B Howard
| B. Howard | |
|---|---|
 Howard in 2014. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Brandon Howard |
| Born |
April 2, 1981 Los Angeles, California. U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer–songwriter, dancer, producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website |
bhowardofficial |
Brandon Alexander Howard, also known as "B" Howard, (born April 2, 1981) is an American singer, record producer and songwriter. He is the co-founder of the company and record label 6 Point Entertainment.[1][2][3] His album Genesis was released through 6 Point Entertainment in 2010.[3][4][5] Howard was credited as songwriter and producer on the song "I Ain't Gotta Tell You" from NeYo's album In My Own Words, which topped the Billboard 200 chart in 2006.[6] Howard was also credited as a songwriter on "Can't Get Tired of Me" from the album Face Off, a collaborative album by Omarion and Bow Wow, which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 in 2007.[7] In 2016, Howard's single, Don't Say You Love Me, hit number 11 on Billboard's Top Dance charts.[8]
Early life
B. Howard was born Brandon Alexander Howard on April 2, 1981 in Los Angeles.[1][9] He was raised between Los Angeles and Chicago.[1] Howard is the oldest of three children. Howard’s mother, Miki Howard, is also a successful singer-songwriter.[10] Joe Jackson, the father of Michael Jackson was Miki’s manager in the '80s, which spawned a long-term relationship between Howard and the Jackson family.[1][9][11][12][13] His grandmother was Josephine Howard of The Caravans, the first group to have a gospel song played on secular radio.[14][15] B. Howard grew up at Hayvenhurst, the Jackson family home. He refers to the Jacksons as "my family." Howard has produced and performed on records with La Toya Jackson. In an interview with Huffington Post, Howard said he remains close to Janet Jackson and the Michael Jackson family.[8] B. Howard said he first considered working in finance. He was inspired by MTV videos of A-ha and Tears for Fears, instead choosing a career in music. He adopted the artist name “Sonik” and first worked with Gerald Levert in Cleveland, Ohio.[8]
Music career
Howard has been working as a record producer since 2003.[1] In the 2000s, Howard worked with multi-platinum producers Teddy Riley, Jordan "Infinity" Suecof, Mario Winans, Jerry "Wonda" (Du Plessis) & Wyclef Jean, Mateo "The Auracle" Laboriel, and Ciara. He also worked with composers and performing artists Lupe Fiasco, Emily King, Jason Derulo, Ne-Yo, Vanessa Hudgens, Miguel, Akon, Marques Houston, Stomy Bugsy, Chief Keef, Luke Christopher, Rich White Ladies, Daniel Skye, and Koda Kumi.[8] In an interview with Huffington Post, Howard explained the turning point in his career: "I was at Quad Studios in New York mixing a song for the LSG project, my first platinum," he mentioned casually of his work with Rufus Blaq and the Grammy Award-winning Prince Charles Alexander. "I met up with these guys who were working with Puff Daddy and Jennifer Lopez, and [hearing our song] they were like, 'Who did this?' Kanye West was in the room having a meeting. He said he was inspired and invited me to be in his photograph of all the hot producers and writers in New York."[8]
B. Howard embarked on a solo career in 2010 following the success of his single, "Dancefloor."[1] He has been compared to Michael Jackson due to his falsetto music style and mannerisms.[16][17] In 2010, B Howard emerged as an artist when he collaborated with Wyclef Jean and Jazmine Sullivan to revamp the song "Ke Nako" as a tribute to Nelson Mandela.[18]
