Biography
Gospel-trained soul vocalist Sam Salter sang for years in the choir at the Faithful Church of God in Christ in his hometown of Los Angeles before making his move into secular music with the 1997 debut album It’s On Tonight. Early on he also absorbed the classic soul stylings of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, which helped him claim victories in multiple local talent competitions during his teenage years. A demo he recorded reached super producer L.A. Reid, then co-head of LaFace Records, leading to a contract with the prominent urban R&B imprint.
Teaming with the label’s other principal, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Salter completed the sessions for It’s On Tonight. Plans for a follow-up titled Little Black Book advanced as far as a mid-2000 release date, with promotional copies already circulated to press outlets, yet LaFace ultimately scrapped the project and it never reached stores. After parting ways with the label, Salter began preparing a third album, sharing several tracks via social media, though that collection likewise remained unreleased.
He turned his focus to songwriting, contributing material recorded by Tyrese, B2K, El DeBarge, Charlie Wilson, and Solé, and he also took on work as a recording engineer. Sam Salter died on August 27, 2021, at the age of 46.
Teaming with the label’s other principal, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Salter completed the sessions for It’s On Tonight. Plans for a follow-up titled Little Black Book advanced as far as a mid-2000 release date, with promotional copies already circulated to press outlets, yet LaFace ultimately scrapped the project and it never reached stores. After parting ways with the label, Salter began preparing a third album, sharing several tracks via social media, though that collection likewise remained unreleased.
He turned his focus to songwriting, contributing material recorded by Tyrese, B2K, El DeBarge, Charlie Wilson, and Solé, and he also took on work as a recording engineer. Sam Salter died on August 27, 2021, at the age of 46.
Albums
