Brian McKnight

Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. (born Brian Kelly McKnight; June 5, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality, and multi-instrumentalist. An R&B performer, he is recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range, and melisma. McKnight was raised in Orlando, Florida, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career at the age of 19. He signed with Mercury Records to release his 1992 debut single, "The Way Love Goes", which preceded his debut album Brian McKnight (1992). A modest success, the album received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned his first hit song, "One Last Cry", which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, he recorded the duet "Love Is" (with Vanessa Williams) for the Beverly Hills, 90210 soundtrack; the song peaked at number three on the chart. His 1997 single, "You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste Your Time)" (featuring Mase) peaked within the chart's top 20 and led his third album, Anytime (1997)—his final release with Mercury before he signed with Motown. His 1999 single, "Back at One" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song; it preceded the album of the same name (1999), which was the first of four of his albums—Superhero (2001), U Turn (2003), and Gemini (2005)—to consecutively debut within the top ten of the Billboard 200. His ninth album, Ten (2006) marked his final major label release. He has received 16 Grammy Award nominations, third only to Zubin Mehta and Snoop Dogg for having the most nominations for the award without a win.