Howard launched 6 Point Entertainment in 2010 with Jonnie Forster.[1][2][3] Howard has produced songs for Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Ciara, Trey Songz, Omarion, Ginuwine, Marques Houston and others.[5][11][13][19] In 2010, Howard released his album Genesis in Japan through Universal Music International under the 6 Point Entertainment label.[1][3][4][5] The first single from Genesis, "Super Model" was released via iTunes on February 8, 2011.[20] The second single, "Dancefloor" made its US premiere on Wednesday, June 8 (2011) on iTunes and across all digital platforms.[21][22] Howard performed in Japan to support this release.[23] Howard's single "Dancefloor" featured contributions by James Poyser, Benjamin Wright and Questlove.[19] Howard is currently working on his upcoming American EP, Official.[4] His single "I Do It" was co-produced by Remo the Hitmaker and release in 2013.[4][24][25]
Songwriting and Production
Howard was the songwriter for Ginuwine’s 2003 single “Love You More,” which reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[26][27][28][29] In 2003, he also co-wrote “Good Luck” from the album MH by Marques Houston. In 2004, Howard was a songwriter of “Ya Kiss” on Kevin Lyttle’s eponymous debut album. "Ya Kiss” entered the Billboard 200 at number 8. Howard produced “Cover Girl” And “Taste of Dis” on Brooke Valentine’s 2005 album Chain Letter. Later that year, Houston served as the songwriter and producer for “Marriage” and “Cheat” on Marques Houston’s album Naked.[26][27]
In 2006, Howard was a songwriter and producer for Ne-Yo’s “I Ain’t Gotta Tell You” from the album In My Own Words which topped the Billboard 200.[26][27] He also was the songwriter and producer for the songs “Kick Push II” and “What It Do” for Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor, which debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 in 2006.[26][27][30] Howard worked on vocal arrangement for Emily King’s “Never be Lonely” from East Side Story released in 2006.[26][27] Omarion and Bow Wow released a collaborative album, Face Off, in 2007 which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 and included Howard as a songwriter for the song “Can’t Get Tired of Me.”[26] Howard worked with Marques Houston again in 2007 as producer for the song “Favorite Girl” on Houston’s album Veteran. Vanessa Hudgens released the album Identified in 2008 which included the song “Gone With The Wind,” which Howard co-wrote.[26][27] In 2011, Howard was a vocalist, producer and songwriter for Koda Kumi’s song “Passing By” on the album Dejavu. La Toya Jackson released single “Feels Like Love” in 2014 with Howard as producer.[27] In 2015, Howard released his debut North American album, "Nothing To Prove".[31] Howard's single, Don't Say You Love Me, hit number 11 on Billboard's Top Dance charts in January 2016.[32]
Michael Jackson comparisons
Howard’s similarities to the late pop icon Michael Jackson have been a source of speculation, and in 2014 FilmOn.com[33] claimed to have evidence that proved paternity. However, Howard released his own video via Facebook reporting that he:
- "did not put out a story"
- "has never self-proclaimed to be Michael Jackson’s son"
- "makes his own cash"
- "is not suing the Michael Jackson estate" and
- "had a DNA test which had nothing to do with 'the media craze.'"[34]
The tests have subsequently proven to be inconclusive.[35] In March 2014, singer Akon gave an interview with Larry King in which he, as a recording artist who has worked with both Howard and Jackson, claimed to believe Howard was Michael Jackson's son.[36]
Discography
Production and songwriting
| Song Title | Artist | Album | Release Date | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Pass me by" | Dru Hill | Dru World Order | 2002 | Producer |
| "Good Luck" | Marques Houston | MH | 2003 | Songwriter |
| "Love You More" | Ginuwine | Single | 2003 | Songwriter |
| "Wide Open" | LSG | LSG2 | 2003 | Producer |
| "Lesson Learned" | LSG | LSG2 | 2003 | Producer |
