Karyn White (born Karyn Layvonne White on October 14, 1965) is a Pop/R&B singer who became popular during the late 1980s.
Biography
White was born in Los Angeles, the youngest of five children. She sang in a church choir and worked as a backing singer, then sang on Jeff Lorber's single "Facts of Love" before signing to Warner Bros. Records.
White married Terry Lewis in 1992 and together they had a daughter, Ashley Nicole. They eventually divorced, and she later married producer/musician Bobby G. (AKA Mr. Vegas), a virtuoso guitarist.
Recent times
She currently resides in Rocklin, California, a suburb of Sacramento, and runs a successful interior design and real estate business [1]. In 2006 she recorded a new album, titled Sista Sista; which was slated for release in 2006, but has since been shelved. Two tracks from the shelved album, "All I Do" and "Disconnected", were later released on the Best-Of compilation Superwoman: The Best She was also slated to appear on the Soul Train Music Awards, in a tribute to Kenny "BabyFace" Edmunds.
Career
White's self-titled debut album Karyn White was released in 1988. It was produced by L.A. Reid & Babyface and achieved platinum status. Karyn White contained the hit singles "The Way You Love Me", "Secret Rendezvous" (#6 in the U.S., her biggest hit at the time), "Superwoman" and "Love Saw It" a duet with Babyface.
Her follow-up album was Ritual of Love in 1991. It had songs produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and featured the hit single "Romantic", which hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Other singles from the album include "The Way I Feel About You" (U.S. #12), "Walkin' the Dog," and "Do Unto Me" (the last two did not chart). The photographer and director Matthew Rolston directed the video for the hit single Romantic. Michael Walls, who is credited as stylist on the Ritual of Love album, worked closely with Karyn White on the look for the Ritual of Love cover and 3 of the music videos released for the album. Walls brainstomed the idea for the Chanel inspired simple pearls and black dress used on the album cover, the french maid look and multiple wardrobe changes for the "The Way I feel About You" video, and the colorful "Walkin' the Dog" video, which was based on a scene from the film Sweet Charity.
Her next album was Make Him Do Right in 1994. The album did not sell particularly well, although she did chart with the singles "Hungah" and the Babyface-penned "Can I Stay With You", which became her final U.S. R&B Top 10 hit in early 1995. "I'd Rather Be Alone", her last chart single to date, peaked at #50 on the same chart later that year. White left Warner Bros. Records afterwards, and dropped out of the music public eye for many years to start a family.
Discography
Studio albums
Compilation albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart positions |
U.S.
certifications |
Record label |
| U.S. |
U.S.
R&B |
UK |
| 2007 |
Superwoman: The Best of Karyn White |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Shout! Factory |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified |
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Chart positions[2][3] |
Album |
| U.S. |
U.S.
R&B |
U.S.
Dance |
UK |
| 1986 |
"Facts of Love" (Jeff Lorber featuring Karyn White) |
27 |
17 |
9 |
95 |
Private Passion |
| 1987 |
"True Confessions" (Jeff Lorber featuring Karyn White) |
— |
88 |
— |
— |
| 1988 |
"The Way You Love Me" |
7 |
1 |
5 |
42 |
Karyn White |
| "Superwoman" |
8 |
1 |
— |
11 |
| 1989 |
"Love Saw It" (with Babyface) |
— |
1 |
— |
— |
| "Secret Rendezvous" |
6 |
4 |
1 |
22 |
| "Slow Down" |
— |
36 |
— |
— |
| "Not Thru Being with You" (Michael Jeffries with Karyn White) |
— |
32 |
— |
99 |
Michael Jeffries |
| 1991 |
"Romantic" |
1 |
1 |
6 |
23 |
Ritual of Love |
| "The Way I Feel About You" |
12 |
5 |
— |
65 |
| 1992 |
"Walkin' the Dog" |
— |
34 |
— |
— |
| "Do Unto Me" |
— |
24 |
— |
— |
| 1994 |
"Hungah" |
78 |
18 |
10 |
68 |
Make Him Do Right |
| "Can I Stay with You" |
81 |
10 |
— |
— |
| 1995 |
"I'd Rather Be Alone" |
— |
50 |
— |
— |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart or was not released |
Awards and nominations
See also
References
External links
