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, which was included on their album ''Face the Music''. Lorenz returned to a career in background vocals, working for artists such as

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

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, and Usher and also performed a duet with

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titled "She Deserves It" . He also appeared on

Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I. Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I. was an American Hip hop music, hip hop/new jack swing group best known for its debut single and highest-charting song, "Do the Right Thing (song), Do the Right Thing" from its album ''A Shade of Red'', which peake ...

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second album ''The Album With No Name'' on the songs "It's a Love Thang (Word)", "Nice and Slow" and "Get It Together". He began to support Mariah Carey on her albums and concert tours again in 1997, including a featured spot in the 2003

Charmbracelet World Tour The Charmbracelet World Tour was the fifth worldwide concert tour in 2003–2004 by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey in support of her ninth studio album ''Charmbracelet'' (2002). The tour started on June 20, 2003 in Seoul, South Korea, an ...

, and he recorded the songs "Make You Happy" for the ''

Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi-government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses t ...

'' soundtrack, which he co-wrote with Carey and

Cory Rooney Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has written, produced, and developed various successful records for artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Ja ...

, and "I'm Still Not Over You" for the ''

Money Train A money train is one or more railcars used to collect cash fare revenue from stations on a subway system and return it to a central location for processing. This train was typically used to carry money bags guarded by transit police to deter ...

'' soundtrack. He was signed to Carey's short-lived imprint label, MonarC, and to

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

's Atlanta-based

So So Def Records So So Def Recordings is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and owned by producer Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, contemporary R&B, R&B and Miami bass, bass music. So So Def has managed artists suc ...

label, but never put out any music under the label. Lorenz's second album, ''Mr. Mista'', was released on September 16, 2006. Among the songs on the new album is "See You Sometime", a song Lorenz sang during the Charmbracelet World Tour. Lorenz launched his second album during the time he was prominently featured in Carey's 2006

The Adventures of Mimi Tour The Adventures of Mimi was a 2006 concert tour of arenas by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was one of a few tours in her then-sixteen-year career and was named after a fan's "Carey-centric" diary of the same name. The bus tour start ...

, doing background vocals and singing three songs, "Never Too Much", "A House Is Not a Home" and "Crazy". Lorenz appeared on

Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' Swe ...

's 2010 PBS Christmas Special, singing a duet version "O Holy Night" with her. In 2014, he accompanied Carey on her

The Elusive Chanteuse Show The Elusive Chanteuse Show was the two-legged and eighth headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was launched in support of her fourteenth studio album, '' Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse'' (2014). The to ...

concert tour from October 4 to November 16.

Discography

Studio albums

*''

Trey Lorenz Trey Lorenz (born Lloyd Lorenz Smith; January 19, 1969) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born in Florence, South Carolina and is a graduate of Wilson High School. Lorenz is best known for his duet with recording a ...

'' (1992) *''Mr. Mista'' (2006)

Singles

*1992: " Wanna Girl" (uncharted; European B-side of "Someone to Hold") *1992: " Someone to Hold" #19 US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, #5

US R&B The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

, UK #65 *1993: " Photograph of Mary" #46 US R&B, #11 US Dance, UK #38 *1993: "

Just to Be Close to You "Just to Be Close to You" is a song by American R&B/ funk band, Commodores, in 1976. Released from their album, '' Hot on the Tracks'', it would become one of their biggest hits, spending two weeks at the top of the Hot Soul Singles The Hot R& ...

" #66 US R&B *2007: "My Everything"

Guest appearances

*2011: "Is This Time Goodbye (I Gotta Move On)" (Trey featured as vocalist on Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero's single)

References

External links

The Voice of Trey LorenzTrey Lorenz
at MySpace {{DEFAULTSORT:Lorenz, Trey 1969 births 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers African-American male singers American male singers American contemporary R&B singers Mariah Carey Living people Singers from South Carolina People from Florence, South Carolina Epic Records artists