Babyface Artistfacts

Babyface song list

Babyface Artistfacts

April 10, 1959
Babyface was born Kenneth Edmonds in Indianapolis, Indiana to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds.
He is the fifth of six brothers two of whom, Melvin and Kevon Edmonds were co-founders of the R&B group, After 7.
Edmonds started his musical career as a guitarist in the soul group Manchild with school friend Daryl Simmons, The pair have had a lasting musical collaboration. Manchild had a minor hit in 1977 with "Especially for You."
Edmonds also played with funk performer Bootsy Collins, who tagged him "Babyface" because of his cute face while he was still a teen.
In 1978 Edmonds joined the light-funk and R&B group The Deele as a keyboardist. They also included drummer Antonio "L.A." Reid, with whom he would later form a successful writing and producing partnership. They remained in The Deele until 1988, when both left the group. That same year, The Deele had their biggest hit with "Two Occasions," which made #10 US.
One of Edmonds' first major credits as a songwriter for outside artists came when he wrote the tune "Slow-Jam" for the R&B band Midnight Star in 1983. By the late 1980s he'd become one of the most in demand R&B producers and songwriters in particular as a key contributor to the new jack swing movement. Here are some of the songs he produced.
Reid and Edmonds co-founded LaFace Records in Atlanta in 1989. Their artists have included TLC, Usher, Toni Braxton and Pink. In 2011 LaFace was absorbed into RCA Records.
Babyface's former wife, Tracey, was president of Yab Yum Records. Their marriage of 13 years ended in 2005.
He's known for producing R&B acts, but Babyface has worked far outside that genre. Some tracks you might be surprised to learn he produced include "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" by Fall Out Boy, "Take A Bow" by Madonna and "Catching Feelings" by Justin Bieber.

Comments: 1

Ms Dawn Scott from South CarolinaGreat! Love this guy.

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More Songfacts:

Don't Bring Me DownElectric Light Orchestra

Jeff Lynne sang the word "groose" in the chorus of "Don't Bring Me Down" as a nonsense placeholder, but left it in when he found out it means "greetings" in German ("gruss").

Radio Free EuropeR.E.M.

Michael Stipe hadn't finished the lyrics when R.E.M. recorded "Radio Free Europe." He calls the vocal "complete babbling."

All The Young DudesMott the Hoople

All The Young Dudes "carry the news" in the Mott The Hoople song because it was intended for a David Bowie concept album where Ziggy Stardust spreads the news through songs in a world with no electricity.