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Reggie Calloway

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Reggie Calloway
Born
Reginald LeVon Calloway

(1955-01-23) January 23, 1955 (age 69)
Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S.
EducationKentucky State University
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • musician
  • record and finance executive
Years active1970–present
Relatives
  • Vincent Calloway (brother)
  • Julius Calloway (uncle)
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Formerly of
Websitereggiecalloway.com

Reggie Calloway (born January 23, 1955) is a Grammy nominated American singer, songwriter, record producer, musician and record executive. His career spans 45 years in the entertainment industry. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as the founder and leader of the music group, Midnight Star whose album No Parking on the Dance Floor reached #2 on Billboard's R&B Album charts and was certified Platinum X2.[1]

Calloway later teamed up with his brother Vincent, forming the R&B duo Calloway whose single I Wanna Be Rich charted at #2 on Billboard's Pop chart.[2] Casanova, recorded by LeVert and written and produced by Calloway, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song[3] and charted at #1 on Billboard's R&B's chart.[4] He has written and produced songs for Natalie Cole, NSYNC, Klymaxx, The Whispers, and Teddy Pendergrass, among others. Love Overboard, written by Calloway and recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips, won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo with a Vocal.[5] Music written and produced by Calloway has been sampled in recordings by such artists as Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Busta Rhymes, Eric B. & Rakim, E-40, Doug E. Fresh, A Lighter Shade of Brown, Usher (musician), Young MC, Sugar Ray, and numerous others.[6]

Calloway is an avid speaker and advocate for the rights of creatives in the entertainment industry. He serves as President of the California Copyright Conference Scholarship Fund and serves on the national advisory board for the Archives of African American Music and Culture as well as serving on the board of directors at The Funk Music Hall of Fame and IAFAR.[7][8][9] In 2022, Calloway was inducted into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.[10]

Early life

[edit]

Reginald LeVon Calloway was born to parents Irvin and Gloria (née Gilchrist) Calloway in Cheyenne, Wyoming. His father was in the Air Force, stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. His parents divorced in 1963 and his mother (Gloria) married William Larson and they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1964.[11] His mother opened her first business, Larson's Flower Barn and Ice Cream Parlor, where Calloway and his brothers Greg and Vincent worked until its closure in 1970.[12][13][14] Calloway has two siblings, brothers Gregory and Vincent.

In Jr. High School Calloway played basketball, football, and trumpet and was his school's Student Council President.[15] He attended Woodward High School where he played trumpet in the high school band and was Senior Class President.[16] By the mid-1970s, the Calloway family was deeply involved in the funk and jazz scene of Cincinnati. In 1975 Reggie and brothers Vincent and Gregory, along with friends John Jones and Ruben Jordan, formed the jazz-fusion group SunChild. They released their first single on their own label, Starbound Records. During the summer of 1975, SunChild served as the back-up band for Sonny Stitt. Calloway attended Kentucky State University majoring in music theory and composition where he was Scholar of the Year, was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and was included in the, Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges book in 1977.[17][18] He formed the electro-funk band Midnight Star consisting of other music students at KSU. His brother Vincent joined the group shortly afterward.[12] To be able to focus on music full-time the band moved into Calloway's vacant grandparent's house in Louisville, Kentucky. It was during this period that the band showcased in New York and were discovered by talent scouts that would later lead to a record deal. They later moved into his mother's (Gloria) house in Cincinnati, where they lived for four years, and she became the manager of the group.[19][20]

Career

[edit]

Reggie Calloway is a singer, songwriter, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and owner of record label, Spiral Galaxy Entertainment, and publishing company, Calloco Music, Inc.

