- Album list
- Singer Intro
Kenny Lattimore is an American R&B singer.
Lattimore first developed his interest for music in the high school band program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. He often acknowledges Dr. Barbara Baker for setting him on his current path. Lattimore spoke at the 2005 Eleanor Roosevelt High School Graduation. He is an alumnus of Howard University in Washington, DC.
A stint as session vocalist for R&B group Maniquin led to an official place in the group as lead singer. D'Extra Wiley of the 1990s R&B group II D Extreme was also a member of Maniquin, briefly before signing to MCA records. The group released a lone self-titled album for Epic Records in 1989. Its lead single 'I Wanna Ride' was an answer to the hit single 'Mercedes Boy' by Pebbles in both sound and lyric. Both artists' singles were produced and co-written by Charlie Wilson of Gap Band fame. Lattimore soon left Maniquin to pursue a solo career, and the group subsequently disbanded.
His own debut album Kenny Lattimore materialized on Columbia Records in 1996 to much fanfare. That set boasted a pair of Top 20 hits: 'Never Too Busy' and the Grammy-nominated perennial wedding favorite 'For You (Kenny Lattimore song)', written by high school friend Kenny Lerum. The huge success of the album earned Lattimore a win for Best New Artist at the NAACP Image Awards in 1996, and eventually achieved Gold sales status.
He followed up his debut with From the Soul of Man, another critically acclaimed set of classically styled soul music in 1998, yielding the hits 'Days Like This' and 'If I Lose My Woman' along with a standout cover of The Beatles' 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps.' After a short hiatus, the singer re-emerged on Arista Records when, then president Clive Davis signed him to a new contract. He eventually released a more contemporary R&B album, 2001's Weekend under L.A. Reid's regime as Davis was only allowed to take a small defined number of artists to his next venture, J Records. The title track and first single was anchored by a sample of Blondie's 'Rapture' and became a radio favorite on both sides of the Atlantic. Davis may have had a different vision for his career, but, he ended up recording three albums for Arista Records as Reid also had a vision that included a modern-day version of a classic soul duo with his new bride, the Gold level artist, Chante Moore whom he recorded two duet albums that were both critically and commercially acclaimed.
In keeping with the 'lover man' image that came to the fore with the hits that launched his career, Lattimore is known for his dramatic stage shows, vocal agility, and romantic ambiance. The New York Times hailed him as a 'modern soul man' on stage. The singer has long established in interviews his personal mission to show the 'strong, but sensitive and caring side of Black men.'
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