What Happened to R&B Singer Jon B?

 

Jon B rose to fame as a songwriter before embarking on a solo career. He experienced instant success with his back-to-back platinum albums. With songs such as “They Don’t Know” and “Are You Still Down?” featuring 2Pac, he broke down barriers and became one of the most successful R&B singers of the ‘90s. Despite having impeccable songwriting skills and support from other influential artists, he didn’t stay at the top for long.

This is a tale of depression, divorce, creative differences, and rediscovery.

Here’s what really happened to Jon B.

Jon B’s impressive musical upbringing

Jon Buck was born in Rhode Island on November 11, 1974. When he was four-years-old, he and his family moved to Pasadena, Calif. His father was a musician at a local university, while his mom was a concert pianist. Music was a huge part of their family, and his parents required Jon and his two siblings to each master an instrument. His younger brother played the cello, his sister learned how to play the violin, and when was in the fourth grade, he taught himself how to play the keyboard, guitar, and drums.

Classical music was the only music his parents allowed in their home. But Jon’s grandparents owned a record store, and that’s where he came across vinyl records by The Beatles and the Bee Gees. He fell in love with funky beats and smooth, soulful voices.

At the age of nine, he got on his keyboard and wrote his very first song called “Caroline.” He performed it at a talent show, and the reception he received from the crowd got him hooked.

His difficult teenage years

Things took a turn when he enrolled at John Muir high school. Because he loved to hang out with his friends and dance, he would go to all of the parties where R&B music was being played. But some of his fellow classmates weren’t happy that a white boy was embracing their culture. During his episode of Unsung, Jon said that the teasing was really rough and became too much for him to handle.

His parents pulled him out of school and enrolled him at L.A. County High School for the Arts. He was still rejected by some students who believed he was faking his love for black culture and music, but he finally found acceptance with a group of tight-knit friends. He told the L.A. Times that the positive response he received from his peers during talent shows and school performances encouraged him to keep writing music.

An introduction to the greats

One day, he went to a friend’s house and they listened to records by Keith Sweat and Gerald Levert, but it was Babyface’s voice that really caught Jon B’s attention. He knew he wanted to write heartfelt songs just like that one day.

At school, he joined the gospel choir, which was taught by a woman who was a former member of the ‘60s R&B group The Fifth Dimension. Jon told the Electronic Urban Report that she was the one who taught him how to sing correctly. Jon said the experience really helped him believe in himself as a vocalist.

It was during his teenage years that he met his girlfriend and fellow singer Musiic Galloway. At the time, he had no idea their rocky relationship would be the source of inspiration for one of his greatest hits.

Jon B had big dreams

While other 17-year-olds were preparing for graduation, Jon B had his sights set on superstardom. With some help from his dad, he built a mini-studio in his home. Then they shopped his demo around the LA recording industry.

According to the New York Daily News, he got turned down time and time again. Jon said most of the companies were okay with him writing songs, but they wanted him to stay in the background and never be seen. He started to believe that maybe becoming a performer wasn’t in the cards for him, but he continued writing and producing music. Soon enough, everything changed.

A BMI representative gave Jon and his dad the heads up about a new company called Yab Yum Entertainment, which was founded by Babyface’s wife, Tracey Edmonds. Tracey told the LA Times she wasn’t concerned about Jon’s race. It was his songwriting skills that immediately impressed her. She added, “I knew that with careful career planning, he was an artist who could be accepted by both the R&B; and pop audiences–regardless of color.”

Landing multiple deals

Jon B told the New York Daily News he had a two-hour meeting with Tracey and Babyface where he shared his dreams and the kind of records he wanted to make as a songwriter and producer. His vision was so inspiring, he not only got signed to Tracey’s Yab Yum Entertainment as a writer, but Babyface helped him land a recording contract with Sony Epic as well.

Babyface and Tracey hatched a plan to get Jon’s feet wet in the industry by building his relationships with established artists. Babyface set up production opportunities with Color Me Badd and After 7. Jon told the New York Daily News he wasn’t sure if people would take him seriously since he was so young. But he immediately discovered that other musicians respected his opinion and his talent.

A successful first album

Then, it was time for him to record his solo project. Babyface wrote the song “Someone to Love,” and when it came time for Jon to record, Babyface decided to hop on the track and turn it into a duet.

In 1995, Jon B released Bonafied, and the album was certified platinum. “Someone to Love” received a Grammy nomination and “Pretty Girl” rose to the top of the charts. He went from being the guy who sounded like Babyface to a star in his own right.

Because of the success of “Someone to Love” and “Pretty Girl,” the label decided he should crossover and experiment with pop music. Jon was hesitant to move away from his passion, so he pushed back and began crafting the sophomore album he knew his fans would love.

