Eric Benét Jordan (born October 15, 1967) is an American R&B/

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...

singer-songwriter and actor, who has received a total of four Grammy nominations to date for his musical work.

Biography

Early life

Benét was born on October 15, 1966 in Mobile, Alabama and raised in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

. He is the youngest of five siblings.

Career

Benét sang with a Top 100-style group called Gerard in the late 1980s. Benét, his sister Lisa, and his cousin George Nash Jr. formed a band called Benét and released a self-titled album in 1992, and it went on to sell over 100,000 copies. Two years later, Eric Benét broke onto the music scene with his solo career and signed with Warner Bros. Records, releasing his debut solo album, ''True to Myself'' in 1996. His second album, ''A Day in the Life'', was released in 1999 and featured his smash hit "

Spend My Life With You "Spend My Life with You" is a Grammy-nominated R&B song by R&B singer Eric Benét, featuring R&B singer Tamia. Released as the second single from Benét's second studio album '' A Day in the Life'' (1999), the song spent three weeks at number ...

(featuring Tamia)". The song rose to No. 1 on the US Billboard R&B charts (for 3 weeks), was certified gold, and nominated for a 2000 Grammy Award for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group". The album also won a Soul Train Music Award for "Best R&B/Soul Album, Male". Benét's career, however, was interrupted by a series of personal tragedies. His father died of cancer. In addition, his girlfriend, Tami Marie Stauff, died on April 24, 1993, from injuries suffered in an automobile accident, leaving Eric a single father to their one-year-old daughter, India (born December 4, 1991). In 1994, Benét signed with Warner Bros. Records, releasing his solo debut album, '' True to Myself'' in 1996. Individual songs from the album were successful, including the top-ten R&B hits "Spiritual Thang", "Femininity" and "Let's Stay Together", which originally appeared on the soundtrack of the film '' A Thin Line Between Love and Hate''. In between albums, Eric collaborated with his then-labelmates

Somethin' for the People Somethin' for the People was a contemporary R&B group from Oakland, California, who scored several hits in the US in the late 1990s. History The group was founded in 1990 by Curtis "Sauce" Wilson and Jeff "Fuzzy" Young, both from Oakland, Cali ...

on their 1997 album ''This Time It's Personal'' singing leads on the single "Act Like You Want It". His next album, '' A Day in the Life'', was released in 1999. Its first single, " Georgy Porgy (featuring

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al ...

)" received significant airplay, but the second single, "

(featuring

Tamia Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development de ...

)", became a smash hit. "Spend My Life With You" rose to number one on the American R&B charts, was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

, and nominated for a 2000

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group. The album, ''A Day in the Life'' also won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album, Male. Benét also recorded for

Earth, Wind, and Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

's 30th anniversary CD. He contributed vocals to the post- Katrina charity single, "Heart of America", along with Michael McDonald,

Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...

, and Terry Dexter. He has also lent his vocals to many jazz albums for such artists as

Wayman Tisdale Wayman Lawrence Tisdale (June 9, 1964 – May 15, 2009) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a smooth jazz bass guitarist. A three-time All American at the University of Oklahoma,

, George Duke,

Chris Botti Christopher Stephen Botti ( ; born October 12, 1962) is an award-winning American trumpeter and composer. In 2013, Botti won the Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, for the album ''Impressions''. He was also nominated in ...

Jeff Lorber Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for ''Prototype'' ...

, and

Boney James Boney James (born James Oppenheim September 1, 1961) is an American saxophonist (tenor, alto and soprano), songwriter, record producer and recording artist. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee (Best Pop Instrumental Album, 2001, 2004, 2014 a ...

. Benét recorded his following album '' Better and Better'' in 2001, but Warner Bros. rejected to release this album and forced him to stay in the R&B genre. Due to the controversy about music style and creative freedom, Benét changed to

Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...

-distributed label Friday Records and recorded his next album, '' Hurricane.'' Thus ''Hurricane'' became his third released studio album on June 21, 2005 in the US. " I Wanna Be Loved" was the song that received the most airplay. The single reached number two on the Urban Adult Contemporary chart. His fourth album '' Love & Life'' was released on September 9, 2008. It debuted at number eleven on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number two on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

chart, making this his own highest peak position since '' A Day in the Life'' in 1999. The first single "You're the Only One" is also his first top 20 hit on the R&B chart in two years. '' Lost in Time'' was Benét's fifth studio album which was released in the US on November 30, 2010. The first single "Sometimes I Cry" reached number one on the Hot Adult R&B Songs Chart. With its musical direction representing Benét's homage to the sweet soul sound of the early to mid-1970s, the album featured duets with

; Chrisette Michelle;

Ledisi Ledisi Anibade Young (; born March 28, 1972), better known simply as Ledisi, is an American R&B and jazz recording artist, songwriter, music producer, author and actress. Her name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba. Ledisi AllMus ...

