Karyn Layvonne White (born October 14, 1965) is a new jack swing singer
who became popular during the late 1980s.
White was born in Los Angeles,to Vivian and Clarence White. She is
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.
[edit] 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 2009
as a tribute to Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds. Unfortunately
this performance was canceled when Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds
and Antonio "L.A" Reid withdrew from the Soul Train ceremony,
declining the honor.
[edit] 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. White was nominated in the Best R&B/Urban
Contemporary New Artist category for the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards.She
was also nominated for two Grammy Awards. She became the first female
artist to have their first three solo releases hit #1 on the R&B
charts.
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
video of "The Way I feel About You", 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.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
Year Album Chart positions[2][3] US
certifications[4] Record label
US US
R&B UK
1988 Karyn White 19 1 20 Platinum Warner Bros.
1991 Ritual of Love 53 7 31 Gold
1994 Make Him Do Right 99 22 — —
"—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified
[edit] Compilation albums
Year Album Chart positions US
certifications Record label
US US
R&B UK
1995 Sweet & Sensual — — — — WEA Japan
2007 Superwoman: The Best of Karyn White — — — —
Shout! Factory
"—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified
[edit] Singles
Year Single Chart positions[2][3] Album
US US
R&B US
Dance US
A/C UK
1986 "Facts of Love" (with Jeff Lorber) 27 17 9 —
95 Private Passion
1987 "True Confessions" (with Jeff Lorber) — 88 —
— —
1988 "The Way You Love Me" 7 1 5 38 42 Karyn White
"Superwoman" 8 1 — 12 11
1989 "Love Saw It" (with Babyface) — 1 — —
—
"Secret Rendezvous" 6 4 1 — 52
"Slow Down" — 36 — — —
"Secret Rendezvous" (re-release) — — —
— 22
"The Way You Love Me" (re-release) — — —
— 82
"Not Thru Being with You" (with Michael Jeffries) —
32 — — 99 Michael Jeffries
1991 "Romantic" 1 1 6 37 23 Ritual of Love
"The Way I Feel About You" 12 5 — 35 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" 120 50 — — —
"—" denotes the single failed to chart
[edit] Awards and nominations
Year Award
1989 American Music Award nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B New
Artist
1989 Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best New Artist, Best R&B/Urban
Contemporary Single, Female and Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Album,
Female
1989 Billboard Music Award win for No. 1 R&B Single of the Year
("Superwoman"). [1]
1989 Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
("The Way You Love Me").
1990 Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
("Superwoman").
1990 American Music Award nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Album
- (Karyn White).