Mom started me in piano at age 9, 27 years ago. I came home from school when and she said, "You got piano lessons today." Been playing ever since. At age 17 I singing with 3 bothers of mine that live in the neighborhood and we really got the Boyz II Men sound down. That year went to a tryout for ShowTime at the Apollo. John Witherspoon from the movie "Friday" was the host and Usher was the featured act. Me and the guys I sang with then are polynesians. My older brother heard over the radio that these tryouts were going so he came straight to a friends house where we all were and took us straight their. Well, we made the tryout that qualified us for another tryout and on that first we sang for a crowd of Apollo Night and when we first got out there someone yelled, "Hawai'i 50!" People started laughing and giggling like they do at the Apollo and we looked at each other and started out loud with, "I've Got Heaven Right Here On EARTH!" Song from Solo and slowly you heard some whistling hear, some "ooh yeahs" here and finally the crowd could hear us and started clapping with the song and by the end of the song everyone was up out of their seats. We lost the final night even though we had a good night. This female rapper came out after us and did her rendition to Luniz "I Got 5 On It". Have to admit she was dope. Definitely better than us. That night we ran into a guy who knew someone who did management, hooked us up with a 5 year, 5 album record deal with a company that was subsidiary company of BMG International. I was 19 when we signed and the youngest in our group was 15.
We ended up going gold in Europe during the BoyBand Era on a benefit single for the refugees in Kosovo at the time and finished the 2 year stretch with a prison tour. Crazy stuff.
We came back home and eventually only 2 of us still managed to stay in the industry still singing and writing.
Growing up Babyface was most of what I listened to. Young Romantic in the 90's was the thing where I grew up. But Babyface was played frequently in our home and everywhere I went. I have accumulated well 100 songs since then and I have a written for numerous polynesian singer in our market. I have small pre production kit that I have been using and it work fairly well for what I need it to do.
I have a beautiful wife and 4 kids. 12, 9, 2, 1. This is where my heart truly is at the end of the day. I can't express completely the love and gratitude I have for my family but it run very deep.
Hope this is most what you needed.