Keith Sweat

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Keith Sweat
LTG Vereen Hosts R&B singer Keith Sweat (1) (cropped).jpg
Sweat in 2023
Background information
Birth nameKeith Douglas Sweat
Born (1961-07-22) July 22, 1961 (age 62)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
Years active1975–present
Labels
Formerly of LSG
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1992;div. 2002)​
Children6
Website thesweathotel.com

Keith Douglas Sweat (born July 22, 1961) is an American singer and songwriter. An early figure in the new jack swing musical movement, he is known for his collection of hits including "I Want Her", "Make It Last Forever", "I'll Give All My Love to You", "Make You Sweat", "Get Up on It", "Twisted" and "Nobody". He has released 13 solo albums (2 as a part of the R&B supergroup LSG) and discovered the groups Silk and Kut Klose.

Contents

Early life

Sweat was born in Harlem, New York City, to Juanita Thompson, a hairdresser, and Charles Crier, a factory worker. After Charles Crier's passing in 1973, Juanita raised their five kids by herself. [1]

Before joining the entertainment industry, Sweat worked as a night stock worker at Macy's Department Store, and then a mail room clerk at Paine Webber, a brokerage firm. Within just four years, he worked his way up to a lucrative brokerage assistant job on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. [2] Sweat also worked as a supervisor for the New York Mercantile Exchange. [1]

Career

1975–1984: Career beginnings with Jamilah

Sweat started his musical career as a member of a Harlem band called Jamilah in 1975. [3] With the help of Jamilah, Sweat was able to hone his craft as a lead singer by performing regionally throughout the tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The group was started by bassist Larry Peoples, guitarist Michael Samuels, and drummer Walter Bradley.[ citation needed ]

After leaving the group in 1984 to begin a solo career, he sang at nightclubs throughout New York City and landed a chance to record for the independent label, Stadium Records. Sweat recorded only two tunes for Stadium, "Lucky Seven", and "My Mind Is Made Up", which was their third and fourth ever release, but on Stadium's first release, he is credited as co-writer and co-producer of "You Are the One for Me", the last recording ever made by the group GQ. One of GQ's original members is his uncle, Keith "Sabu" Crier. [4]

1987–1991: Make It Last Forever,I'll Give All My Love to You, and Keep It Comin

Later in 1987, Keith Sweat was discovered by Vincent Davis and offered a recording contract with his label, Vintertainment Records, which was founded in 1983 on the foundations of early Hip-Hop and otherwise best known for releasing Joeski Love's "Pee Wee's Dance" in 1985. Vintertainment was distributed by Elektra Records from 1985 until it ceased operations in 1990. On November 24, 1987, Sweat released his debut solo studio album Make It Last Forever , which sold three million copies. The biggest hit from this album was the song that inaugurated the new jack swing era "I Want Her" [5] (No. 1 R&B & No. 5 Pop), which was nominated for the 1989 Soul Train Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of the Year award, while the title track from the album hit No. 2 on the R&B charts. Sweat reached the charts again with his second album I'll Give All My Love to You (1990) which hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. He released his third album, Keep It Comin' in 1991, which debuted in the Top 20 of the album chart. He produced soul singer Omar Chandler.

1992–2001: Get Up on It, Keith Sweat/LSG

In 1992, Sweat discovered the group Silk, and helped craft their debut album, Lose Control , which hit No. 7 on the Billboard 200 album chart. [6]

The album's single "Freak Me" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1993. In 1993, Sweat discovered the Atlanta-based female R&B group Kut Klose. Sweat also produced the group's debut album Surrender, which produced their biggest hit single "I Like", peaking to No. 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

Sweat released his fourth album Get Up on It in the summer of 1994, and his self-titled fifth album in 1996. Both albums reached the top ten on the Billboard 200. The single co/produced and written by Eric McCaine "Twisted" featuring R&B group Kut Klose hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Nobody" hit No. 3, which made them Sweat's biggest hits to date. "Just A Touch" was a cover of the 1979 song "Just a Touch of Love" by Slave. He produced for R&B group Dru Hill in 1996.

