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Sam Watters

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Sam Watters
Birth nameSamuel Joshua Watters
Born (1970-07-23) July 23, 1970 (age 54)
Camp Springs, Maryland, U.S.
OriginSan Francisco, California, U.S.
GenresHip hop, R&B, dance, new jack swing, soul
Occupation(s)Record producer, songwriter, singer, record executive
Years active1984–present
LabelsFresh Laundry

Samuel Joshua Watters (born July 23, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive.[1] Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including "I Adore Mi Amor", and "All 4 Love".[2] Watters has also written and produced songs for Grammy-winning and nominated artists such as American Idol winners Fantasia, Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks, and other superstars such as Céline Dion, Whitney Houston, Leona Lewis, and Anastacia.[3] Watters is a member of the production/songwriting team The Runaways including fellow hitmakers Rico Love, Wayne Wilkins, Ryan Tedder, and Louis Biancaniello.[4]

Music career

Color Me Badd

Watters formed what later would be known as the R&B singing group Color Me Badd in high school along with fellow members Mark Calderon, Kevin Thornton, and Bryan Abrams.[5] After forming, the group was soon discovered by Robert "Kool" Bell of Kool and the Gang fame.[5] Bell introduced them to his management team and the group were soon signed to Giant Records in 1990.[5]

Watters and Color Me Badd sold 8.8 million records over their career and had 9 Top 40 Hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including three number ones with "I Wanna Sex You Up" (No. 1 Billboard R&B, No. 2 Billboard Hot 100)", I Adore Mi Amor" and "All 4 Love".[6][7] Color Me Badd disbanded in 1998 and Watters went on to pursue a career in production and songwriting.[5]

Production and songwriting

Watters met record producer and songwriter Louis Biancaniello in 1996 while working on Color Me Badd's third album Now and Forever.[8] Watters and Biancaniello soon became production partners and have been writing songs and producing together ever since.[8]

The partners wrote and produced Jessica Simpson's hit "I Wanna Love You Forever," released in September 1999.[9] The platinum single was Simpson's first top ten hit which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[9][10]

Released in February 1999 the partners produced and co-wrote with Anastacia her debut single "I'm Outta Love," from her album Not That Kind which went on to platinum and multiplatinum status in 10 countries.[11][12] The single was a hit internationally going Top 5 in 10 countries.[12][11]

Watters and Biancaniello produced and co-wrote with Anastacia another single for the artist, "One Day in Your Life", released in March 2002.[13] The single went top 10 in 8 other countries' singles charts.[13][14] In 2001 produced, co-wrote with Biancaniello and made background vocals with Mary Griffin in What about love for the album Bad Girls, for the spanish singer Mónica Naranjo.

Also released in March 2002 was Celine Dion's multi-platinum album "A New Day Has Come".[15][16] Watters and Biancaniello co-wrote the song "I Surrender" on the album that debuted at No. 1 in over 20 countries.[17][18] The album went on to sell 12 million copies worldwide.[18]

In June 2004 Watters and Biancaniello co-wrote with Watters' wife and fellow American Idol contestant Tamyra Gray, "I Believe" released by American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia.[19][20] The song debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[21] The single went platinum and won Billboard's Top Selling Single of the Year and Top Selling R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year for 2004 and Billboard's American Urban Radio Networks Top Selling R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year for 2005.[22]

In 2007 Watters formed the production/songwriting team The Runaways along with Biancaniello, Wayne Wilkins, Rico Love, and Ryan Tedder.[23] Some of the team's hits have included, Natasha Bedingfield's "Love Like This", and Keri Hilson's "Energy".[23]

In April 2007, Watters and Biancaniello wrote and produced[24] another hit single for Fantasia: "When I See You", which spent 8 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs,[25] became the No. 8 song of the decade on the chart,[26] went gold, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song).[16][27]

The Watters and Biancaniello duo also worked on the British singer's Leona Lewis' 2007 debut album, Spirit, which sold seven million units worldwide.[28][29] The duo co-wrote and co-produced two songs, "Yesterday" and "Take a Bow" and produced a third, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face".[29]

Watters and Biancaniello wrote three songs for Kelly Clarkson's March 2009 studio album All I Ever Wanted: "Whyyawannabringmedown," "The Day We Fell Apart" and the title track, "All I Ever Wanted", and produced a fourth, entitled "I Want You."[30] The album sold over 900,000 copies in the US, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's 200 album chart, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album.[31][32][33]

In May 2009 former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks released the single "Battlefield".[34] Watters co-wrote and co-produced the song that reached the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100.[35] Outside of the US, it reached number five in Canada and reached the top ten in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, and the top twenty in the United Kingdom. With this song Watters assisted the platinum singer in achieving her third top 10 Billboard Hot 100 single.[35][36]

Watters had chart success overseas with the multi-platinum British girl group The Saturdays' "Forever Is Over" which was a No. 2 single on the UK Singles chart.[37][38] The song was released in October 2009 with Watters co-writing and co-producing the song along with Biancaniello and others.[39]

Watters followed the success he had overseas with The Saturdays with the multi-million selling Irish pop group Westlife in November 2009.[40] Westlife's album "Where We Are" contained two titles co-produced and co-written by Watters.[41] The album went on to go double platinum in the United Kingdom triple platinum in Ireland, and Gold in New Zealand and Sweden.[37][42]

