O'Bryan
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| O'Bryan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | O'Bryan Burnette II | |
| Born | September 10, 1961 | |
| Origin | Sneads Ferry, North Carolina | |
| Genre(s) | R&B|Dance|Funk | |
| Years active | 1981–1987 | |
| Label(s) | Capitol Records | |
O'Bryan (Born O'Bryan Burnette II in September 10, 1961 in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina) was known as a singer, dancer, songwriter, and producer that managed to cut up to nine singles that made the Billboard R&B top 40 throughout the first half of the 1980s, as well as record four full-length albums for Capitol Records. He also known for making the theme song for the popular urban music performance show Soul Train in the early 1980s.
[edit] Early career
O'Bryan got into the business after a female friend (whom he met in the choir that he sang in with as a young adult in Southern California) married Ron Kersey. Kersey who had worked in Philadelphia with music groups such as the Trammps in the 1970's, was looking for members for a new group he was forming. Kersey accepted O'Bryan into a group. The group quickly fell apart, but Kersey introduced O'Bryan to Soul Train impresario Don Cornelius, who helped O'Bryan land a deal with Capitol Records in 1981. He also was chosen to perform the theme song for Soul Train called "Soul Train's a Comin'" in 1983 which was used in the introduction sequence from 1983 to 1987.
O'Bryan began recording tracks for Capitol and finally released his debut effort Doin' Alright in 1982. As a multi-instrumentalist, his uptempo tracks resembled the tracks produced by the mainstream Prince, though he treads far closer to the urban contemporary mainstream on ballads such "Slow Jams". Although he had similarites in music to African-American R&B pop stars such as the early solo Michael Jackson and Prince, his music was considered "too black" by many listeners and felt he could not experience the crossover success his popular counterparts did. His first album's biggest track and hit, 'The Gigolo', made number five on the R&B top 40 and but only scraped the bottom of Billboard top 50.
[edit] Latter career
After experiencing more than moderate success in the African-American soul and funk music circuit as well light success in the popular music front, he quickly released his second album You and I in 1983. Although it was considered by some fans not as 'soulful' and 'classic' as his debut album, it still managed to produce and Be My Lover in 1984 which included the hit "Lovelite", which the video music included former Penthouse pet Monique Gabrielle as a topless dancer in a power plant.
He released his fourth and final album album on Capitol called Surrender in 1986 which spawned the signature latter-mid 80s dance soul hit "Tenderoni", which reached the R&B Billboard top 40 and was considered a club hit in early 1987.
