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Biography
Cleanup|date=March 2009Infobox musical artist| name = Brian McKnight| image = Brian_McKnight.jpg| caption =| Backgrounhhhd = solo_singer| birth_name =| birth_date = Birth date and age|1969|6|5|mf=y| origin = Buffalo, New York , United States | instrument = Vocals , Piano , Keyboards , Guitar , Bass guitar , Trumpet , Flugelhorn , Trombone , Tuba , Percussions , Drums | genre = Contemporary R& B|R& B , soul music|soul , quiet storm | occupation = Singer-songwriter , record producer|Producer | years_active = 1988–present| label = Mercury Records|Mercury (1988–1997) Motown (1998–2005) Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros. (2006–2008) E1 Music (2009-)| website = http://www.bmcknight.com/ Official site http://www.myspace.com/brianmcknight Official MySpace| background=solo_singer Brian McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an United States|American singer-songwriter , arranger, record producer|producer , and Contemporary R& B|R& B /Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano , guitar , bass guitar , Drum kit|drums , Percussion instrument|percussions , trombone , tuba , flugelhorn and trumpet .cite news |url= http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_9_55/ai_63165399/pg_3 |title=Brian McKnight On Fame, Family and Female Fans |accessdate=2007-01-08 |format= |work=FindArticles.com |month= July | year= 2000 | first=Aldore | last=Collier
Early life
McKnight was born in Buffalo, New York . His musical career began in childhood when he became a member of his church choir and a band leader for his high school, Sweet Home High School.cite web |url= http://www.superiorpics.com/brian_mcknight/ |title=Brian McKnight Back at One |accessdate=2010-01-15 |format= |work=SuperiorPics.com | year= 2009
Music career
In 1987, McKnight's older brother, Claude V. McKnight III|Claude McKnight III , and his band, Take 6 , signed a record deal with Warner Brothers. This encouraged McKnight to shop his own demo tapes and by the age of 19, he'd signed his first recording deal with Mercury Records subsidiary, Wing Records . In 1992, Brian McKnight was released and was followed by two more albums for Mercury, 1995's I Remember You and 1997's Anytime . Anytime (Brian McKnight album)|Anytime , McKnight's final album with Mercury, sold over two million copies and was nominated for a Grammy.
In 1997, McKnight recorded "Remember the Magic" for Disney World's 25th anniversary.
McKnight signed with Motown in 1998 and released the Christmas album Bethlehem (Brian McKnight album)|Bethlehem . In 1999, McKnight released Back at One , his most successful album at date, which eventually went on to sell over 3 million copies.
Throughout his career, McKnight has collaborated with a variety of musicians including Mariah Carey , Sin Bandera , Mase , P. Diddy|Sean "Puffy" Combs , Marcus Cole , Mary J. Blige , Justin Timberlake , Nelly , Vanessa L. Williams|Vanessa Williams , Ivete Sangalo , Kirk Franklin , For Real , Canibus , Quincy Jones , Boyz II Men , Christina Aguilera , Regine Velasquez , Shoshana Bean , Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band , Rascal Flatts , Willie Nelson , Talib Kweli , MJG (of the Southern Rap duo Eightball & MJG ), Josh Groban (on his 2007 #1 Christmas album Noël (Josh Groban album)| Noel Schajris ), and CeCe Peniston .
In 2004, McKnight co-wrote with Australian Soul artist Guy Sebastian the song "Wait", off Sebastian's Beautiful Life (Guy Sebastian album)| Beautiful Life album.
McKnight's vocal style draws from Stevie Wonder (particularly in his use of melisma), Michael Sembello , Michael McDonald (singer)|Michael McDonald , Kenny Loggins , and his own brother, Take 6 co-founder Claude V. McKnight. Soul singer James Ingram also strongly influenced McKnight. His music production sensibilities, including his penchant for piano based pop ballads, method of background vocal recording and melismatic voice inflections all draw from Ingram. McKnight also has the uncanny ability to mimic the timbre and style of other singers such as Nat King Cole , Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Prince (musician)|Prince .
In October 2007, McKnight made his Broadway debut in the show Chicago .
On March 31, 2011 McKnight sang the National Anthem for MLB Opening Day in Cincinnati, Ohio with his sons Brian, Jr. and Niko. He had previously sung the National Anthem for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio , Game 6 of the 2002 World Series in Anaheim, California , near his Los Angeles home, and the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Detroit, Michigan .
