Calvin Richardson

Calvin Richardson is one of the most reliable keepers of the soul-music flame. USA Today

Calvin Richardson is all about soul. Having come of age in the hip-hop era, he is nonetheless totally dedicated to carrying on great traditions of classic soul music into the contemporary era and the future.

Calvin Richardson came by his soulful style honestly. Born in Monroe, North Carolina, the fitfth of nine children, Calvin had a strong musical upbringing. His mother sang in the local gospel group, The Willing Wonders, and he sang with them as a youth, but he was able to listen to secular soul music and funk and was particularly inspired by Bobby Womack, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Donny Hathaway. Singing on the gospel circuit he met and became friends with Cedric K-Ci Hailey and Joel Jo Jo Hailey, who went on to form the hit-making group Jodeci in the early Nineties. Calvin launched a solo career that resulted in his debut solo album Country Boy on Uptown/Universal Records in 1999. Angie Stone heard a demo of his song More Than A Woman and invited him to duet with her on a version of the song for her album Mahogany Soul. Calvins second album release 2:35PM (Hollywood) in 2003, went on to sell more than 250,000 copies. 2:35PM revealed Calvin as an authentic soul singer bringing a classic vocal style to a contemporary production sound. In 2008, Calvin Richardson released his debut on Numo Records / Shanachie Entertainment When Love Comes, followed by 2009s Facts of Life: The Soul of Bobby Womack for which he received two Grammy nominations and 2010s critically acclaimed Americas Most Wanted.

An accomplished songwriter, Calvin Richardson recently enjoyed success with Charlie Wilsons #1 hit and Grammy^ Nominated song There Goes My Baby, which he co-wrote and for which he won an ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award. Calvin's "You're So Amazing" was a Top 20 Billboard single. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.