O'Bryan

O'Bryan, a multi-instrumentalist, first gained entry into the industry when a friend from the Southern California choir where he sang as a young adult married Ron Kersey, the Philadelphia veteran who had backed acts including the Trammps during the 1970s. Following the friend’s endorsement, Kersey placed O’Bryan in a new group that disbanded almost at once; he then arranged an introduction to Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, who secured O’Bryan a contract with Capitol. Across the 1980s the singer issued four albums and placed nine singles on the R&B charts. His faster material often suggested a more radio-friendly Prince, while his ballads stayed squarely within urban contemporary bounds. “The Gigolo” climbed to number five in 1982, and further up-tempo and ballad releases followed over the next several years; “I’m Freaky,” which echoed “Gigolo,” proved the strongest of those efforts, though “Lovelite” achieved the biggest success. In 2007 O’Bryan resurfaced with the ballad-focused F1RST, released digitally on the Headstorm label and planned for CD issue.