Television/Radio Career
From 2006 to 2010 he hosted a radio show, The Brian McKnight Morning Show with Pat Prescott on KTWV The Wave in Los Angeles, CA. The show was briefly simulcast on KHJZ-FM, Smooth Jazz 95.7 The Wave in Houston, TX from 6AM-9AM CST.
On January 26, 2009, McKnight hosted "The Brian McKnight Show" from 7PM-Midnight on 98.7 KISS FM in New York City.
In 2009, he appeared in the second season of The Apprentice (U.S. season 8)|Celebrity Apprentice . http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/01/08/arts/AP-TV-Celebrity-Apprentice.html? _r=1 Trump Rounds Up Celebs for New Season of the Apprentice NY Times, January 8, 2009 Each celebrity played to raise money for the charity of his or her choice; McKnight elected to play for Youthville, USA|Youthville USA .
From September 2009 to May 2010, McKnight hosted cite web |url= http://www.prlog.org/10325400-stevie-wonder-confirmed-as-first-guest-on-premiere-of-the-brian-mcknight-show.html |title=Stevie Wonder Confirmed as First Guest on Premiere of The Brian McKnight Show |accessdate=2010-01-15 |work=PRLog.org | month= August| year= 2009 The Brian McKnight Show , a late night talk show billed as a combination of talk and variety, aired in syndication. The show was cancelled on May 29, 2010 after one season.
Personal life
McKnight is divorced and has two sons. (Brian Jr. and Niko).
McKnight currently lives in Los Angeles, California .cite web |url= http://www.bmcknight.com/bio.htm |title=Brian McKnight: Official Fan club Site (Biography) |accessdate=2007-01-08 |work=Brian McKnight's Official Fan site |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070428041643/ http://www.bmcknight.com/bio.htm |archivedate = 2007-04-28
Religion
Brian McKnight was previously a Seventh-day Adventist . He grew up attending Emmanuel Temple. He also attended Oakwood University , a Seventh-day Adventist university, in Huntsville, Alabama from 1987-1989. McKnight explains, concerning his musical beginnings in the churchCitation needed|date=October 2010:
"I'm the fifth generation of Seventh Day Adventists and the youngest of four brothers. When I was still very small, we formed a gospel quartet. Our models were the great gospel groups, the Swan Silvertones and Mighty Clouds of Joy. The McKnight brothers were serious singers. The reputation went out: these boys could shout. My big brothers—Claude (a part of the gospel group Take 6 ), Freddie and Michael—man, they were my heroes. Each was a leader in his own right. Outside church, they listened to jazz. Church music thrilled me, but jazz stimulated me."Citation needed|date=October 2010
Discography
main|Brian McKnight discography ;Studio
Brian McKnight (album)|Brian McKnight (1992)
I Remember You (Brian McKnight album)|I Remember You (1995)
Anytime (album)|Anytime (1997)
Bethlehem (Brian McKnight album)|Bethlehem (1998)
Back at One (1999)
Superhero (Brian McKnight album)|Superhero (2001)
U-Turn (album)|U Turn (2003)
Gemini (Brian McKnight album)|Gemini (2005)
Ten (Brian McKnight album)|Ten (2006)
Evolution of a Man (2009)
Just Me (Brian Mcknight album) |Just Me (2011)
;Compilation
From There to Here: 1989-2002 (2002)
Gold (Brian McKnight album)|Gold (2007)
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection – The Best of Brian McKnight (2007)
http://www.bmcknight.com Brian McKnight JUST ME 2011 World Tour
The ApprenticeThe Celebrity Apprentice Season 2 Persondata | NAME =Macknight, Brian | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =June 5, 1969 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Symone Atkins' Apartment. | DATE OF DEATH = December 23, 2012 | PLACE OF DEATH = Concert stage in Tula, MS. DEFAULTSORT:Macknight, Brian Category:American rhythm and blues guitarists Category:American soul guitarists Category:American tenors Category:American pianists Category:American musicians Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American record producers Category:Songwriters from New York Category:American trumpeters Category:American guitarists Category:African American guitarists Category:African American songwriters Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American Seventh-day Adventists Category:Motown artists Category:Warner Music Group artists Category:People from Buffalo, New York Category:African American singers Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:American keyboardists Category:African American record producers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:The Apprentice (U.S. TV series) contestants
