Glenn Lewis

All Music Guide:

Canadian-born singer/songwriter Glenn Lewis' sensational debut for Epic, World Outside My Window, was like a breath of fresh air when it was issued on March 19, 2002, just two days before the first day of spring. The buzz had been building around Lewis due to the album's lead single, "Don't You Forget It," which has a strong Stevie Wonder influence. The singer freely lists Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and Gap Band-lead singer Charlie Wilson as some of his musical idols.

Born and raised in Toronto, Lewis' family musical roots are strong, as his father was the lead singer of Crack of Dawn and the catalyst for Lewis' love for Wonder's music, as he played the Motown artist's records around the house frequently. With both his parents being musicians, he'd accompany them to the recording studio. He didn't really start considering music as his calling until his teen years, when he began writing songs. As a lark, Lewis entered a talent show at his high school. He won the audience over by performing Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You."

After graduating from high school, Lewis began recording demos with musician-friend Alex Greggs, while holding down day jobs at McDonald's or being a shoe salesman. After work, he would go to clubs to check out other performers. Eventually, he became a respected performer on the Toronto club scene. Lewis' demo efforts helped him get a deal to release his first single, "The Thing to Do," a 1998 Beat Factory/BMG single that earned a Juno Award for Best R&B Recording. His second single, "Bout Your Love," garnered a Juno nomination. Greggs later became a programmer for mega-producer Rodney Jerkins. Mark Byers of Philadelphia management firm Rock Star Entertainment heard about Lewis through the grapevine and helped him get a record deal with Epic. The singer was teamed with top talents Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, whose credits include Jill Scott, Michael Jackson, Bilal, and Musiq Soulchild. The duo co-wrote songs, played most of the instruments, and produced World Outside My Window.

As "Don't You Forget It" began climbing the charts, Lewis experienced an unexpected pleasure. After hearing the single, Stevie Wonder invited the young vocalist to his Los Angeles radio station. Finishing up an on-air interview, Lewis met the Motown legend, who told him he loved the song and began singing it right then and there. As the music video for "Don't You Forget" began airing on BET and other outlets, anticipation was high for Lewis, who was touring with Alicia Keys when the album was released. It received favorable reviews in Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, and other magazines.

Wikipedia:

Glenn Lewis (born Glenn Ricketts on March 13, 1975) is a Canadian R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. His father was a member of the musical group Crack of Dawn. Lewis has cited Stevie Wonder as his biggest inspiration, and Lewis has often been compared to him because of the similarities in their tones.

Early life and career [edit]

Lewis was born in Toronto to a Trinidadian mother, and a Jamaican father. From the ages of 8 to 14, he also lived in Trinidad before moving back to Toronto. After moving back to the city, he attended high school at Eastern Commerce Collegiate, where he won a talent contest by covering Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You". After high school, Lewis began recording demos and performing at nightclubs, eventually becoming a respected act in the city. He parlayed this success into the release of his first single, "The Thing to Do" in 1997 on Beat Factory/BMG Music Canada. The song earned him a Juno Award nomination for Best R&B/Soul Recording. His second single, "Bout Your Love", was released in 1998 and garnered a second consecutive Juno nomination. Lewis was also featured in "Whatever it Takes," a track which appeared on fellow Canadian R&B singer Jazmin's 1999 debut album Better Be Good.

This exposure eventually landed him a deal with Epic Records. Lewis' debut album, World Outside My Window, was released on March 19, 2002. Fueled by the hit single "Don't You Forget It", the album peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts. The single earned him a Juno for Best R&B/Soul Recording. He promoted the album by touring with R&B singers Alicia Keys and Tweet, among others.

In 2002, Lewis recorded a cover version of "Superstition" for the tribute album, Conception: An Interpretation of Stevie Wonder's Songs. He also makes a brief appearance in the 2002 film Maid in Manhattan starring Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes. He contributed the song "Fall Again" to the film's soundtrack. "Fall Again" was originally written by Walter Afanasieff and Robin Thicke for Michael Jackson's Invincible album to compose, but did not make it on the track list. However, a demo of the song by Michael Jackson was later released on the Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection CD set. A concert DVD, Glenn Lewis Live, was released in 2002.

Lewis prepared his second album, Back for More for release in 2003. The first single, also titled "Back for More", and featuring rapper Kardinal Offishall, was released to radio and a video began to air. Inexplicably, the album was pushed back, first to later in the year, then to 2004; it remains unreleased. In the meantime, Lewis netted a Grammy nomination for his contribution to Stanley Clarke's "Where Is the Love", a duet also featuring Amel Larrieux.

Lewis left Epic Records in 2005 and in 2006, he signed with Underdog Entertainment. The album project recorded with The Underdogs entitled, "Remember Me" was slated for release in 2007, but was never released. Shortly thereafter, Lewis parted ways with The Underdogs and in 2009, Lewis reconnected with Andre Harris and Vidal Davis "Dre & Vidal", the producers of his first album, "World Outside My Window" and was rumoured to be recording material for a new album. His lastest unofficial single "Good One" was not scheduled for release, however a popular soul music website leaked the song on December 14, 2010 leading Lewis to officially release the song the following week.

As of November 9, 2011, Lewis signed with EMI/Capitol records through Ruffhouse Entertainment which is expecting to release Lewis' 1st official single in early 2013 with an album tentatively scheduled for later that year. On April 29th, 2013 Lewis' first official single "Can't Say Love" debuted on his official website. His album "Moment of Truth" is scheduled to be released August 20th, 2013.