Trey Songz

Trey Songz (born Tremaine Aldon Neverson in Petersburg, Virginia on November 28, 1984) is an American contemporary R&B singer and songwriter. His debut album was Gotta Make It, released by Atlantic Records in 2005. Inspired musically by R&B artists from the 1960s and 1970s such as Smokey Robinson and Aretha Franklin as well as contemporary artists such as Luther Vandross and R.Kelly, the young star debuted in 2005 with great fanfare to a music genre starved for new young talent.

Biography and Music Career

Early Life and Discovery

Growing up in the small town of Petersburg, Virginia, Trey Songz did not always have a musical career in mind. When he was a child he did not receive any rigorous voice or piano lessons but instead was engaged in the normal activities for a child of his age. His mother, however, seeing his ability, encouraged him to develop his singing talent by entering local talent shows, many of which he won. With these victories he began to make a name for himself. By age 16, Songz’s notoriety enabled him to meet his producer and mentor Troy Taylor, a veteran music producer who has worked with artists such as Patti Labelle, Lionel Richie, & Whitney Houston. Impressed by the phenom’s gorgeous tenor voice, Taylor encouraged him to focus on a career in popular music.

Trey Songz moved to Newark, New Jersey to focus solely on music. Taylor, in turn, focused on teaching his protégé music history. “We would go to the New York studio every day, and during the drive, he’d play me all sorts of stuff, like Steely Dan,” recalls Trey. “When it came time to learn about falsetto, he’d play me Prince. When it came time to learn about soul, he’d play me Motown.” Trey eventually became Taylor’s vocal production assistant. Working with other artists in the studio gave Trey invaluable technical experience, and prepared the young singer for his own career.

In 2004 Songz inked a deal with Atlantic Records, whose rich R&B history made it the ideal home for his unique blend of contemporary R&B and classic soul. Atlantic founding chairman Ahmet Ertegun, who co-founded the label in 1947, hailed the young singer as one of the most promising stars to ever sign with the label and an heir to the legacy of such Atlantic greats as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding.

Road To Stardom

The album has only sold modestly,to teenage girls because he was so sexy, owing to its more traditional R&B sound and the absence a bona fide radio hit. The first single from the album was “I Gotta Make It”, which peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and only number 21 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally. More recently, Songz has garnered greater notoriety and increased album sales due to his collaboration with Twista on “Girl Tonite”, a song which reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally.

Despite only moderate sales of his debut album many critics and people within the music industry continue to view Songz as a potential superstar. His ability to write and produce songs coupled with his great voice and exceptional good looks make him a force to be reckoned with in the business. Even before completing work on his debut album, Trey Songz was highly sought after to work on outside projects. He wrote and co-produced music for Kevin Lyttle’s self-titled debut in 2004 and was featured on the Soundtrack to “Coach Carter” and albums by Trick Daddy, Gerald Levert, and Juvenile. Trey Songz was also featured on Twista’s 2005 album The Day After.

Trey Songz is also very good friends with up-and-coming R&B star Chris Brown, who can be seen in the music video to Songz’s second single “Gotta Go”.

In April 2006, Trey collaborated with bilingual Japanese R&B/Hip-Hop artist AI on her single Believe, with the track Beautiful feat. Trey Songz.

Discography

Albums

2005 I Gotta Make It #20 US

Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions		Album
Year	Title	US Hot 100	US R&B/Hip-Hop	Album
2005	"Gotta Make It" (feat. Twista)	#87	#21	I Gotta Make It
2005	"Girl Tonite" (Twista feat. Trey Songz)	#14	#3	The Day After
2005	"Gotta Go"	#67	#12	I Gotta Make It

External links