Artist

Jon B.

Last updated: 8 hours ago

Songwriter, producer, vocalist, and instrumentalist Jon B. brought a distinctive focus on smooth melodies to contemporary R&B. Born in Providence, Rhode Island and raised in Pasadena, California, Jon B. (short for Jonathan Buck) was the son of a professor of music and a concert pianist. Influenced by music found in his grandparents' record store, he began combining the spirit of '70s soul with hip-hop-inspired productions on his 1995 debut album, Bonafide. It peaked on Billboard's R&B Albums chart at number 24, led by the Top Ten R&B single "Someone to Love," a duet with prime influence <a href="spotify:artist:3aVoqlJOYx31lH1gibGDt3">Babyface</a>, and went gold. His second album, 1997's Cool Relax, continued the emphasis on hip-hop soul and featured two of his biggest singles in "They Don't Know" and the <a href="spotify:artist:1ZwdS5xdxEREPySFridCfh">2Pac</a>-assisted "Are U Still Down." As a result, the set sold over a million copies, thus earning it platinum certification. During the following decade, Jon B. released three more albums -- Pleasures U Like (2001), Stronger Everyday (2004), and Helpless Romantic (2008) -- that, at worst, narrowly missed the R&B Top Ten. In 2011, the singer returned with Comfortable Swagg; an appearance from <a href="spotify:artist:0b2XeWDPeBiLeskT6RFqMb">DJ Quik</a> was payback for several contributions to <a href="spotify:artist:0b2XeWDPeBiLeskT6RFqMb">Quik</a>'s The Book of David, released earlier in the year. Also an accomplished songwriter for other artists, he penned material for the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:3aTuTR5Nf6pVW3837q2ZL7">Maxi Priest</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:53CmNhCajbQR9LxpLOf8gC">For Real</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4UPcJIhr5K5fPsm4itqT7E">After 7</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0uq5PttqEjj3IH1bzwcrXF">Spice Girls</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4UGMQyNcbGHYg5CDMKkSw3">Az Yet</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3X458ddYA2YcVWuVIGGOYe">Toni Braxton</a>. ~ Kim Summers & Andy Kellman, Rovi

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