Gregory Abbott

Born to an American birthplace yet holding dual citizenship thanks to his heritage, Gregory Abbott draws his lineage from Venezuela through his mother and from Antigua via his father. His path as a decorated singer, composer, producer, and instrumentalist first unfolded in New York City, where his mother guided his early piano lessons and urged the growth of his vocal gifts. At eight he performed with the celebrated St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir, contributing to both a recorded album and broadcast appearances. University studies found him concentrating in psychology while pursuing minors in music and dramatic arts, the latter field yielding a master’s degree. During undergraduate and graduate work at Boston University, Berkeley, and Stanford, he offset expenses by assembling a local band whose performances helped crystallize his individual sound.

He later instructed English at Berkeley while sustaining his musical devotion, eventually committing fully to a professional career. Constructing his own studio, Abbott applied academic rigor to mastery of singing, songwriting, guitar, composition, production, keyboards, and drums. An early project for an independent label featured him duetting with Whitney Houston, whose mother Cissy Houston supplied backing vocals. He next produced the Atlantic Records act EQ under chairman Ahmet Ertegun. The subsequent single and album Shake You Down propelled him into the industry spotlight, earning extensive recognition. The platinum-certified single achieved the quickest ascent to one million airplays in BMI history and captured that organization’s Pop Song of the Year honor for its unmatched performance count.

Abbott’s work has transcended all conventional boundaries. He originated the phrase “groove ballad” to characterize his hallmark approach, prompting writers and reviewers to apply the affectionate label “Wall Street soul.” His poised presence and striking green eyes have long endeared him to female audiences, while the emotional power and depth projected through his recordings account for much of his appeal. “Shake You Down” topped the Billboard pop, R&B, adult contemporary, and dance singles charts, finishing as the number-three pop song of the year in the publication’s annual summary.

The array of honors proved extensive. Abbott secured two Soul Train Music Awards for Best Male Singer and Best New Artist. At the New York Music Awards he claimed four trophies: Best R&B Album, Best Debut Album, Best R&B Vocalist, and the Rising Star Award. Additional accolades arrived at Dick Clark’s Black Gold ceremonies, the R&B Awards in Las Vegas, a N.Y. Image Award, and two CEBA Awards. Photographers frequently sought his image, resulting in layouts such as a six-page fashion feature in Playboy and an appearance among Playgirl’s ten sexiest male recording artists. Observers routinely cite the elegance and refinement he embodies. In Japan he received top honors at the Tokyo Music Festival, and the title track from his follow-up album, I’ll Prove It to You, was placed in a Japanese film soundtrack. Belgium saw him film a video alongside Princess Stephanie of Monaco, while Portugal audiences heard him conduct interviews in their language. He recorded a bilingual duet in English and Portuguese with Brazilian vocalist Rosanna and participated in Russia’s MSLTW songwriters summit. An Epic Records album assembled from material created there by twenty leading American and Russian songwriters—including Cyndi Lauper, Brenda Russell, Diane Warren, Barry Mann, Mike Stoller, and Michael Bolton—aimed to foster international goodwill. The composition Abbott contributed at the event was later interpreted by Spanish artist Emmanuel.

Stateside, Abbott supplied vocals for The Cosby Show and released the Caribbean-infused album One World!, conceived as a tribute to his parents. Soundtrack and television placements encompassed White Lion, Hearts Afire, Evening Shade with Burt Reynolds, Tap with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr., and Living Single starring Queen Latifah. Songwriting has remained central; he has observed, “I started off as a songwriter, and I guess I’ll always be that first.” Credits include work for EQ, Rosanna, Emmanuel, Mona Lisa, Ronnie Spector, Freda Payne, and Jennifer Warnes on her hit “Rock You Gently.” Eyes, Whispers, Rhythm, Sex…, issued in 2000, presented a stronger groove orientation than earlier projects.