Eric Benét, (born Eric Benét Jordan on October 15,
1970) is an American singer. His duet with Tamia, "Spend My
Life With You" was a number one song for three weeks on the
US Billboard R&B chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award in
2000.
Benét was his mother's maiden name, and he was born in Mobile,
Alabama and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is the youngest of
five siblings.
Benét sang with a Top 100-style group called Gerard in the
late 1980s. Benét, his sister Lisa, and his cousin George
Nash Jr. formed a band called Benét and released a self-titled
album in 1992, but it only sold 100,000 copies.
Benét's career, however, was interrupted by a series of personal
tragedies. His father died of cancer. His girlfriend Tami Marie Stauff
died on 29 April 1993 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident;
their daughter, India, was born in 1991.
From 2001 to 2005, he was married to Halle Berry. [2] On 31 July
2011, he married Prince's ex-wife, Manuela Testolini, who is pregnant
with their first child. [3]
[edit] Career
In 1994, Benét signed with Warner Bros. Records, releasing
his solo debut album, True to Myself, in 1996. Individual songs from
the album were successful, including the top-ten R&B hits "Spiritual
Thang", "Femininity" and "Let's Stay Together," which
appeared on the soundtrack of the film A Thin Line Between Love and
Hate.
"
Don't Forget The Love" by Jeff Lorber feat. CeCe Peniston
CeCe Peniston singing lead vocals on a song written by Jeff Lorber
and Benet, released on the Lorber's album West Side Stories in
1994
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
In between albums, Eric collaborated with Something For The People
on their 1997 album "This Time It's Personal" singing leads
on the single "Act Like You Want It". His next album, A
Day in the Life, was released in 1999. Its first single, "Georgy
Porgy (featuring Faith Evans)" received significant airplay,
but the second single, "Spend My Life With You (featuring Tamia)",
became a smash hit. "Spend My Life With You" rose to number
one on the American R&B charts, was certified gold, and nominated
for a 2000 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or
Group. The album, A Day in the Life also won a Soul Train Music Award
for Best R&B/Soul Album, Male.
Benét also recorded for Earth, Wind, and Fire's 30th anniversary
CD. He contributed vocals to the post-Katrina charity single, "Heart
of America" along with Michael McDonald, Wynonna Judd, and Terry
Dexter. He has also lent his vocals to many jazz albums for such
artists as Wayman Tisdale, George Duke, Chris Botti, Jeff Lorber,
Boney James, etc.
Benét recorded his following album Better and Better in 2001,
but Warner Bros. rejected to release this album and forced him to
stay in R&B genre. Due to the controversy about music style and
creative freedom, Benét changed to Reprise-distributed label
Friday Records and recorded next album, Hurricane.[4][5] Hurricane
was his third studio album released on June 21, 2005 in the US. "I
Wanna Be Loved" was the song that received the most airplay.
The single reached No. 2 on the Urban Adult Contemporary chart.
His fourth album Love & Life was released on September 9, 2008.
This album debuted at No. 11 on Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop
Albums chart, making his own highest peak position since A Day in
the Life in 1999.[6] The first single "You're The Only One" is
also his first top twenty hit on the R&B chart in two years.
Lost in Time was Benét's fifth studio album which was released
in the US on November 30, 2010. The first single "Sometimes
I Cry" reached No. 1 on the Hot Adult R&B Songs Chart.[clarification
needed] With its musical direction representing Benet's homage to
the sweet soul sound of the early to mid 1970s, the album featured
duets with Faith Evans; Chrisette Michelle; Ledisi; and Eddie Levert
of The O'Jays.[7]
[edit] Acting career
Benét has also been active as an actor; he had a recurring
role on the television program For Your Love (1998–2002). He
made his film debut alongside Mariah Carey in Glitter (2001). He
has a recurring role on the MTV scripted show "Kaya" (2007)
where he plays a music producer. Benet appeared on Half & Half
in which he portrayed Reece Wilcox in 2005.
His second feature film role "Trinity Goodheart" premiered
at the American Black Film Festival on July 9th, 2011 and is set
to premiere on GMC on August 20th, 2011.[8]
[edit] Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
2000, Nominee (Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group) "Spend My Life
with You" (with Tamia)
2009, Nominee (Best R&B Male Performance) "You're the Only One"
2009, Nominee (Best R&B Album) Love & Life
NAACP Image Awards
1997, Nominee (Outstanding New Artists) "True To Myself"
2000, Nominee (Outstanding Male Artist) "A Day In The Life"
2000, Winner (Outstanding Song) "Spend My Life With You" - Songwriter:
Eric Benet
2000, Nominee (Outstanding Album) "A Day In The Life"
2001, Nominee (Outstanding Male Artist) "When You Think of Me" (featuring
Roy Ayers)
2001, Nominee (Outstanding Music Video) "When You Think of Me" (Directed
by Prentice Smith)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
Year Album details Chart positions[9] Certifications[10][11]
(sales threshold)
US US R&B
1996 True To Myself
First studio album
Release date: September 24, 1996
Label: Warner Bros.
174 38
US: 295,000
1999 A Day In The Life
Second studio album
Release date: April 27, 1999
Label: Warner Bros.
25 6
US: Gold (897,000)
2001 Better And Better
Unreleased studio album
Release date: N/A
Label: Warner Bros.
— —
2005 Hurricane
Third studio album
Release date: June 21, 2005
Label: Friday / Reprise
133 27
US: 170,000
2008 Love & Life
Fourth studio album
Release date: September 9, 2008
Label: Friday / Reprise
11 2
2010 Lost In Time
Fifth studio album
Release date: November 30, 2010
Label: Reprise
33 8
"—"
denotes releases that did not chart
[edit] Singles
Year Title Chart positions Album
U.S. U.S.
R&B
1996 "Let's Stay Together" - 45 True to Myself
"
Spiritual Thang" - 41
1997 "Femininity" - 24
"
True to Myself" - 43
1999 "Georgy Porgy" (featuring Faith Evans) 56 15 A Day
in the Life
"
Spend My Life with You" (featuring Tamia) 22 1
2000 "When You Think of Me" - 46
2001 "Love Don't Love Me" - 38 Better & Better (Unreleased)
2005 "I Wanna Be Loved" - 28 Hurricane
"
Hurricane" - -
2006 "Where Does the Love Go" (with Yvonne Catterfeld)
- -
"
Pretty Baby" - 44
2008 "You're the Only One" 106 17 Love & Life
"
The Hunger" - 49
2009 "Chocolate Legs" - 36
2010 "Sometimes I Cry" 107 16 Lost in Time
"
Never Want to Live Without You"