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Biography
BLP sources|date=May 2010Infobox musical artist | name = Eric Benét| image = Eric Benet.JPG| caption = Benét in 2008| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Eric Jordan| Born = birth date and age|mf=yes|1966|10|15 Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee , Wisconsin United States | genre = contemporary R& B|R& B , soul music|soul , neo soul | occupation = Musician , songwriter , actor | years_active = 1992–present| label = Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros. (1994-2004) Friday Records|Friday / Reprise Records|Reprise (2005-present)| website = http://www.ericbenet.net/ www.ericbenet.net Eric Benét , (born Eric Benét Jordan on October 15, 1966) is an American singer. His duet with Tamia , " Spend My Life With You " was a number one song for three weeks on the United States|US Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Hot R& B/Hip-Hop Songs|R& B record chart|chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2000.cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p194750|pure_url=yes|title=Biography: Erik Benet|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|publisher= All Media Guide|AMG |accessdate=9 May 2010
Biography
Benét was his mother's maiden name, and he was born in Mobile, Alabama and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is the youngest of five siblings.
Benét sang with a Top 100-style group called Gerard in the late 1980s. Benét, his sister Lisa, and his cousin George Nash Jr. formed a band called Benét and released a self-titled album in 1992, and it went on to sell over 100,000 copies.
Benét's career, however, was interrupted by a series of personal tragedies. His father died of cancer. His girlfriend Tami Marie Stauff died on 29 April 1993 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident; their daughter, India, was born in 1991 leaving Eric a single father to a two year old.
From 2001 to 2005, he was married to Halle Berry . cite web|url= http://www.urblife.com/the-life/parent-trap-eric-benet|title=Parent Trap& #33; Eric Benet Talks Single Fatherhood and Daughter’s Best Advice!|work=UrbLife.com|date=November 4, 2010 On 31 July 2011, he married Prince (musician)|Prince 's ex-wife, Manuela Testolini, who gave birth to their first child, a baby girl Lucia Bella, on 21 December 2011. http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/2011/08/halle-berry-ex-eric-benet-weds-prince-ex-manuela-testolini.html "Halle Berry's ex-husband Eric Benét weds longtime girlfriend and Prince's ex-wife Manuela Testolini" lifeandstylemag.com 4 August 2011
Career
In 1994, Benét signed with Warner Bros. Records , releasing his solo debut album, True to Myself (Eric Benét album)|True to Myself , in 1996. Individual songs from the album were successful, including the top-ten R& B hits "Spiritual Thang", "Femininity" and "Let's Stay Together," which appeared on the soundtrack of the film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate . listen|pos=right | filename = Don't Forget The Love (LP Version).ogg | title = "Don't Forget The Love" by Jeff Lorber feat. CeCe Peniston | description = CeCe Peniston singing lead vocals on a song written by Jeff Lorber and Benet, released on the Jeff Lorber|Lorber 's album West Side Stories in 1994 | format = Ogg In between albums, Eric collaborated with Something For The People on their 1997 album "This Time It's Personal" singing leads on the single "Act Like You Want It". His next album, A Day in the Life (Eric Benét album)|A Day in the Life , was released in 1999. Its first single, " Georgy Porgy (song)|Georgy Porgy (featuring Faith Evans )" received significant airplay, but the second single, " Spend My Life With You (featuring Tamia )", became a smash hit. "Spend My Life With You" rose to number one on the American R& B charts, was certified RIAA certification|gold , and nominated for a 2000 Grammy Award for Best R& B Performance by a Duo or Group. The album, A Day in the Life also won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R& B/Soul Album, Male.
Benét also recorded for Earth, Wind, and Fire 's 30th anniversary CD. He contributed vocals to the post-Katrina charity single, "Heart of America" along with Michael McDonald, Wynonna Judd, and Terry Dexter. He has also lent his vocals to many jazz albums for such artists as Wayman Tisdale, George Duke, Chris Botti, Jeff Lorber, Boney James, etc.
Benét recorded his following album Better and Better (Eric Benét album)|Better and Better in 2001, but Warner Bros. rejected to release this album and forced him to stay in R& B genre. Due to the controversy about music style and creative freedom, Benét changed to Reprise Records|Reprise -distributed label Friday Records and recorded next album, Hurricane (Eric Benét album)|Hurricane . http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/story/benet-clashed-with-warner-bros-over-genre http://www.fridayrecords.com/artist-ericbenet-biopage.html Hurricane (Eric Benét album)|Hurricane was his third studio album released on June 21, 2005 in the US. " I Wanna Be Loved " was the song that received the most airplay. The single reached No. 2 on the Urban Adult Contemporary chart.