In the fall of 1997, Sweat discovered the group Ol' Skool and helped with their self-titled debut. He was on their biggest single, "Am I Dreaming", which featured the R&B group Xscape. Sweat also formed the R&B supergroup LSG with Gerald Levert and Johnny Gill, and released their self-titled debut album Levert.Sweat.Gill in 1997. [7] That album featured "My Body", which became a hit single. The album was certified double platinum and reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Sweat's sixth album, Still in the Game was released in 1998, hitting No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop albums chart. It featured the singles "Come and Get With Me" (which featured rapper Snoop Dogg) (No. 12 Hot 100) and "I'm Not Ready" (No. 16 Hot 100). Sweat's success on the charts started to diminish in 2000, when he released the album Didn't See Me Coming . None of the singles from the album reached the top forty.

2002–present: Rebirth, Just Me, Ridin Solo, and Til the Morning

Sweat performing in 2009 Keith Sweat.jpg
Sweat performing in 2009

On August 13, 2002, Keith Sweat released his eighth album, Rebirth . The single "One on One" reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 44 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.His 2008 album Just Me included the single, "Love U Better (featuring Keyshia Cole)". Sweat is currently signed to Kedar Records and released his tenth studio album entitled Ridin' Solo on June 22, 2010. The lead single taken from the album is "Test Drive" and featured label-mate Joe. Since 2007, Sweat has been the host of a nationally syndicated radio program based upon the Quiet storm format. The Keith Sweat Hotel (known as The Quiet Storm with Keith Sweat on WBLS in New York City) is syndicated through Premiere Radio Networks. [8]

Sweat is also the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called The Sweat Hotel, which is produced and distributed to urban adult contemporary and classic soul radio stations across the U.S. by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, Inc. [9]

Personal life

From 1992 until 2002, Sweat was married to The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Lisa Wu Hartwell. With her, he had two sons, born in 1995 and 1998. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

He also has three daughters, one with Tracy J. He also has a son named Joshua. [10]

Discography

Studio albums
Collaboration albums

Awards and nominations

Related Research Articles

<i>Get Up on It</i> 1994 studio album by Keith Sweat

Get Up On It is the fourth studio album by the American R&B recording artist Keith Sweat. It was released by Elektra Records on June 28, 1994, in the United States and went to number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while also reaching number eight on the Billboard 200 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe (singer)</span> American R&B singer (born 1972)

Joseph Lewis Thomas, known mononymously as Joe, is an American R&B singer. He signed to Polygram Records in 1992, and rose to prominence after releasing his debut album Everything the following year. He followed it with a series of successful albums under Jive Records, including All That I Am (1997), the international bestseller My Name Is Joe (2000) as well as the multi-certified albums Better Days (2001) and And Then... (2003). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including the number-one hit "Stutter", the top ten entries "All the Things ", "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and "I Wanna Know" as well as his collaborations "Faded Pictures", "Thank God I Found You" and "Still Not a Player".

Silk is an American R&B group, formed in 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia. They are best known for their 1993 hit single, "Freak Me", which reached number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Gill</span> American R&B singer (born 1966)

Johnny Gill Jr. is an American singer and songwriter. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B/pop group New Edition and was also a member of the supergroup called LSG, with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. Gill has released eight solo albums, three albums with New Edition, two albums with LSG, and one collaborative album with Stacy Lattisaw. Gill has sold over 15 million copies worldwide as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Levert</span> American R&B singer (1966–2006)

Gerald Edward Levert was an American singer-songwriter and producer. Levert was best known for singing with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon of the R&B vocal group, LeVert. Levert was also a member of LSG, a supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and himself. Levert was the son of Eddie Levert, lead singer of the R&B/soul vocal group the O'Jays. He released 9 solo albums, 6 as a member of LeVert, 2 with his father, and 2 as a member of LSG. Levert was also credited with the discovery of R&B groups the Rude Boys, Men at Large, and 1 of the Girls. Levert was also part of the R&B group Black Men United.

