Babyface

One of the architects of modern romantic R&B, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds (born in 1959 in Indianapolis, IN) has been making music since he was a teenager. Edmonds joined the R&B band The Deele in 1981; there, he began his creative relationship with Antonio “L.A.” Reid. In 1986, Edmonds released his first solo album, Lovers, and the following year The Deele released the album that contained what would be the band’s biggest hit, the silky ballad “Two Occasions.” Edmonds began writing and producing for other artists in the late ’80s; in 1988 he and Reid left The Deele, and the two launched LaFace Records in 1989. That year, Babyface released his breakthrough solo album, Tender Lover, which contained the sensual smash “Whip Appeal” and the punchy “It’s No Crime.” Babyface’s successes behind the boards and on record continued through the ’90s, and he has continued to release and produce music in the ensuing decades.