Midnight Star

[edit]

Midnight Star was formed by Calloway in 1976 while attending Kentucky State University. The band, consisting of Calloway, Belinda Lipscomb, Melvin Gentry, Kenneth Gant, Bill Simmons, Bo Watson, and Jeff Cooper, were all students at the university. They later added non-KSU students Vincent Calloway (Reggie's younger brother) and Bobby Lovelace.[19][21]

Calloway was the leader of the band, writing, arranging, and producing songs for the nine-piece ensemble. He studied hit songs on the radio, paying close attention to what DJs were spinning in the clubs and hosted listening parties for his family and friends at home. Solar Records President Dick Griffey signed the band in 1979 and helped fine-tune their sound through the first three albums.[22] Calloway honed in on production skills by shadowing songwriter/producers Leon Sylvers III and Harvey Mason in the recording studio. While speaking on the topic of the importance of mentoring, Calloway discussed an encounter he had with Quincy Jones, "The good Lord brought Quincy Jones into my life, a half hour session with Jones after his concert led to Midnight Star's breakthrough hit, “No Parking on the Dance Floor."[23]

Calloway's use of synthesizer based beats, a fusion of R&B, funk, and pop, along with Vincent Calloway on vocoder, gave the group their signature techno-funk sound.[24] He recorded six albums with the group, releasing such Top-10 singles as Operator, Freak-A-Zoid, and Wet My Whistle. No Parking On the Dance Floor was listed on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Singles of 1984.[25] Calloway departed the group in 1986 with his brother Vincent to pursue other music ventures.[26]

Calloway

[edit]

Calloway, the music duo, was formed by Calloway with his brother Vincent. They released two albums, All the Way and Let's Get Smooth. Their single, I Wanna Be Rich, charted at #2 on Billboard's Pop chart as well as certifying Gold.[27]

Calloway's self-released 2009 debut solo album, Bring Back the Love, received favorable reviews.[28][29]

Additional singles

[edit]

In 2017, Calloway and his brother Reggie released the charity single, Houston, after schools in Houston were badly flooded by Hurricane Harvey. Additional artists on the recording project were Walter and Wallace Scott of The Whispers and Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge, Kevin Toney of The Blackbyrds, Freddie Washington, Brian O'Neal of The BusBoys, and Herman Jackson. All proceeds from the song were donated to the Houston Independent School District.[30]

In 2020, the Calloways released the single, Politics, hoping to bring awareness about voting registration and voting participation. "My brother, Vincent, and I have written and recorded, “Politics,” one of the most important songs of our careers, at a time of one of the most important elections of all time," said Calloway.[31]

Calloway provided vocals on Skip Martin's 2021 charity single, People Get Ready, along with artists Stevie Wonder, Ray Parker Jr., Taylor Dayne, and Howard Hewett, among others. All proceeds were donated to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The single has been compared to, We Are the World, and charted at #1 the World Indie Music Charts in 2022.[32][33][34]

Writing and producing

[edit]

Dick Griffey, the President and owner of SOLAR Records, who had signed Midnight Star, asked Calloway and the band if they knew of any other talented groups in the Ohio area. Calloway and Midnight star had signed the music group, The Deele, to their production company Mid-Star (which included band members Kenny Babyface Edmunds and LA Reid). Calloway pitched the band to Griffey which led to him signing the group. "He signed them unheard based on our reputation, but they had the music to back it up," recalled Calloway.[35] He produced their 1983 album, Street Beat, containing the #2 single Body Talk, as well as co-writing singles, Street Beat and Video Villain.[36]

While still writing, producing and performing in Midnight Star, Calloway continued producing and writing for other artists. In the early 1980s he also co-produced, Radio Activity by Royalcash and co-wrote and produced singles, Contagious and Never Too Late for The Whispers. In 1985 he co-wrote the title track for Klymaxx's album Meeting in the Ladies Room and co-produced Hello Stranger for Carrie Lucas.

