Keith Sweat
Sweat in 2023
Sweat in 2023
Background information
Born (1961-07-22) July 22, 1961
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
Years active1975–present
Labels
Formerly ofLSG
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1992; div. 2002)​
Children6
Websitethesweathotel.com

Keith Sweat (born July 22, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and an early figure in the new jack swing musical movement. He is known for his collection of hits including "I Want Her", "Make It Last Forever", "I'll Give All My Love to You", "Make You Sweat", "Get Up on It", "Twisted" and "Nobody". He has released 13 solo albums (2 as a part of the R&B supergroup LSG) and discovered the groups Silk and Kut Klose.

Early life

Keith Sweat was born in Harlem, New York City, to Juanita Thompson, a hairdresser, and Charles Crier, a factory worker. After Charles Crier's passing in 1973, Juanita raised their five kids by herself.[1]

Before joining the entertainment industry, Sweat worked as a night stock worker at Macy's Department Store, and then a mail room clerk at Paine Webber, a brokerage firm. Within just four years, he worked his way up to a lucrative brokerage assistant job on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.[2] Sweat also worked as a supervisor for the New York Mercantile Exchange.[1]

Career

1975–1984: Career beginnings with Jamilah

Sweat started his musical career as a member of a Harlem band called Jamilah in 1975.[3] With the help of Jamilah, Sweat was able to hone his craft as a lead singer by performing regionally throughout the tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The group was started by bassist Larry Peoples, guitarist Michael Samuels, and drummer Walter Bradley.

After leaving the group in 1984 to begin a solo career, he sang at nightclubs throughout New York City and landed a chance to record for the independent label, Stadium Records. Sweat recorded only two tunes for Stadium, "Lucky Seven", and "My Mind Is Made Up", which was their third and fourth ever release, but on Stadium's first release, he is credited as co-writer and co-producer of "You Are the One for Me", the last recording ever made by the group GQ. One of GQ's original members is his uncle, Keith "Sabu" Crier.[4]

1987–1991: Make It Last Forever, I'll Give All My Love to You, and Keep It Comin

Later in 1987, Keith Sweat was discovered by Vincent Davis and offered a recording contract with his label, Vintertainment Records, which was founded in 1983 on the foundations of early Hip-Hop and otherwise best known for releasing Joeski Love's "Pee Wee's Dance" in 1985. Vintertainment was distributed by Elektra Records from 1985 until it ceased operations in 1990. On November 24, 1987, Sweat released his debut solo studio album Make It Last Forever, which sold three million copies. The biggest hit from this album was the song that inaugurated the new jack swing era "I Want Her"[5] (No. 1 R&B & No. 5 Pop), which was nominated for the 1989 Soul Train Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of the Year award, while the title track from the album hit No. 2 on the R&B charts. Sweat reached the charts again with his second album I'll Give All My Love to You (1990) which hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. He released his third album, Keep It Comin' in 1991, which debuted in the Top 20 of the album chart. He produced soul singer Omar Chandler.

1992–2001: Get Up on It, Keith Sweat/LSG

In 1992, Sweat discovered the group Silk, and helped craft their debut album, Lose Control, which hit No. 7 on the Billboard 200 album chart.[6]

The album's single "Freak Me" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1993. In 1993, Sweat discovered the Atlanta-based female R&B group Kut Klose. Sweat also produced the group's debut album Surrender, which produced their biggest hit single "I Like", peaking to No. 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

Sweat released his fourth album Get Up on It in the summer of 1994, and his self-titled fifth album in 1996. Both albums reached the top ten on the Billboard 200. The single co/produced and written by Eric McCaine "Twisted" featuring R&B group Kut Klose hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Nobody" hit No. 3, which made them Sweat's biggest hits to date. "Just A Touch" was a cover of the 1979 song "Just a Touch of Love" by Slave. He produced for R&B group Dru Hill in 1996.

In the fall of 1997, Sweat discovered the group Ol' Skool and helped with their self-titled debut. He was on their biggest single, "Am I Dreaming", which featured the R&B group Xscape. Sweat also formed the R&B supergroup LSG with Gerald Levert and Johnny Gill, and released their self-titled debut album Levert.Sweat.Gill in 1997.[7] That album featured "My Body", which became a hit single. The album was certified double platinum and reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Sweat's sixth album, Still in the Game was released in 1998, hitting No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop albums chart. It featured the singles "Come and Get With Me" (which featured rapper Snoop Dogg) (No. 12 Hot 100) and "I'm Not Ready" (No. 16 Hot 100). Sweat's success on the charts started to diminish in 2000, when he released the album Didn't See Me Coming. None of the singles from the album reached the top forty.

2002–present: Rebirth, Just Me, Ridin Solo, and Til the Morning

Sweat performing in 2009

On August 13, 2002, Keith Sweat released his eighth album, Rebirth. The single "One on One" reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 44 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.His 2008 album Just Me included the single, "Love U Better (featuring Keyshia Cole)". Sweat is currently signed to Kedar Records and released his tenth studio album entitled Ridin' Solo on June 22, 2010. The lead single taken from the album is "Test Drive" and featured label-mate Joe. Since 2007, Sweat has been the host of a nationally syndicated radio program based upon the Quiet storm format. The Keith Sweat Hotel (known as The Quiet Storm with Keith Sweat on WBLS in New York City) is syndicated through Premiere Radio Networks.[8]

Sweat is also the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called The Sweat Hotel, which is produced and distributed to urban adult contemporary and classic soul radio stations across the U.S. by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, Inc.[9]

Personal life

From 1992 until 2002, Sweat was married to The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Lisa Wu Hartwell. With her, he had two sons, born in 1995 and 1998.[10][11][12][13][14]

He also has three daughters, one with Tracy J. He also has a son named Joshua.[10]

Discography

Studio albums
Collaboration albums

Awards and nominations

  • American Music Awards
    • 1991: Favorite R&B/Soul Male Artist (nominated)
    • 1997: Favorite Male R&B/Soul Artist (winner)
    • 1997: Favorite R&B/Soul Album for Keith Sweat (nominated)
    • 1998: Favorite Male R&B/Soul Artist (nominated)
    • 2013: Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award

References

  1. 1 2 Dougherty, Steve, and Little, Benilde (September 26, 1988), "Keith Sweat Takes Stock of His Talent and Puts Wall Street Behind Him", People Weekly, vol. 30, no. 13, p. 115{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ Dougherty, Steve (January 27, 1997), "For love and money", People Weekly, vol. 47, no. 3, p. 69
  3. ↑ "About". KeithSweat.com. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ David Hinckley (October 1, 2013). "Keith 'Sabu' Crier, bass player for disco group GQ, dead at 58". Daily News.
  5. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1988". Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Silk Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  7. ↑ "LSG Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Premiere Radio Networks – Home". Premiereradio.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  9. ↑ TheSweatHotel.iheart.com
  10. 1 2 "CBSi". Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2016 – via Find Articles.
  11. ↑ "Real Housewives of Atlanta: Ed and Lisa Wu Hartwell". Essence. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Real Housewives of Atlanta: Ed and Lisa Wu Hartwell". Essence. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Real Housewives of Atlanta: Ed and Lisa Wu Hartwell". Essence. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Real Housewives of Atlanta: Ed and Lisa Wu Hartwell". Essence. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
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