; and

Eddie Levert Edward Willis Levert (born June 16, 1942) is an American singer, best known as the lead vocalist of The O'Jays. He is the father of Gerald Levert (1966–2006) and Sean Levert (1968–2008) Biography Levert was born in Bessemer, Alabama, but ...

of The O'Jays. On June 5, 2012, Eric Benét then released his latest album ''The One''. It was the first album released on Benét's newly formed record label Jordan House Records, which he created in partnership with

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

. "Real Love" was the first single off ''The One'' and was the No. 1 added song to Urban AC when shipped to radio in October 2011. In 2013, Eric Benét's 6th studio album, ''The One'', won him the SoulTracks Readers' Choice Award for Best Male Vocalist. ''The One'' delivered 3 big hit tracks including 'Runnin,' 'Real Love,' and 'Harriett Jones.' In April 2014, Benét signed R&B singer-songwriter

Calvin Richardson Calvin Richardson (born December 16, 1976) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. In 1999, he released his debut solo album ''Country Boy''. Career In the mid 1990s, Richardson went solo and signed with Universal Records. His debut al ...

and

Goapele Goapele Mohlabane (; born July 11, 1977), is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. Her name means ''to move forward'' in Setswana, a Southern African language. Early life Goapele's South African father Douglas Mohlabane was an exiled po ...

to his imprint along with BMG/ Primary Wave Music to release their upcoming albums in the US. In 2014, Eric Benét released an international album, ''The Other One'', teaming up with the European production collective, The Afropeans to revisit his 2012 album ''The One''. Later that year, he then released an album of classic cover songs, exclusively distributed in Japan, titled, ''From E to U, Vol. 1''. In April 2016, he announced a new single "Sunshine" set to premiere on May 13, ahead of his eighth studio album that was due in the fall. On October 7, 2016, Benét released his eponymous seventh studio album and first major album release since 2012's "

The One The ONE is a shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is built on the site of the former Tung Ying Building at 100 Nathan Road. It was developed by Chinese Estates Holdings and opened in 2010. Owner Joseph Lau Luen-hung g ...

", the album featured guest appearances from

Arturo Sandoval Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became his f ...

and

MC Lyte Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rap music, rapper, Disc jockey, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 19 ...

. In 2020, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

Benet started an on demand powdered by Omnis titled ''Eric After Dark'' (stylized as ''Eric @fter Dark'').

Acting

Benét has also been active as an actor; he had a recurring role on '' For Your Love'' (1998–2002). He made his film debut alongside Mariah Carey in '' Glitter'' (2001). He has a recurring role on the MTV scripted show ''Kaya'' (2007) where he plays a music producer. Benét appeared on ''

Half & Half ''Half & Half'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeffrey Klarik that aired on UPN from September 23, 2002, to May 15, 2006. The show focuses on the lives of two paternal half-sisters in their twenties who were estranged throughout t ...

'', in which he portrayed Reece Wilcox in 2005. His second feature film role ''Trinity Goodheart'' premiered at the American Black Film Festival on July 9, 2011, and premiered on GMC on August 20, 2011. In Fall 2013, Eric Benét appeared on the second season of BET's hit television show, '' Real Husbands of Hollywood''. Benét was a guest star alongside

Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. Originally known as a stand-up comedian, he has since starred in Hollywood films and on TV. He has also released several well-received comedy albums. After winning se ...

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...

, and

Boris Kodjoe Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe (; born March 8, 1973) is a German actor, producer, and former model best known for his roles as Kelby in the 2002 film ''Brown Sugar'', the sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama se ...

Personal life

His eldest daughter India Brianne Jordan was born December 3, 1991, to his late partner Tami Stauff, who died in a car accident in 1993. He married actress Halle Berry in January 2001, but by early October 2003, they had separated, with the divorce finalized in January 2005. On July 31, 2011, he married Toronto native Manuela Testolini, ex-wife of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

. Their first child, a girl named Lucia Bella, was born on December 21, 2011 and their second daughter together, Amoura Luna, was born on July 13, 2014.

Discography

Albums

* '' True to Myself'' (1996) * '' A Day in the Life'' (1999) * '' Hurricane'' (2005) * '' Love & Life'' (2008) * '' Lost in Time'' (2010) * ''

'' (2012) * '' From E to U: Volume 1'' (2014) * '' Eric Benét'' (2016)

Awards and nominations

Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards, or BRAs, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the Afr ...

, - , 2002 , "Love Don't Love Me" (from The Brothers) , Best Original or Adapted Song , , - ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, ''Trinity Goodheart'' , Best Actor: T.V. Movie/Cable , *

, - ,

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

, "Spend My Life with You" (with Tamia) , Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals , , - , rowspan="2", 2009 , "You're the Only One" , Best Male R&B Vocal Performance , , - , ''Love & Life'' ,

Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre. Honors ...

, , - ,

, "Sometimes I Cry" ,

Best Traditional R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. ...

, * NAACP Image Award , - , 1997 , rowspan="2", Eric Benét , Outstanding New Artist , , - , rowspan="3", 2000 , Outstanding Male Artist , , - , "Spend My Life with You" (with Tamia) , Outstanding Song , , - , ''A Day in the Life'' , Outstanding Album , , - , rowspan="2", 2001 , Eric Benét , Outstanding Male Artist , , - , "When You Think of Me" (Directed by Prentice Smith) , Outstanding Music Video ,

References

External links

* *
Back To The Future: The Making Of Lost In Time with Eric Benét & George Nash Jr Interview at Soul Jones

The Definitive Eric Benet, music and interview with JM Part1

The Definitive Eric Benet, music and interview with JM Part2

The Definitive Eric Benet, music and interview with JM Part3

The Definitive Eric Benet, music and interview with JM Part4

Eric Benét 2012 Audio Interview at Soulinterviews.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benet, Eric 1966 births Living people 20th-century African-American male singers American contemporary R&B singers Musicians from Milwaukee American neo soul singers Warner Records artists American male singer-songwriters Ballad musicians African-American songwriters 21st-century African-American male singers Singer-songwriters from Wisconsin