Amel Larrieux
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| Amel Larrieux | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Amel Larrieux |
| Born | March 8, 1973 Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States |
| Genre(s) | R&B, soul, neo soul, jazz, folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, keyboardist, record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Singing, keyboards |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Label(s) | Epic, Sony 550 Music, Blisslife |
| Associated acts | Groove Theory |
| Website | www.blisslife.com |
Amel Larrieux (born March 8, 1973) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and keyboardist.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Larrieux was born and raised in the Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village, New York City, New York. Her African American mother, Brenda Dixon Gottschild, was a dance critic and professor. Her father is European American of French, English, and Scottish descent.[citation needed] Larrieux was raised in a very artistic environment and was surrounded by talented and inspirational artists. Many of her influences are drawn from R&B, soul, jazz, folk, hip hop, and gospel with flashes of Middle Eastern, West African, and Indian ethnic styles. She has often been documented for describing her music as "Amel's music". Larrieux currently resides in New York City with her husband, Laru, and their two daughters, Sanji Rei and Sky (born in August 1998). Her forename Amel means "hope" in Arabic.
[edit] Groove Theory
Larrieux started her music career in 1995 as half of the R&B/hip hop duo Groove Theory along with Bryce Wilson. Their debut release, Groove Theory, spawned several radio hits such as "Tell Me", "Keep Tryin'", and "Baby Luv". The duo were also featured in successful motion picture soundtracks such as 1996's Sunset Park and 1997's Love Jones. Larrieux, pursuing a solo career, would not be involved in the duo's eventually-shelved second album The Answer. Makeda Davis would step in as lead singer in 1999 until Groove Theory officially disbanded in 2001.
[edit] Solo career
In 1996, Larrieux guested on the self-titled debut album of Sade's backing band Sweetback, yielding the top forty-five R&B entry "You Will Rise".
Larrieux co-wrote and co-produced her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities, released in early 2000 on Epic Records, along with husband Laru Larrieux; the album reached number seventy-nine on the Billboard 200 and number twenty-one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and produced the minor hit "Get Up". Some tracks from the album, such as the ninth track "Down", could be described as acid jazz, a musical genre which combines elements of jazz with soul and funk.
Subsequent album Bravebird was released under Larrieux's indie label Blisslife Records label in early 2004. While it underperfomed on the Billboard 200, it peaked at number twenty-eight on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number five on the Top Independent Albums. Also, the album spawned the midtempo radio single "For Real", which showcases her ablitity to utilize the whistle register and inspired Ebony magazine to rave about her "ethereal high-octave vocals that bring to mind Minnie Riperton".[1]
Larrieux's third effort Morning was released in April 2006 and features the single "Weary", which reached number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart in mid-2006.[2] Morning is her highest-charting album to date, peaking at number seventy-four.
In May 2007, Larrieux released her fourth album, a jazz standard album entitled Lovely Standards. It broke into the top five of the Top Jazz Albums and sold 3,700 units in its first week on store shelves.
Larriuex was featured on 2Pac's 2007 greatest hits album Best of 2Pac Part 1: Thug, on the previously unreleased song "Resist the Temptation".
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. jazz | U.S. indie | ||
| 2000 | Infinite Possibilities | 79 | 21 | — | — |
| 2004 | Bravebird | 166 | 28 | — | 5 |
| 2006 | Morning | 74 | 8 | — | 5 |
| 2007 | Lovely Standards | 195 | 32 | 3 | 22 |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | |||
| 1996 | "You Will Rise" (Sweetback featuring Amel Larrieux) |
112 | 42 | Sweetback |
| 2000 | "Get Up" | 97 | 37 | Infinite Possibilities |
| "Sweet Misery" | — | 81 | ||
| "I N I" | — | — | ||
| "Make Me Whole" | — | — | ||
| 2001 | "Glitches (The Skin You're In)" (The Roots featuring Amel Larrieux) |
— | — | Down to Earth soundtrack |
| 2004 | "For Real" | — | 45 | Bravebird |
| "We Can Be New" | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "Weary" | — | 113 | Morning |
| 2007 | "If I Were a Bell" | — | — | Lovely Standards |
| "No One Else" | — | — | Why Did I Get Married? soundtrack | |
[edit] Videos
- 1996: "You Will Rise" (Sweetback featuring Amel Larrieux) — directed by Michael Krantz
- 1999: "Get Up" — directed by Floria Sigismondi
- 2000: "Sweet Misery" — directed by Earle Sebastian
- 2001: "Glitches (The Skin You're In)" (The Roots featuring Amel Larrieux) — directed by Nzingha Stewart
- 2004: "For Real" — directed by Sanaa Hamri
- 2006: "Weary" — directed by Jon Menefee and 8 Hertz
[edit] Trivia
- In high school, Larrieux went to her senior prom with The Roots drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson.
- Often performs live with her eyes closed.[3]
- Participated in BET's AIDS awareness campaign "Rap It Up". A portion of her song "Giving Something Up" was used in the commercial.[4]
- Larrieux's song "Get Up" can be heard on the soundtrack of the film Barbershop 2.
- Larrieux's "No One Else" is featured in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?.
[edit] References
- ^ Amel Larrieux's dynamic second recording, Bravebird, blends rhythm & blues, soul, hip-hop, jazz and folk music. Ebony (February 2004). Retrieved on 2006-09-25.
- ^ Hot Adult R&B Airplay. Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
- ^ Brave Bird Amel Larrieux Soars with Another Eclectic Set. Barnes & Noble (January 30, 2004).
- ^ Blisslife News Archive.
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Larrieux, Amel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American singer-songwriter and keyboardist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 8, 1973 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City, New York, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