| "Ya Kiss" | Kevin Lyttle | Kevin Lyttle | 2004 | Songwriter |
| "Taste of Dis" | Brooke Valentine | Chain Letter | 2005 | Writer and Arrangement |
| "Marriage" | Marques Houston | Naked | 2005 | Producer |
| "Covergirl" | Brooke Valentine | Chain Letter | 2005 | Producer |
| "Cheat" | Marques Houston | Naked | 2005 | Songwriter and Producer |
| "What it Do" | Lupe Fiasco | Food & Liquor | 2006 | Songwriter and Producer |
| Real Lyfe | "Say Boo" | Young Lyfe | 2006 | Songwriter and Producer |
| "Kick Push II" | Lupe Fiasco | Food and Liquor | 2006 | Songwriter and Producer |
| "I Ain't Gotta Tell Ya" | Ne-Yo | In My Own Words | 2006 | Songwriter and Producer |
| "Enough" | Howard Hewett | If Only | 2007 | Composer |
| "Favorite Girl" | Marques Houston | Veteran | 2007 | Producer, Songwriter and Instruments |
| "Never Be Lonely" | Emily King | East Story | 2007 | Songwriter and Vocal Arranger |
| "Can't Get Tired of Me" | Bow Wow | Face Off | 2007 | Songwriter |
| "Gone With the Wind" | Vanessa Hudgens | Identified | 2008 | Songwriter |
| "Bedroom" | Donnie Klang | Just a Rolling Stone | 2008 | Writer |
| "Dr. Love" | Donnie Klang | Just a Rolling Stone | 2008 | Co-writer |
| "Portrait of Love" | Cheri Denis | In and Out of Love | 2008 | Songwriter |
| "Tonight" | Marques Houston | Mr. Houston | 2009 | Songwriter |
| "Now that I'm here" | Jackie Boys | Love and Beyond | 2009 | Songwriter and Producer |
| "Truth" | W-inds | Single | 2009 | Songwriter and Producer |
| "Let it Go" | Double | Single | 2009 | Songwriter |
| "Ke Nako" | Various | Listen Up! The Official 2010 Fifa World Cup Album | 2010 | Producer |
| "Back to life" | Olivia Ong | Romance | 2011 | Co-Producer |
| "Eventually" | Double | Woman | 2011 | Producer |
| "Passing By" | Koda Kumi | Dejavu | 2011 | Songwriter and Producer |
| "Demon" | Jay Park | Single | 2011 | Songwriter[26][27] |
| "Fly" | 2Face Idiba | The Unstoppable | 2011 | Songwriter and Producer |
| "One Night" | Keita Tachibana | Slide 'n' Step | 2013 | Producer |
| "Searching" | Keita Tachibana | Slide 'n' Step | 2013 | Producer |
| "Pretty Girl" | Keita Tachibana | Slide 'n' Step | 2013 | Producer |
| "Feels Like Love" | Latoya Jackson | Single | 2014 | Producer |
| "Ain't Missing you" | Chief Keef | Ain't Missing you - Single | 2015 | Producer |
| "Champagne" | Charisse Mills ft. French Montana | Single | 2015 | Songwriter |
| "Blown Away" | Joe EL | Timeless | 2015 | Songwriter & ft. Artist |
| "DSLYM" | self | Nothing to Prove | 2015 | Songwriter & Artist |
Artist
Genesis (released 2010)
- Super Model
- Addict
- Electric Lights featuring Kamilah
- Finally
- Once Again
- Take it Slow
- Flashback
- She’s Got a Man
- Spend The Night
- Crush
- Ananda
- Killah
- Just Not Giving Up[37][38]
Guest vocalist
| Song Title | Main Artist | Album | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Let it Go" | Double | Single | 2009 |
| "Ke Nako"[39] | Various | Listen Up! The Official 2010 Fifa World Cup Album | 2010 |
| "Demon" | Jay Park | Single | 2011 |
| "Passing By"[40] | Koda Kumi | Dejavu | 2011 |
| "Necesito tu Armor" | Fabio Legarda | Single | 2014 |
| "In Love" | Patrick Toussaint | Single | 2014 |
| "I'm Fly"[41] | Stomy Bugsy | Single | 2015 |
Singles
| Title | Release Date | Album | Billboard rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Super Model" | 2011 | Genesis | - |
| "Dancefloor" | 2011 | Genesis | - |
| "I Do It" | 2013 | Single | - |
| "DSYLM", "Don't Say You Love Me" | 2015 | Nothing to Prove | #11 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "International Sensation B. Howard Releases 'Dancefloor' Single & Video". Top40 Charts. August 6, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- 1 2 Aaron Robinson (December 14, 2012). "Child of Industry". Consciousness Magazine.
