Babyface
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Babyface is one of the biggest producers and songwriters in the 90's. With the success of his albums, he has established an R&B sound that has become his trademark.
Contents |
About
Kenneth Edmonds a.k.a Babyface is a singer, writer and producer. He was born April 10, 1959, in Indianapolis and began playing in local R&B bands as a teenager. He earned his nickname Babyface when he served a stint in Bootsy Collins' backing unit. Babyface joined the funk outfit Manchild, which signed a record deal in 1977. After the breakup, Babyface and Antonio "L.A." Reid formed an urban funk group called "The Deele". Babyface and Reid began producing and writing for other artists. Babyface has written for Madonna, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, TLC, Tevin Campbell and more. He has four solo albums and his own record label, the Atlanta-based LaFace.
Awards & Certifications
Awards
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | BMI Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| 1990 | BMI Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| 1990 | Film Award | Most performed song for "On Our Own" |
| 1991 | BMI Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| 1993 | Grammy Award | Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) |
| 1993 | Grammy Award | Best R&B Song for "End Of The Road" |
| 1993 | Film Award | Most Performed Song for "End of the Road" |
| 1994 | Grammy Award | Album of the Year (as a producer) for "The Bodyguard" |
| 1994 | BMI Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| 1995 | American Music Award | Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist |
| 1995 | Grammy Award | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "When Can I See You" |
| 1995 | Grammy Award | Best R&B Song for "I'll Make Love To You" |
| 1995 | BMI Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| 1996 | Grammy Award | Producer of the Year |
| 1996 | Film Award | Most performed song for "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" |
| 1996 | BMI Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| 1997 | Grammy Award | Producer of the Year |
| 1997 | BMI Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| 1997 | Grammy Award | Best R&B Song for "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" |
| 1997 | Fame Award | Won Black Entertainment Television Walk of Fame Award |
| 1997 | GQ Men of the Year Award | Solo Artist of the year |
| 1998 | American Music Award | Favorite Rock/Pop Male Artist |
| 1998 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Motion Picture as producer for "Soul Food" |
| 1998 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Male Recording Artist |
| 1998 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Album for "Soul Food" (soundtrack) |
| 1998 | NAACP Image Award | Entertainer of the Year |
| 1998 | Billboard Music Award | Hot R&B Songwriter |
| 1998 | Grammy Award | Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical) |
| 1998 | BMI Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| 1999 | American Music Award | Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist |
| 2000 | ASCAP Award | Most Performed Song for "When You Believe" |
Certifications
| Year | Album | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Tender Lover | Certified 2x Platinum in U.S. |
| 1993 | For The Cool In You | Certified 3x Platinum in U.S. |
| 1996 | The Day | Certified 2x Platinum in U.S. |
| 1997 | Babyface MTV Unplugged NYC (live) | Certified Gold in U.S. |
Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Billboard Hot 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | I Love You Babe | 8 | Lovers | |
| 1987 | Lovers | 42 | Lovers | |
| 1988 | If We Try | 65 | Lovers | |
| 1988 | Mary Mack | 29 | Lovers | |
| 1989 | It's No Crime | 1 | 7 | Tender Lover |
| 1989 | Tender Lover | 1 | 14 | Tender Lover |
| 1990 | My Kinda Girl | 3 | 30 | Tender Lover |
| 1990 | Whip Appeal | 2 | 6 | Tender Lover |
| 1992 | Give U My Heart (From "Boomerang") | 2 | 29 | Boomerang Soundtrack |
| 1993 | For The Cool In You | 10 | 81 | For The Cool In You |
| 1993 | Never Keeping Secrets | 3 | For The Cool In You | |
| 1994 | And Our Feelings | 8 | 21 | For The Cool In You |
| 1994 | Never Keeping Secrets | 15 | For The Cool In You | |
| 1994 | When Can I See You | 6 | 4 | For The Cool In You |
| 2000 | Reason For Breathing | 59 | A Collection Of His Greatest Hits | |
| 2001 | There She Goes | 10 | 31 | Face 2 Face |
| 2001 | What If | 28 | 80 | Face 2 Face |
| 2004 | The Loneliness | 49 | Grown & Sexy | |
| 2005 | Sorry For The Stupid Things | 65 | Grown & Sexy | |
| 2006 | Grown & Sexy | 51 | Grown & Sexy |
News
Tours & Concerts
No upcoming concerts and tours for Babyface.
Announcements
Discography
Albums
1989 Epic |
1989 Epic |
November 19, 1991 Epic |
August, 1993 Epic |
October 29, 1996 Epic |
October 27, 1998 Epic |
September 11, 2001 Arista |
Released: BMG |
March 23, 2004 Arista |
July 26, 2005 Arista |
Singles
| Year | Single | Label | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Lovers | Sony | Lovers |
| 1987 | I Love You Babe | Sony | Lovers |
| 1987 | If We Try | Sony | Lovers |
| 1987 | Mary Mack | Sony | Lovers |
| 1989 | Love Saw It | Epic | A Closer Look |
| 1989 | It's No Crime | Sony | Tender Lover |
| 1989 | Tender Lover | Sony | Tender Lover |
| 1990 | Whip Appeal | Sony | Tender Lover |
| 1990 | My Kinda Girl | Epic | Tender Lover |
| 1990 | Love Makes Things Happen | Epic | A Closer Look |
| 1993 | For The Cool In You | Epic | For The Cool In You |
| 1993 | Never Keeping Secrets | Sony | For The Cool In You |
| 1994 | And Our Feelings | Sony | For The Cool In You |
| 1994 | When Can I See You | Epic | For The Cool In You |
| 1996 | This Is For The Lover In You | Epic | The Day |
| 1997 | How Come How Long | Epic | The Day |
| 2001 | There She Goes | Arista | Face 2 Face |
| 2001 | What If | Arista | Face 2 Face |
| 2004 | The Loneliness | Arista | Grown & Sexy |
| 2005 | Sorry for the Stupid Things | Arista | Grown & Sexy |
| 2005 | Grown & Sexy | Arista | Grown & Sexy |
Compilations & Live Releases
October 21, 1997 Collectables |
November 14, 2000 Epic |
August 07, 2001 Epic |
June 01, 2002 Sony Special Products |
June 10, 2003 Sony |
November 25, 2003: BMG |
October 25, 2005 Sony Special Products |
Other artists
Similar artists
Influences
Contemporaries
Trivia
- A 25-mile stretch of Interstate 65 that runs through Indianapolis was renamed Kenneth Babyface Edmonds Highway.
- He got his nickname from bassist Bootsy Collins.

