Kem (singer)
Encyclopedia
KEM Owens professionally known as "'KEM'", is an American
R&B
/soul
singer, songwriter
, and producer
. He was raised in Detroit, Michigan
.
, and isolation from his family.
He did not overcome these issues until he turned to spirituality and music, as he has said, "My career didn't take off until I connected with my spirituality. That's why I take time on stage and on the album to administer spirituality to people. That's one of the things that I am most proud of."
Kem Is also very well received by older listeners of R&B/Soul for his classy sound and not incorporating elements of Hip-hop music.
He has two daughters, Troi and Laylah.
He was later signed by Motown Records
in November 2001, who re-released the album on February 25, 2003, and sold more than 500,000 copies nationwide. The album's first single, "Love Calls", became a hit at urban adult contemporary
and smooth jazz
radio, and USA Today
pegged it early on as a "Motown classic." His debut went gold-plus.
He followed his debut release with a second album, Album II, released May 17, 2005 and sold more than 500,000 copies nationwide. It included the hit single "I Can't Stop Loving You", a # 1 at urban adult contemporary radio, and the song "You Might Win" featuring Stevie Wonder
on harmonica
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He was raised in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
.
Biography
After finishing high school, KEM dealt with homelessness, addictionSubstance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, and isolation from his family.
He did not overcome these issues until he turned to spirituality and music, as he has said, "My career didn't take off until I connected with my spirituality. That's why I take time on stage and on the album to administer spirituality to people. That's one of the things that I am most proud of."
Kem Is also very well received by older listeners of R&B/Soul for his classy sound and not incorporating elements of Hip-hop music.
He has two daughters, Troi and Laylah.
Career
He wrote, produced, and financed his self-released debut album, Kemistry, with his American Express and singing top 40 cover tunes in a wedding band and waiting tables.He was later signed by Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
in November 2001, who re-released the album on February 25, 2003, and sold more than 500,000 copies nationwide. The album's first single, "Love Calls", became a hit at urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
and smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
radio, and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
pegged it early on as a "Motown classic." His debut went gold-plus.
He followed his debut release with a second album, Album II, released May 17, 2005 and sold more than 500,000 copies nationwide. It included the hit single "I Can't Stop Loving You", a # 1 at urban adult contemporary radio, and the song "You Might Win" featuring Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
on harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
.
Albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | RIAA certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
|||
| 2003 | Kemistry Kemistry (album) Kemistry is the debut studio album by R&B singer/songwriter Kem. The album was released on February 25, 2003. The song "Love Calls" was released as a single and reached #25 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs...
|
90 | 14 | Gold |
| 2005 | Album II Album II (Kem album) Album II is the second studio album by R&B/Soul singer Kem, released May 17, 2005. This will be the final release for the Kem album for Motown records before the label ceased operations... |
5 | 1 | Gold |
| 2010 | Intimacy: Album III Intimacy: Album III -Track listing:- Chart positions :-Year-end charts:... |
2 | 2 | |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B/Hip-Hop | |||
| 2003 | "Love Calls" | — | 25 | Kemistry |
| 2005 | "I Can't Stop Loving You" | 84 | 20 | Album II |
| "Find Your Way (Back in My Life)" | — | 37 | ||
| "Into You" | — | 79 | ||
| 2010 | "Why Would You Stay" | 102 | 17 | Intimacy: Album III |
| "Share My Life" | — | 25 | ||
| 2011 | "If It's Love" | — | 24 |
Awards and nominations
- 2005 Billboard Music AwardBillboard Music AwardThe Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
win for Top Adult R&B Single of the Year: "I Can't Stop Loving You" - 2005 Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Adult R&B Artist of the Year (lost to Fantasia).
- 2011 53rd Grammy Awards Best R&B Male Performance (Nomination)
- 2011 53rd Grammy Awards Best R&B Song "Why Would You Stay" (Nomination)
External links
- MusicByKEM.com -Official site