From 2014 - 2016, Watters was VP of Island Records under David Massey where he worked on artists such as Shawn Mendes, Iggy Azealia, Keke Palmer, XO, and Luke James. [43]

After leaving Island in 2016, Watters began to manage the artist Lucky Daye, who was nominated for 4 Grammy Awards in 2020. Watters also manages Bobi Andonov. [44]

Awards and nominations

  • American Music Award nomination for Favorite New Artist – Pop / Rock for Color Me Badd[48] (1991)
  • American Music Award nomination for Favorite New Artist – Soul / Rhythm & Blues for Color Me Badd[48] (1991)
  • American Music Award nomination for Favorite Band, Duo or Group – Pop / Rock for Color Me Badd[48] (1991)

Singles

Year Single Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US
Pop 		US Dance Club US
R&B 		CAN UK AUS EU Hot 100 NZ IRA
1991 "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Color Me Badd) 2 – – 1 20 1 4 – 1 9 C.M.B.
"I Adore Mi Amor" (Color Me Badd) 1 – – 1 – – – – – –
"All 4 Love" (Color Me Badd) 1 – – – – 5 9 – 1 8
1993 "Time and Chance" (Color Me Badd) – – – 2 – – – – – – Time and Chance
1999 "I Wanna Love You Forever" (Jessica Simpson) 3 – – – 9 7 9 6 16 13 Sweet Kisses
1999 "I'm Outta Love" (Anastacia) 92 – 2 – 11 6 1 1 1 2 Not That Kind
2002 "One Day in Your Life" (Anastacia) – – 1 – – 11 6 19 15 15 Freak Of Nature
2004 "I Believe" (Fantasia) 1 12 – – 1 – 4 – 20 – Free Yourself
2007 "When I See U" (Fantasia) 32 – – 1 – – – – – – Fantasia
2009 "Battlefield" (Jordin Sparks) 10 11 – – 5 11 4 23 3 9 Battlefield
"Forever Is Over" (The Saturdays) – – – – – 2 – 8 – 9 Wordshaker
2010 "All Night Long" (Alexandra Burke) – – – – – 4 48 14 – 1 Overcome

Discography

Main article: Color Me Badd discography
Color Me Badd albums

Musical Influences

Watters has cited diverse singer, songwriter, and producer influences such as Ronald Bell, Narada Michael Walden, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, L.A. Reid & Babyface, David Foster, Miles Foster, Billy Joel, Celine Dion, Bootsy Collins, Howie Tee, and Diane Warren.[5][47]

Ventures

London Police

Watters and Biancaniello formed their own record label, London Police, in 2010.

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "Color Me Badd | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "Sam Watters | Credits". AllMusic.
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ a b c d e [3]
  6. ^ "Color Me Badd". Facebook. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  7. ^ "Color Me Badd". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  8. ^ a b [4]
  9. ^ a b Search Results | Billboard.com
  10. ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - September 06, 2014". September 6, 2014. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Not That Kind - Anastacia | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  12. ^ a b [5]
  13. ^ a b "Anastacia". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  14. ^ "Anastacia - One Day In Your Life". Top40-Charts.com.
  15. ^ "A New Day Has Come - Céline Dion | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  16. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  17. ^ "I Surrender - Céline Dion | Song Info". AllMusic.
  18. ^ a b "RFI Musique - - Céline Dion". September 28, 2013. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013.
  19. ^ "Fantasia | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic.
  20. ^ "I Believe - Fantasia | Song Info". AllMusic.
  21. ^ [6]
  22. ^ Fantasia Biography & Awards | Billboard.com
  23. ^ a b [7]
  24. ^ "When I See You - Fantasia | Song Info". AllMusic.
  25. ^ When I See You – Fantasia | Billboard.com
  26. ^ "When I See You – Fantasia | Billboard.com".
  27. ^ [8]
  28. ^ [9]
  29. ^ a b "Spirit - Leona Lewis | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  30. ^ "All I Ever Wanted - Kelly Clarkson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  31. ^ "Bonus sales numbers: Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, David Archuleta, more". USATODAY.COM.
  32. ^ "Welcome". kellyclarkson.com.
  33. ^ "Grammy Awards 2010 Winners & Nominees". PEOPLE.com.
  34. ^ "Battlefield - Jordin Sparks | Song Info". AllMusic.
  35. ^ a b "Jordin Sparks". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  36. ^ "Jordin Receives Platinum Plaques | Jordin Sparks Official Site – RCA Records".
  37. ^ a b [10]
  38. ^ "ultimate kylie | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  39. ^ "Forever Is Over - The Saturdays | Song Info". AllMusic.
  40. ^ "WebCite query result". Webcitation.org. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  41. ^ "Where We Are - Westlife | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  42. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  43. ^ "Sam Watter: New VP of A&R at Island Records".
  44. ^ "HITS Daily Double : The B-Side - Lucky Daye (Keep Cool/RCA)". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  45. ^ "Winners - 50th Annual Grammy Awards on CBS". CBS. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  46. ^ a b "Grammy Nominations Span Streisand, Seal, Seattle Symphony | The Seattle Times". Archive.seattletimes.com.
  47. ^ a b c d [11]
  48. ^ a b c d e "Rock On The Net: 19th American Music Awards (presented in 1992)". Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
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