1981–1993, 2007–Antonio "L.A." ReidDrums, percussion1981-1988
Kevin "Kayo" RobersonBass1981-
Carlos "Satin" GreeneLead vocals1981-
Darnell "Dee" BristolVocals, percussion, guitar1981-
Stanley "Stick" BurkeGuitar, keyboards1981-
Steve "Tuck" Walters Guitar1981-1982
Kenneth "Babyface" EdmondsKeyboards, guitar, vocals1981-1988
The Deele were a Cincinnati R&B outfit whose slick, synth-driven grooves in the early-to-mid 1980s served as a starting block for two future industry giants: Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid. The group was where the pair developed the smooth, hook-first style that eventually defined LaFace Records and shaped '90s R&B.
Before forming The Deele, several bandmates were already local regulars. Bassist Kevin Roberson and guitarist Steve "Tuk" Walters played together in a Cincinnati group called Pure Essence. That band formed the core of the new group, which officially came together in 1981 when Babyface arrived from his Indianapolis band, Manchild.
The Deele picked their name as a straight-up prediction. Co-founder L.A. Reid told the Cincinnati Enquirer they picked the name "because it implied that we were gonna get a record deal." The gambit worked: the band, originally called Essence, signed to Dick Griffey's Solar Records and dropped their debut single shortly after changing their name.
Babyface's nickname traces back to a 1984 session at Cincinnati's QCA Studios. Funk legend Bootsy Collins was helping Reid and Roberson record demos when Edmonds walked through the door. Bootsy took one look at him and blurted out, "Babyface." Edmonds admitted to the Cincinnati Enquirer in 2014 that he fought the moniker at first but gave up once fans started calling out for "Babyface" at Deele shows.
L.A. Reid's nickname came about much earlier. As a kid in Cincinnati, he regularly wore a Los Angeles Dodgers T-shirt, prompting a friend to dub him "L.A." The handle stuck through his time behind the drum kit for The Deele and followed him all the way to the executive suite.
Reid and Babyface almost missed their chance to produce their own music. When it came time to cut The Deele's second album, the outside producers assigned to the project stepped aside. Solar Records' president called Reid directly and asked if he wanted to give it a shot. That last-minute offer launched the Reid-Edmonds production team, paving the way for LaFace Records.
The band got their big break with "Body Talk" from their 1983 debut album, Street Beat. The single peaked at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to #3 on the R&B chart, giving them their first major foothold on radio.
Babyface's very first song was written for a sixth-grade crush. He picked up a guitar for the first time specifically to write her a love song titled "Here I Go Falling in Love Again," though he never built up the courage to play it.
"I did not sing it to her," he told Jennifer Hudson on The Jennifer Hudson Show in 2024. "I barely spoke to her. She never heard it."
The Deele's classic lineup didn't last long past their peak. Following the success of 1987's Eyes of a Stranger album, Babyface and Reid exited in 1988 to write and produce full time. The following year, they set up shop in Atlanta and launched LaFace Records. Named directly after the duo's Deele-era nicknames, LaFace went on to sign TLC, OutKast, Usher, and Toni Braxton, generating over 30 #1 hits.
The remaining members kept The Deele moving forward after the main duo moved on. They reunited in 1993 for a final studio album, Invitation to Love, and resurfaced again in 2007 when Bristol, Greene, Roberson, and Burke reformed with several new members and released a pair of singles, "The Only One" and "All I Want for Christmas." The classic lineup (including Babyface and Reid) briefly reunited once more for a one-off performance at the BET Honors in 2016.