By the mid-1980s, Calloway had become a prominent writer and producer for other artists.[37] In 1987 his song, Jump Start, recorded by Natalie Cole was said by the press to have literally "jump started" her music career[38] and Love Overboard, written by Calloway and recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips, won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo with a Vocal as well as being listed as one of their Top 10 Hits.[39] Atlantic Records brought him in on LeVert's album project resulting in Calloway writing and producing, Casanova, which earned Calloway a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song and LeVert a nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with a Vocal.[40][41]

In 1988, Calloway wrote and produced the #1 single, Joy, recorded by Teddy Pendergrass and in 1993, Believe in Love, both of which made the Teddy Pendergrass Top 10 Songs by Classic Rock History.[42] Pendergrass also recorded Happy Kwanzaa, Having a Christmas Party, and I Won't Have Christmas (all written and produced by Calloway), which were released on his 1998 holiday album, This Christmas (I'd Rather Have Love).[43]

Other ventures

[edit]

Calloway was instrumental in developing options for artists to receive advances without giving up ownership of their creative works. He serves as the Director of Music Royalty Funding at Sound Royalties and was the co-founder and co-owner of the Royalty Exchange.[8][44]

Singles

[edit]
Year Song Artist Credit
1983 Freak-A-Zoid Midnight Star Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
Radio Activity[45] Royalcash Co-producer
1984 No Parking On the Dance Floor Midnight Star Vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
Operator Midnight Star Writer, musician, producer, music arranger
Body Talk The Deele Producer, vocal and music arranger
Contagious The Whispers Writer, producer
Never Too Late The Whispers Writer, producer
1985 Meeting in the Ladies Room Klymaxx Writer, co-producer, musician, music arranger
Some Kinda Lover The Whispers Producer
Hello Stranger Carrie Lucas Co-producer
Scientific Love Midnight Star Writer, musician, producer, music arranger
1986 Midas touch Midnight Star Writer, musician, producer, music arranger
Headlines Midnight Star Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
Engine No. 9 Midnight Star Writer, musician, producer, music arranger
1987 Jump Start Natalie Cole Writer, musician, producer, music arranger
Casanova LeVert Writer, musician, producer, music arranger
Love Overboard Gladys Knight & the Pips Writer, musician, producer, music arranger
1988 Joy Teddy Pendergrass Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
1989 I Wanna Be Rich Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
1990 All the Way Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
Sir Lancelot Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
1991 Elevator Sweet Obsession Writer, producer
1992 Let's Get Smooth Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
1993 Believe in Love Teddy Pendergrass Writer, musician, producer, music arranger
1994 Let's Get Smooth (Jam's Remix)[46] Calloway ft. Pieces of a Dream Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
1998 Happy Kwanzaa[47] Teddy Pendergrass Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger, engineer
2000 I'll Be Good For You[9] NSYNC Writer
2009 Bring Back the Love[28] Reggie Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
2017 Houston[30] Reggie Calloway, Vincent Calloway (and various artists) Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger
People Get Ready[33] Skip Martin (and various artists) Vocals, engineer
2020 Politics[31] Reggie and Vincent Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger, engineer
2021 Sabrina[48] Reggie Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, producer, music arranger

Singles Billboard Chart

[edit]
Year Single Peak chart positions
US R&B
[49] 		US Hot 100
 US Dance
 NLD
[50] 		UK
[51]
1983 Freak-A-Zoid[52] 1 18 15 — ―
Radioactivity[53] 39 — — — —
Wet My Whistle 8 61 15 — 60
1984 Operator 1 18 15 — 63
No Parking On the Dance Floor 43 81 44 — —
Body Talk 3 77 — — —
Contagious[54] 10 — 59 — 56
1985 Meeting in the Ladies Room 4 59 22 — —
Some Kinda Lover 17 — — — 91
Hello Stranger[55] 24 — — — —
Scientific Love 16 80 19 — —
1986 Midas Touch 7 42 ― 29 8
Headlines 3 69 34 — 16
Engine No. 9 11 — ― 81 64
1987 Jump Start[56][57] 2 — ― — —
Casanova[58] 1 5 27 — 9
Love Overboard[59] 1 13 ― — —
1988 Joy[60] 1 77 42 — —
Believe in Love 14 ― ― — —
Don't Rock the Boat 3 ― ― 36 —
1989 I Wanna Be Rich 5 2 ― — 100
1990 All the Way 39 63 ― — —
Sir Lancelot 19 — ― — —
1991 Elevator 74 ― — —
1992 Let's Get Smooth 33 — ― — —
2000 "I'll Be Good For You"[9] — — ― — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Discography

