Music heavy hitters have taken center stage at the 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Abbott Elementary star and Emmy award winner Sheryl Lee Ralph hit the field for a beautiful rendition of The Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Chris Stapleton performed “The National Anthem.” Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Kenneth “Babyface” Evans gave a unique rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Dressed in all Black, accessorizing with sunglasses, and accompanied by his guitar, the “When Can I See You Again” star performed it without much pomp and circumstance, and focused on a more acoustic version, taking his time to get through the song. While it was his first Super Bowl performance, Babyface has an impressive resume.
He’s won 12 Grammy Awards throughout his career thus far, including Album of the Year in 1994 for producing the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, Best R&B song in 1995 for writing Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You”; Best R&B album in 2015 for the collaborative album Love, Marriage & Divorce with his protegee Toni Braxton, and three separate wins for Producer of the Year.
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The Indianapolis native’s love for songwriting began when he was just a child, penning his first song for a girl he had a crush on. He never put the pen down. Before making it big as a force in the industry, he played keyboards and guitar in the funk and R&B group the Deele, which also included iconic record executive Antonio “L.A.” Reid.ย
Together, Reid and Babyface would form LaFace Records, signing the likes of TLC, Braxton, Usher, and Outkast to name a few. The label was formed in 1989 under Arista Records.ย
Babyface has also written and produced for the likes of Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, and Pebbles. Ariana Grande. His latest album is a collective of R&B female vocalists with 2022′ Girls Night Out.
