Larry Ernest Blackmon (born May 24, 1956) is an American vocalist and musician who gained acclaim as the lead singer and founder
frontman
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
of the
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 mi ...
and
R&B band
Cameo.
Musical career
Starting the band "East Coast", Blackmon formed the "New York City Players" as a complement to the Ohio Players. Having to rename the group because of a conflict, Blackmon later called the group
Cameo. Blackmon lived in Harlem and played drums on several hits for the band
Black Ivory
Black Ivory is an American R&B group from Harlem, which had a number of hits in the 1970s, including "Don't Turn Around", " You and I", " Time Is Love", and "Will We Ever Come Together".
History Early days
The group was originally known as th ...
. He is the son of Lee Black, a former boxer. Along with his unique vocal style, Blackmon's other personal touches included sporting an elaborate
hi-top fade haircut and a
codpiece
A codpiece () is a triangular piece that attached to the front of men's hose, covering the fly. It may be held in place by ties or buttons. It was an important fashion item of European clothing during the 15th–16th centuries. In the modern er ...
over his pants. His signature "Ow!" was used as the
intro for some of the band's songs. The group Cameo appeared at Adventureland Palace, sponsored by Black Pride Inc., on April 26, 1978. Blackmon founded Atlanta-based funk quartet CA$HFLOW, which had a hit with "Mine All Mine" in 1986.
Guest appearances
Blackmon appeared as a backing vocalist on
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, a ...
's 1987 album ''
Get Rhythm'' and
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
's 1989 album ''
A Night to Remember''. He also had co-producer credits on
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
's 1989 album ''
So Happy
''So Happy'' is the second music album by American comedian and singer Eddie Murphy, released in August 1989 by Columbia Records. A funk and soul effort with often humorous sexual lyrics, it was co-written and co-produced by Murphy with several ...
''. The
snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
sound that Blackmon created for "
Word Up!" and "
Candy
Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...
" was duplicated on releases by a wide range of artists.
[ Allmusic biography/ref>
]
Personal life
One of Blackmon's sons is heavily involved in the New York political scene,
See also
* Atlanta Artists
References
1956 births
Living people
American rhythm and blues musicians
Singer-songwriters from New York (state)
Record producers from New York (state)
People from Harlem
African-American male singer-songwriters
American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters
20th-century African-American male singers
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