Template:Short description Template:ForTemplate:For Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
Gregory Joel Abbott (born April 2, 1954)<ref name="Bio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Larkin80"/> is an American singer, musician, composer and producer. Although he continues to record to date, he is best known for his singles in the mid-1980s including his platinum single, "Shake You Down", from his 1986 debut album.
BiographyEdit
Early lifeEdit
Abbott was born in Harlem, New York.<ref name="Larkin80">Template:Cite book</ref> Abbott's parents were from Venezuela and Antigua. During his early years, Abbott's mother taught him how to play piano and encouraged him to develop vocally. Before his career as a musician, Abbott studied psychology<ref name="AllMusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> at the University of California, Berkeley, and creative writing at Stanford; where he won a Wallace Stegner fellowship. Before becoming a musician, Abbott taught as a professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="AllMusic"/>
Music careerEdit
One of Abbott's first opportunities in his studio was an album for an independent record label, which gave him the opportunity to do a duet with Whitney Houston.<ref name="AllMusic"/> Continuing on, Abbott produced for the group EQ on Atlantic Records.<ref name="AllMusic"/> In 1986, Abbott released his first solo album, Shake You Down. The title track for the album was a success, going platinum and topping the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="Larkin80"/> The album's second single, "I Got the Feelin' (It's Over)", reached Number 5 on the R&B chart. On the strength of its singles, the album reached platinum status and earned Abbott several awards.<ref name="AllMusic"/>
Internationally, Abbott has also had success, winning first prize at the Tokyo Music Festival.<ref name="AllMusic"/> The title track of his second album, I'll Prove It to You, which was released in 1988, was featured on a Japanese movie soundtrack.<ref name="AllMusic"/> In Belgium, he performed with Princess Stephanie of Monaco.<ref name="AllMusic"/> Over the years much of his new music has been released via his own Mojo Man Entertainment label. Abbott has continued with his R&B sound, but he added a Caribbean influence to his 1996 album One World!<ref name="AllMusic"/> In 2011, an album entitled Drop Your Mask was released. Abbott continues to release singles including a smooth jazz song "Chill" featuring saxophonist Gerald Albright.<ref name="Bio"/>
Personal lifeEdit
Abbott was married to American singer Freda Payne<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> from 1976 until 1979. Their son, Gregory Joel Abbott, Jr., was born in 1977.<ref name="auto"/>
DiscographyEdit
Studio albumsEdit
| Year | Album | Label | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US <ref name="Awards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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}}</ref> |
US R&B <ref name="Awards"/> |
UK <ref name="UK">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||
| 1986 | Shake You Down | Columbia Records | 22 | 5 | 53 | |
| 1988 | I'll Prove It to You | 132 | 17 | — | ||
| 1996 | One World! | Musik International | — | — | — | |
| 2002 | Eyes, Whispers, Rhythm, Sex... | — | — | — | ||
| 2011 | Drop Your Mask | Spectra Records | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
SinglesEdit
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US R&B <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Adult Con. <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
UK <ref name=Guinness>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="UK"/> | |||
| 1986 | "Shake You Down" | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| "I Got the Feelin' (It's Over)" | 56 | 5 | 25 | 76 | ||
| "You're My Angel" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "I'll Prove It to You" | — | 5 | 35 | — | |
| "Let Me Be Your Hero" | — | 34 | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
Compilation albumsEdit
- Super Hits (Legacy Recordings, 1998)
- Rhyme and Reason (Sony Music, 2006)
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- {{#if:|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}
- Template:Official website
- Mojo Man Entertainment
- Smooth Jazz Artist Guide