Jon B.
| Jon B. | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jonathan David Buck |
| Born |
November 11, 1974 Providence, Rhode Island, United States |
| Origin | Pasadena, California, United States[1] |
| Genres | R&B, urban, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, Record producer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | Yab Yum, 550, Sanctuary, Arsenal, Vibezelect, My Block/Entertainment One Music |
| Associated acts | Babyface, Toni Braxton, After 7, 2Pac |
| Website |
www |
| Notable instruments | |
| keyboards, Fender Rhodes | |
Jon B. (born Jonathan David Buck on November 11, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He released Bonafide, Cool Relax, Pleasures U Like, Stronger Everyday, Holiday Wishes: From Me to You, Helpless Romantic, and Comfortable Swagg.
Early life
Born in Rhode Island and raised in Pasadena, California, Buck comes from a musical family; with his father David, a professor of music, his mother Linda, a concert pianist and his siblings Deborah, a violinist and his brother Kevin, a cellist.[2] In 1992, Jon B. was shopping demos around when he caught the attention of Tracey Edmonds, then President and CEO of Yab-Yum Records.[2]
Career
1995–1997: Bonafide and Cool Relax
Jon B., prior to his rise to fame, used to be a songwriter and wrote songs for After 7, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Color Me Badd, the Spice Girls and others. Jon B.'s popularity began in the mid-1990s, he released his debut studio album in 1995 entitled Bonafide; the album spawned the popular hit and Grammy-nominated single "Someone to Love", which featured the Grammy Award-winning artist Babyface. The album was a commercial success as it went platinum, selling over 1 million copies.
Jon's fame began to increase after the release of his first commercially successful debut album Bonafide. He released his second studio album Cool Relax in 1997, the album spawned the top 10 single "They Don't Know" and two other top 20 hits, one featuring Tupac Shakur. Cool Relax received generally positive reviews from music critics and it is his most successful album commercially, it has been certified as Double Platinum by the RIAA.
While on tour promoting Cool Relax, he formed a group with two of his back-up singers, Dominiquinn and Silky Deluxe, named Jack Herrera collectively.[3] A full album, titled Retro Futuristo, was put together, but never officially released. However, two tracks from the project did see release. "Free to Believe" appeared on the soundtrack to the film Light It Up and "High Off You" appeared on Red Star Sounds, Vol. 1: Soul Searching.
In 2016, it was announced that Jon B. was the newest signee to Warryn Campbell's My Block record label. His first album for the label, Mr. Goodnight will be released in 2017.[4]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Certification | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. 200 | U.S. R&B | |||
| 1995 | Bonafide | 79 | 24 | US: Platinum |
| 1997 | Cool Relax | 33 | 5 | US: 2x Platinum |
| 2001 | Pleasures U Like | 6 | 3 | US: Platinum |
| 2004 | Stronger Everyday | 140 | 17 | - |
| 2006 | Holiday Wishes: From Me to You | - | - | - |
| 2008 | Helpless Romantic | 109 | 11 | - |
| 2012 | Comfortable Swagg | - | - | - |
Compilations
- 1999: Love Hurts
- 2002: Are U Still Down: Greatest Hits
- 2013: B-Sides Collection
Mixtapes
- 2013: Digital Dynasty R&B 3[5]
Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | UK Singles Chart[8] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Someone to Love" (featuring Babyface) | 10 | 7 | 112 | Bonafide |
| "Pretty Girl" | 25 | 21 | 78 | ||
| 1996 | "Isn't It Scary"[9] | — | — | — | |
| 1997 | "Don't Say" | 68 | 34 | — | Cool Relax |
| 1998 | "Are U Still Down" (featuring Tupac Shakur)[upper-alpha 1] | — | 2 | — | |
| "They Don't Know" | 7 | 2 | 32 | ||
| "I Do (Whatcha Say Boo)" | 117 | 18 | — | ||
| "Cool Relax" | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | "Don't Talk" | 58 | 21 | 29 | Pleasures U Like |
| 2005 | "Lately" | — | — | 68 | Stronger Everyday |
| "Everytime" | — | — | 193 | ||
| 2008 | "Ooh So Sexy" (featuring Paul Wall) | — | — | — | Helpless Romantic |
| "Helpless Romantic" | — | 25 | — | ||
| 2012 | "Only One" | — | — | — | Comfortable Swagg |
| "Comfortable Swagg" | — | — | — |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Someone to Love" |
| 1998 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Artist |
| 1998 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Artists - Male |
| 1998 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Hot R&B Single for "They Don't Know/Are U Still Down" |
| 1998 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Hot R&B Singles Artists |
| 1998 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Hot R&B Singles Artists - Male |
| 1998 | Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Hot R&B Singles Sales for "They Don't Know/Are U Still Down" |
| 1998 | Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Male Single for "They Don't Know/Are U Still Down" |
Notes
- ↑ "Are U Still Down" was issued as a promotional single; it also peaked at #18 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 chart.[10]
References
- ↑ http://www.mtv.com/artists/jon-b/biography/
- 1 2 Hunter, Karen. "JON B: 'THAT GRAMMY & ME'". nydailynews.com. New York Daily News. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
- ↑ MTV News - Articles - 1430674 - 02101999. MTV.
- ↑ Jon.B and Warryn Campbell Talk Creating "Don't Talk," Erica Campbell + New Jon.B Album
- ↑ Digital Dynasty R&B 3
- ↑ Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Jon B.. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ↑ allmusic ( Jon B. > Discography > Singles & EPs ). Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 35. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "Jon B Discography at Discogs". Discogs. Zink Media. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
- ↑ "Jon B. | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved August 12, 2015.