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LSG is an R&B supergroup, composed of R&B artists Gerald Levert from Cleveland, Ohio, Keith Sweat from Harlem, New York and Johnny Gill from Washington, D.C. The group's name "LSG" is derived from the first letter in the last name of each artist.

<i>Ill Give All My Love to You</i> 1990 studio album by Keith Sweat

I'll Give All My Love to You is the second studio album by the American R&B recording artist Keith Sweat. It was released on June 12, 1990, and went to number one on the Top R&B albums chart and number 6 on the Billboard 200. It spawned Sweat's second and third number 1 R&B hits: "Make You Sweat" and the title track, while "Merry Go Round" and "Your Love Part 2" were Top 5 R&B hits.

Kut Klose is an American R&B trio that formed in Atlanta, Georgia. The three female singers that made up the group were Athena Cage, Lavonn Battle and Tabitha Duncan. They were originally discovered by singer Keith Sweat, who also served as one of the producers on their debut album Surrender (1995). The trio is best known for their hit single "I Like" and feature on "Get Up on It" by Keith Sweat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twisted (Keith Sweat song)</span> 1996 single by Keith Sweat

"Twisted" is a song by American singer Keith Sweat, released as a single in June 1996. It was the first song released from his self-titled fifth album. R&B group Kut Klose and remix rapper Pretty Russ are also featured on the song. The radio version of "Twisted" omits Pretty Russ' rap before the final chorus, though some urban stations kept the rap verse. A second mix of the song, referred to as the Flavahood Sexual remix, features a different backbeat sampled from Marvin Gaye's song "Sexual Healing". "Flavahood" also saw significant airplay on radio but was never released on an album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Body (LSG song)</span> 1997 single by LSG

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<i>Lose Control</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Silk

Lose Control is the debut album by Silk. The album went to number-one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and includes the hit single "Freak Me", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was covered in 1998 by British band Another Level. Lose Control was certified double platinum by the RIAA in 1995.

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<i>LSG2</i> 2003 studio album by LSG

LSG2 is the second and final studio album by R&B group LSG. It was released on July 28, 2003 by Elektra Records.

<i>Levert.Sweat.Gill</i> 1997 studio album by LSG

Levert.Sweat.Gill is the debut studio album by American supergroup LSG. It was released by East West Records on November 11, 1997 in the United States. The album includes contributions from guest producers, including Sean "Puffy" Combs and Jermaine Dupri. The Lox, Faith Evans, Coko, Missy Elliott, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, MC Lyte, and Jazze Pha make guest appearances on the album. LSG peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 and number 2 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>Surrender</i> (Kut Klose album) 1995 studio album

Surrender is the debut and only studio album by American R&B group Kut Klose. It was released on March 14, 1995, through Elektra Records, and was primarily produced by the group's mentor Keith Sweat. The album was met with mild commercial success, making it to three Billboard charts and peaking at number 66 on the Billboard 200.

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References

  1. 1 2 Dougherty, Steve, and Little, Benilde (September 26, 1988), "Keith Sweat Takes Stock of His Talent and Puts Wall Street Behind Him", People Weekly, vol. 30, no. 13, p. 115{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ Dougherty, Steve (January 27, 1997), "For love and money", People Weekly, vol. 47, no. 3, p. 69
  3. ↑ "About". KeithSweat.com. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ David Hinckley (October 1, 2013). "Keith 'Sabu' Crier, bass player for disco group GQ, dead at 58". Daily News .
  5. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1988" . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Silk Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  7. ↑ "LSG Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Premiere Radio Networks – Home". Premiereradio.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  9. ↑ TheSweatHotel.iheart.com
  10. 1 2 "CBSi". Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2016– via Find Articles.
  11. ↑ "Real Housewives of Atlanta: Ed and Lisa Wu Hartwell". Essence. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Real Housewives of Atlanta: Ed and Lisa Wu Hartwell". Essence. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Real Housewives of Atlanta: Ed and Lisa Wu Hartwell". Essence. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Real Housewives of Atlanta: Ed and Lisa Wu Hartwell". Essence. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
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