- 1 2 3 4 "6 Point Entertainment / Bio". ReverbNation. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 "B. Howard Releases New Single, "I Do It"". The Source. November 14, 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Artist Bio". B.Howard. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Billboard 200". billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ Katie Hasty (December 19, 2007). "Groban Remains No. 1, Becomes '07's Best-Seller". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Don't Say Michael Jackson. "Don't Say You Love Me" is B. Howard's Hit". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- 1 2 Nadine DeNinno (March 7, 2014). "Who Is Miki Howard And Is She The Mother Of Michael Jackson’s Alleged Love Child, Brandon Howard?". International Business Times. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ↑ "Fred discusses Clay Aiken, Miki Howard and more.". Billboard.com. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- 1 2 Jeff Timmons (October 13, 2014). "Interview with B. Howard". The Celebrity Cafe. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ↑ Yolanda Sangweni (March 14, 2014). "Exclusive: Miki Howard Denies Having a Son with Michael Jackson, Says 'I Am Brandon Howard's Father'". Essence. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- 1 2 "Interview: Jackson Family Protege B. Howard "Here I Am. Listen With Your Heart, Not Your Eyes"". You Know I Got Soul. September 2, 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ↑ Anthony, Heilbut (1997). The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times. Limelight Editions. ISBN 0-87910-034-6.
- ↑ "Black Gospel Blog". Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ Jake Rohn (March 11, 2014). "Akon Opens Up About B. Howard Being Michael Jackson's Son". BET. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Will Miki Howard’s Son Ever Escape the Michael Jackson Comparisons?". Eurweb. July 1, 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ Martin Myers (June 29, 2010). "It’s time for Ke Nako as jpre collaborates with international superstars". Martin Myers. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- 1 2 "Sound Check: B. Howard – Taking It to the Dance Floor". Soul Train. August 12, 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Super Model (U.S. Single) - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "International Sensation B. Howard with 'Dancefloor'". The Sop. June 11, 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Dancefloor - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "MTV Live Wire - B.Howard". MTV. October 14, 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "B. Howard Official, B. Howard I Do It". Soundcloud. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Interview with King Empire Entertainment's B. Howard". Shift Magazine. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Brandon Howard". Discogs. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Brandon Howard". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "The Hot 100 Week of December 13, 2003". billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ Brooke Foster, Paul Friswold, Roy Kasten, Dan LeRoy, Andrea Noble, Randall Roberts, Christian Schaeffer, Annie Zaleski (December 27, 2006). "2006: The Year in Music". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "B. Howard’s Ottawa Connection". The Epoch Times. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ↑ "B.Howard Exclusive Interview". One West Magazine. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ↑ "Cleveland Native Michael Jackson’s Son? TMZ Calls DNA Results ‘Bogus’". Fox8.com. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ "Singer praised as the 'reincarnation of Michael Jackson' claims he has DNA evidence that could prove he is the dead star's SON". MailOnline.com. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ "Cleveland Native Michael Jackson’s Son? TMZ Calls DNA Results ‘Bogus’".
- ↑ "Akon Tells Larry King Brandon Howard Is Michael Jackson’s Son, Interview This Week". TheGlobalDispatch.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ↑ "Genesis". Last.fm. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Genesis (U.S.)". iTunes. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Various – Listen Up: The Official 2010 Fifa World Cup Album". Discogs. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Koda Kumi* – Dejavu". Discogs. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ Louis Ritot (17 February 2015). "Stomy Bugsy Duet with the Alleged Son of Michael Jackson" (in French). Closer Magazine. Retrieved 23 February 2015.