His fourth album Love & Life (Eric Benét album)|Love & Life was released on September 9, 2008. This album debuted at No. 11 on Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making his own highest peak position since A Day in the Life (Eric Benét album)|A Day in the Life in 1999. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp? vnu_content_id=1003850675 The first single "You're the Only One" is also his first top 20 hit on the R& B chart in two years.
Lost in Time (Eric Benét album)|Lost in Time was Benét's fifth studio album which was released in the US on November 30, 2010. The first single "Sometimes I Cry" reached No. 1 on the Hot Adult R& B Songs Chart. With its musical direction representing Benet's homage to the sweet soul sound of the early to mid 1970s, the album featured duets with Faith Evans ; Chrisette Michelle ; Ledisi ; and Eddie Levert of The O'Jays . http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/670/eric_benet_perfect_timing/ Eric Benet interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' May 2011
Acting career
Benét has also been active as an actor; he had a recurring role on the television program For Your Love (1998–2002). He made his film debut alongside Mariah Carey in Glitter (film)|Glitter (2001). He has a recurring role on the MTV scripted show "Kaya" (2007) where he plays a music producer. Benet appeared on Half & Half in which he portrayed Reece Wilcox in 2005.
His second feature film role "Trinity Goodheart" premiered at the American Black Film Festival on July 9th, 2011 and is set to premiere on GMC on August 20th, 2011. http://www.blackfilm.com/read/2011/07/trinity-goodheart/
Awards and nominations
Black Reel Awards
*'''2002, winner, Best Song "Love Don't Love Me" (The Brothers)
*2012, nominee, Best Actor: Television Movie or Mini-Series (Trinity Goodheart)
Grammy Awards
*2000, Nominee (Best R& B Performance by a Duo or Group) " Spend My Life with You " (with Tamia )
*2009, Nominee (Best R& B Male Performance) "You're the Only One"
*2009, Nominee (Best R& B Album) Love & Life
*2012, Nominee (Best Traditional R& B Performance) "Sometimes I Cry"
NAACP Image Awards
*1997, Nominee (Outstanding New Artists) "True To Myself"
*2000, Nominee (Outstanding Male Artist) "A Day In The Life"
*2000, Winner (Outstanding Song) "Spend My Life With You" - Songwriter: Eric Benet
*2000, Nominee (Outstanding Album) "A Day In The Life"
*2001, Nominee (Outstanding Male Artist) "When You Think of Me" (featuring Roy Ayers)
*2001, Nominee (Outstanding Music Video) "When You Think of Me" (Directed by Prentice Smith)
Discography
Albums
Year
Album details
url=Allmusic
Certifications cite web
US
US R& B
1996
True to Myself (Eric Benét album)
First studio album
Release date: September 24, 1996
Label: Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.
174
38
US Sales: 295,000
1999
A Day in the Life (Eric Benét album)
Second studio album
Release date: April 27, 1999
Label: Warner Bros.
25
6
Recording Industry Association of America|US : Gold
"Where Does the Love Go" (with Yvonne Catterfeld )
-
-
"Pretty Baby"
-
44
2008
"You're the Only One"
106
17
Love & Life
"The Hunger"
-
49
2009
"Chocolate Legs"
-
36
2010
" Sometimes I Cry "
107
16
Lost in Time
"Never Want to Live Without You"
-
43
References
Reflist
External links
Official website| http://www.ericbenet.net/
MySpace|ericbenet
http://solarlifestylemagazine.co.uk/podcast/? p=episode& name=2011-09-25_eric_benet_part_1.mp3 The Definitive Eric Benet, music and interview with JM Part1 http://solarlifestylemagazine.co.uk/podcast/? p=episode& name=2011-09-25_eric_benet_part_2f.mp3 The Definitive Eric Benet, music and interview with JM Part2 http://solarlifestylemagazine.co.uk/podcast/? p=episode& name=2011-09-25_eric_benet_part_3.mp3 The Definitive Eric Benet, music and interview with JM Part3 http://solarlifestylemagazine.co.uk/podcast/? p=episode& name=2011-09-25_eric_benet_part_4.mp3 The Definitive Eric Benet, music and interview with JM Part4 Persondata|NAME=Jordan, Eric Benét |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Eric Benét |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American singer |DATE OF BIRTH=October 15, 1966 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Milwaukee, Wisconsin |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= DEFAULTSORT:Benet, Eric Category:Living people Category:African American singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:People from Milwaukee, Wisconsin Category:Neo soul singers Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:1966 births Category:Neo soul singers