Channeling his relationship issues

Behind the scenes, he was dealing with a very tumultuous time in his life, and his relationship with his girlfriend Musiic was rockier than ever. He wrote the song “They Don’t Know” as a way to express the rumors that were tearing their relationship apart.

When his 1997 album Cool Relax was released, “They Don’t Know” reached number 2 on the R&B chart. And the track “Don’t Say” reached number 34 on Billboard’s Hot R&B chart. But it was the track “Are U Still Down?” featuring 2Pac that made Jon feel like he was finally accepted as an R&B artist.

His third single was the track “I Do (Whatcha Say Boo).” He made sure the music video for the song reflected his real life and his interracial relationship. The song hit number 18 on the R&B charts, and Cool Relax was certified double platinum.

But still, not everyone was pleased. Jon B told the LA Times that people were still up in arms over him having black women in his music videos. They also began prying into his personal life to make sure he was living the lifestyle he portrayed in his videos. To assure his fans, Jon told the interviewer: “The woman I can relate to right now is a black woman.”

In 1998, he and Musiic Galloway (pictured, above) got engaged. After getting married, he took a few years off. He also formed a group called Jack Herrera with two of his back-up singers, but he mainly enjoyed his time off as a newlywed.

Label issues

By 2000, he had returned to the studio to start working on his third album. At that time, he was really getting into hip-hop, and he wanted to release songs that would make people dance. The album was released in 2001 and went gold. But despite the popularity of the song “Don’t Talk,” it was the first and last single that was released from the album.

There was trouble brewing between Jon and Tracey Edmonds. She respected his desire to experiment with hip-hop music, but their creative differences were causing a rift. The more Jon went toward the urban side of music, the more the label backed off. They wanted him to recreate the success of his sophomore album Cool Relax, while Jon was desperate to explore his creativity.

That wasn’t the only problem. Tracey and Babyface were going through marital issues, and there were a bunch of different changes happening at Yab Yum. People who were instrumental in Jon’s career were suddenly sent packing, leaving Jon to feel like his projects were being overlooked. He finally asked to be released from his contract.

Battling depression

That same year, his marriage to Musiic fell apart as well and the $200,000 dollar studio he built got destroyed in a fire, he told Djinn. All of his hard drives, computers, and equipment with songs he had made throughout the years were destroyed.

Jon B fell into a depression and said he turned into a completely different person. He began smoking cigarettes and drinking non-stop. He went through a four-month period where he lived in Venice Beach by himself in a furnished apartment that the fire insurance paid for. He called it one of the hardest times of his life.

Friendship turned to love

There was one person in his corner: a woman named Danette, whom he met on the Los Angeles poetry scene. They had been friends for a few years after bonding over their Scorpio zodiac signs. Danette consoled Jon through his divorce, and Jon — the hopeless romantic — eventually fell in love.

Linking with Mathew Knowles was a bad idea

With his personal life back on track, Jon B signed with Sanctuary Records under the direction of Mathew Knowles’ Music World Entertainment. He channeled his personal journey into his fourth album, entitled Stronger Everyday. Jon said the album was based on real experiences, including the walls of destructions that threatened to destroy his life. He put his entire soul into the songs, and the album peaked at number 17. Sadly, things weren’t looking too good at his new label.

Mathew Knowles had ruined most of his industry connections. Radio wouldn’t play any of the music he was associated with, including songs from Jon’s new album. So the R&B artist decided it was time to part ways.

Back on track

Jon B and Danette got married in 2007. In 2008, he returned with the album Helpless Romantic, followed by Comfortable Swagg in 2012, and B-Sides Collection in 2013, which featured 23 previously-unreleased songs.

In 2018, he announced through his official website he was putting the finishing touches on his eighth studio album. He also made a special appearance at that year’s BET Awards. And in 2019, he released a duet with fellow veteran R&B singer Donell Jones, entitled “Understand.”

BTW — we found out what happened to Donell Jones, too. Check it out here.

Honoring Jon B’s musical legacy

He told the Electronic Urban Report that he really wants everyone to know he’s still involved in the music business. However, he has noticed a shortage of venues that are catered to R&B musicians. He’s also aware that most radio stations rarely play the type of music he makes. This makes it difficult for him to get the shine and the attention he deserves.

Jon B still performs in the US, but most of his shows sell out when he travels to London. He said that across the pond, there is a greater demand for his soulful classics. He isn’t discouraged, though. He knows the industry is constantly changing, but it’s his talent, his drive, and his passion to create music that will forever remain the same.

Let us know if you’re surprised by what happened to Jon B’s career, or chat with our subscribers in the comments section of our YouTube video!

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