[edit]
Year Album Artist Credit
1980 The Beginning Midnight Star Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer
1981 Standing Together Midnight Star Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer
1982 Victory Midnight Star Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer
1983 No Parking on the Dance Floor Midnight Star Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer
1984 Planetary Invasion Midnight Star Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer
Street Beat The Deele Writer, musician, producer, music and vocal arrangement
1986 Headlines Midnight Star Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer
1989 All the Way Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer
1992 Let's Get Smooth Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer
2009 Bring Back the Love[29] Reggie Calloway Writer, vocals, musician, music arranger, producer

Billboard Album Chart

[edit]
Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds) 		Record label
US Pop
[61] 		US
R&B
[61] 		NLD
[50] 		NZ
[62] 		UK
[51]
1980 "The Beginning" — — — — — SOLAR
1981 Standing Together — 54 — — —
1982 Victory 205 58 — — —
1983 No Parking on the Dance Floor 27 2 — 30 —
1984 Planetary Invasion 32 7 — 44 85
Street Beat 78 9 — — —
1986 Headlines 56 7 — — —
1989 All the Way 63 — — — — Epic
1992 Let's Get Smooth 42 89 — — — SOLAR
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "No Parking on the Dance Floor Album Platinum Certification". RIAA. February 5, 1985. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  2. ^ "Calloway - Billboard Top 100 - I Wanna Be Rich #2". Billboard. May 5, 1990. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  3. ^ "Grammy Nomination - Reggie Calloway". Grammy. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  4. ^ "African American History - LeVert (1983 - 2006) by Sonya Morris". Black Past. April 10, 1986. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  5. ^ "Love Overboard - Grammy Win". Grammy. February 22, 1989. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "Reggie Calloway". Who Sampled. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  7. ^ "CLOSE UP: THE ROYALTY EXCHANGE by Jonathan Widran". Music Connection. June 21, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Grammy Nominee Reggie Calloway Joins Archives of African American Music & Culture Advisory Board by Fisher Jack". Lee Bailey's eurweb. August 27, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Reggie Calloway". Sync Summit. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  10. ^ "SOUND ROYALTIES' REGGIE CALLOWAY ADDED TO BLACK MUSIC WALK OF FAME". Music Connection Magazine. July 22, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  11. ^ "Statistics for City and County", The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), Page 11, January 26, 1963
  12. ^ a b "Archives of African American Music and Culture - Calloway Collection, 1966-2014". Indiana University Bloomington. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  13. ^ "Irvin Calloway Obituary". Legacy. July 3, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  14. ^ "Gloria Larson was mother of the Calloway Brothers". Funk'n Stuff. January 20, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  15. ^ "Reggie Calloway, Midnight Star Shoot for the Skies of Success by Cliff Radel", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Page 19, July 27, 1994
  16. ^ "Reggie Calloway Hits it Big by Cliff Radel", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Page 65, October 21, 1987
  17. ^ Randall, H. Pettus (1977). Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Randall Publishing Company. p. 1332.
  18. ^ "Kentucky State University 1976 Yearbook, page 51". Archive. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  19. ^ a b "Midnight Star and How it Rose by Dick Richman", St. Louis Post Dispatch, Page 25, March 7, 1985
  20. ^ "What's a Freak-A-Zoid? Only Midnight Star Knows, Richard Haag", The Charlotte News, Page 32, August 11, 1983
  21. ^ "A Band That Stands Together by James Chute", The Cincinnati Post, Page 20, June 27, 1981
  22. ^ "TIR 6: How Reggie Calloway Gave Midnight Star Its 'Midas Touch'". Funk'n Stuff. June 26, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  23. ^ "Midnight Star's 2021 Reggie Calloway regaled Kentucky State University students, faculty and alumni". Kentucky State University. July 22, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  24. ^ "How to Wreck a Nice Beach: The Vocoder from World War II to Hip-Hop, The Machine Speaks, page 146". Penguin Random House. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  25. ^ "100 Best Singles of 1984: Pop's Greatest Year". Rolling Stone. September 14, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  26. ^ "Midnight Star Shines Bright on the Horizon, by Cliff Radel", Reno Gazette-Journal, Page 26, August 23, 1987
