It Wasn’t Until Years Later He Figured Out He Was A ‘Good’ Songwriter…
According to Edmonds, he wasn’t even trying to write hits at first.
“You might feel good about [writing songs], but I didn’t know whether I could write a hit or not,” Babyface tells the source. “In the beginning, I don’t know if I was trying to write hits…I was just writing love songs.”
“I first wrote a song for Midnight Star called ‘Slow Jam.’ Dick Griffey (President of Solar Records) connected me to write for the Whispers (the hit ‘Rock Steady’). Dick was very helpful in my career early on.”
“He was one of the first record company men who recognized that I was a songwriter, and who was interested in my songs,” Edmonds recalls. “And not only did he push me to be a songwriter, but he pushed me to be an artist…a solo artist. He’s the one that got involved and said, ‘this is something you should do.’”
According to All Music, prior to joining The Deele, Babyface wrote a song, as part of the group Manchild, called “Especially For You” in 1977. However, according to the source, The Deele was signed to Solar Records in late 1983. The group’s song, “Body Talk,” made it to Billboard Top 100 that year.
But after his many years working alongside L.A. Reid, Kenny Edmonds has since worked with several other enormous celebrities in the music industry — making him who he is today.
All in all, let us know your thoughts about his humble beginnings. If you have any comments, feel free to share them via our Facebook page.
