| Randevyn Pierre | |
|---|---|
Randevyn during a video shoot in Atlanta, Georgia. |
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 11, 1978 |
| Origin | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States |
| Occupations | Singer-Songwriter, Activist |
| Instruments | Vocals, Piano |
| Years active | 2005-present |
| Labels | Earthtone Music, LLC (EMG) |
| Associated acts | None noted |
| Website | www.randevynonline.com |
Randevyn (ran-dev-vin) Pierre is an American, independent pop/urban alternative singer-songwriter, musician and composer.
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Born December 11, 1978, in Hampton, Virginia, Randevyn spent his early years living on the east coast of the United States where his father, a young pianist and singer-songwriter, passionately pursued a professional music career as a gospel musician. After years of unsuccessful attempts to obtain a recording contract with his seven brothers and one sister, Randevyn's father joined the United States Army. The family later relocated to Kileen, Texas, for a short period before going to Germany twice; once for two years and another 6-year tour of duty. After finally returning to the United States, the family settled in Widefield, Colorado. While attending Widefield High School, Randevyn gave up his short-lived defensive lineman position on the junior varsity football team for the spotlight on the school auditorium's center stage. Randevyn excelled as a top-notch baritone singing with the school's male barber shop chorus. During his senior year, Randevyn learned to play the piano and was selected as the director for the school's inspirational choir.
Randevyn Pierre first discovered his talents in Pirmasens, Germany, as the lead vocalist of his father's gospel choir at the age of 10. After moving back to the United States at 13, he began playing piano and organ for his local church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a high school student, Pierre recorded Christian music with Verity Records' Stellar Award-winning, Colorado Mass Choir as well as EMI's Denver-based, Heritage Christian Center Choir. Years later, Randevyn impulsively packed his bags and headed south to expand and further his music career. Shortly after his relocation to Atlanta, Georgia, Randevyn's talent was brought to the attention of several Atlanta musicians including rapper Chris Ludacris Bridges and platinum-selling R&B group, Jagged Edge's 581 Entertainment. Playing piano for himself, Randevyn was invited to audition for Jagged Edge's small label and their mother, Linda Casey, who was impressed with Pierre's talents. Because of the label's full roster and other issues, the business relationship was never consummated. Later, after an unsuccessful audition with Fox's American Idol (season 3), Randevyn decided to merge and release a collection of soul songs he had written and recorded as a full-length album. Randevyn's musical visibility began in October 2005 when he teamed up with Sincere Johnson, CEO of Atlanta-based, Sin. J Entertainment, surfacing as the company's flagship artist.
Randevyn's 2005 compilation of songs entitled, SolTrain was nationally released by Sin. J Entetainment as a full-length, independent album on November 8. Though released by a small company, SolTrain was nominated for several independent music awards, being played on radio in the United States, Europe and Asia on Radio One and XM Radio. Randevyn's first album also made its mark, entering Billboard's Radio & Records Going for Adds in September, 2005. In March 2006, Soltrain received a mention in an edition of Billboard Magazine and BET featured Randevyn's SolTrain album on its official website. In June 2006, he appeared at the BET Awards in Los Angeles, California, as a result of SolTrain's media attention.
In early 2007, Randevyn partnered two-time Grammy Award-winning producer, David "Mr. DJ" Sheats (Outkast, Goodie Mobb, the Dungeon Family) to begin working on a second album. In June 2007, Randevyn took a short break from recording, touring in a support role with Universal's Grammy Award-winning, India.Arie. During this tour, Randevyn appeared at New York City's Carnegie Hall for the first time. At the end of this tour, Randevyn was urged by India.Arie (whom he credits as his musical mentor) to began producing his own material as a pianist and singer-songwriter. By September 2007, Randevyn had taken another approach to his music, heeding Arie's advice about producing skeletons for his own songs. The decision to create music from his original piano arrangements triggered a major change in Randevyn's sound as he began creating more fingerprinted compositions that would mirror his musicianship. He later partnered Mike Phillips of the Drummerboyz Club to complete the full musical production of The Randevyn Project.
In September 2007, Randevyn marched in Jena, Louisiana, in support of the nationally organized rally against the jailing of the Jena 6. This experience would eventually be the premise and inspiration for "Jena Tree", a song on Randevyn's second album. In March, 2008, Randevyn parted with Sin. J Entertainment.
Randevyn's second studio album was titled, The Randevyn Project, and released by Earthtone Music in February, 2009. In a 2008 Myspace blog, Randevyn expressed his new view on his brand of music, acting as co-producer on his second album. When snippets from the album were released on Randevyn's official Myspace page in March 2008, it was clear to many that his musical angle had been re-invented.
The new cross-genre album was originally scheduled for release on Tuesday, September 30, 2008, but was not released until the following year. According to his Myspace blog, this release was projected to emerge as an incredible, ground-breaking, urban alternative album. Though the release did not claim the national visibility of SolTrain, Randevyn was regarded by many as an activist-songwriter who created his own, remarkable stamp of pop music with the release of The Randevyn Project.
In March 2008, a group of investors established Earthtone Music Group (EMG) with the sole purpose of signing Randevyn as its headline act. The company, made up mostly of venture capitalists, compiled resources to promote The Randevyn Project overseas to save the record's momentum. With the establishing Writeomatic Publishing in 2006, Randevyn became the owner of his music publishing rights. In partnership with newly Atlanta-based production teams, Hardwork Entertainment and The Drummerboyz Club, Randevyn wrote all 14 of the The Randevyn Project's tracks. Singer India.Arie is credited with co-writing Jena Tree.
SolTrain (2005)
| 1st Single | 2nd Single | 3rd Single |
|---|---|---|
| DearFarah | SupaNatural | MissinYou |
| Randevyn/C. Hill (BMI) | Randevyn/D. Thomas (BMI) | Ted Winn (ASCAP) PJ Morton (SESAC) |
The Randevyn Project (2009)
| 1st Single | 2nd Single | 3rd Single |
|---|---|---|
| Graveyard Treasure | Life Support | Legend |
| Randevyn/Mike P. (BMI, SESAC) | Randevyn/Mike P.(BMI, SESAC) | Randevyn/Mike P. (SESAC, SESAC) |