  27. ^ "Calloway - I Wanna Be Rich Gold Certification". RIAA. April 13, 1990. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Reggie Calloway - Bring Back the Love Review". Soul Tracks. May 31, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  29. ^ a b "Reggie Calloway - Bring Back The Love Review By Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck". Enjoy the Music Magazine. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Proceeds from new 'Houston' song benefit schools hit by hurricane by Ivory Hecker". Fox 26 Houston. December 22, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  31. ^ a b "R&B Duo Calloway (Reggie and Vincent Calloway) Releases New Single "Politics"". The Urban Music Scene. October 9, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  32. ^ "People Get Ready by Skip Martin and Friends #1". World Indie Music Charts. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  33. ^ a b "Skip Martin "People Get Ready" (SINGLE)". Indie Shark Magazine. August 18, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  34. ^ "People Get Ready by Skip Martin by Garth Thomas". Indie Shark Magazine. August 18, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  35. ^ "INTERVIEW: Reggie Calloway Maintains the Midas Touch by Christopher A. Daniel". Albumism. May 26, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  36. ^ "The Deele: Street Beat / Material Thangz / Eyes Of A Stranger, Three Original Albums, 3CD Boxset Edition". Cherry Red UK. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  37. ^ "Top Hitter: Reggie Calloway is the Hottest Producer at the Moment", LA Times, Page 373, October 4, 1987
  38. ^ "Natalie Cole, Jumpstart on the Comeback Trail, by Dennis Hunt", Los Angeles Times, Page 91, September 11, 1987, 1987
  39. ^ "Top 10 Gladys Knight & the Pips Songs by Kachejian". Classic Rock History. November 21, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  40. ^ "Levert is Paying Price of its New-found Fame by Dennis Hunt", LA Times, Page 82, October 17, 1987
  41. ^ "U2 Gets 4 Grammy Nominations ", The Charlotte Observer, Page 13, January 15, 1988
  42. ^ "Top 10 Teddy Pendergrass Songs". Classic Rock History. April 3, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  43. ^ "Is Kwanzaa Still A Thing?". NPR. December 28, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  44. ^ "CLOSE UP: THE ROYALTY EXCHANGE by Jonathan Widran". Music Connection Magazine. June 21, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  45. ^ "Throwback Royalcash Radio Activity". Kick Mag. November 13, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  46. ^ "Calloway ft. Pieces of Dream - Let's Get Smooth [Jam's Rmx]". JamersonDJ. October 21, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  47. ^ "Kwanzaa Day" (PDF). The African American Lectionary. December 26, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  48. ^ "R&B Singer Reggie Calloway Releases New Single "Sabrina"". Urban Music Scene. February 25, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  49. ^ "Calloway: Complete Chart History - HOT R&B/HIP-HOP SONGS". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  50. ^ a b "NLD Charts > Midnight Star". MegaCharts. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  51. ^ a b "Midnight Star - UK Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  52. ^ "Midnight Star Top Songs / US & UK hits charts". Music VF. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  53. ^ "Cash Box radio charts" (PDF). Cash Box Magazine. December 17, 1983. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  54. ^ "The Whispers Complete Chart History". Music VF Charts. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  55. ^ "Billboard Charts - Carrie Lucas - Hello Stranger", Billboard, Page 48, September 7, 1985
  56. ^ "Billboard R&B Chart - Jump Start - Natalie Cole", Billboard 2, Page 30, August 22, 2022
  57. ^ "Hit Parade Chart - Natalie Cole - Jump Start #2", The Californian, Page 17, August 15, 1987
  58. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - Casanova #3". Billboard 3. February 10, 1990. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  59. ^ "BRINGING '88 BACK: GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - "LOVE OVERBOARD" by Ivan Orr". Grown Folks Music. January 23, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  60. ^ "Teddy Pendergrass Complete Chart History". Music VF. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  61. ^ a b "US Charts > Midnight Star". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  62. ^ "NZ Charts > Midnight Star". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  63. ^ a b c "American certifications – Midnight Star". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
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