



His album Playlist consists of eight cover songs and two original works. The tune was on Midnight Star's 1983 double-platinum No Parking on the Dance Flooralbum, and while it never was a single, it received massive radio airplay and the song is still played on quiet stormradio stations. Babyface remained in the Deele until 1988, when both he and Reid left the group. One of his first major credits as a songwriter for outside artists came when he wrote the tune "Slow Jam" for the R&B band Midnight Star in 1983. He played keyboards in the light-funk and R&B group the Deele (which also included drummer Antonio "L.A." Reid, with whom he would later form a successful writing and producing partnership). He also performed in the group Manchild (which had a 1977 hit "Especially for You" with band member Daryl Simmons) as a guitarist. Edmonds, who is the fifth of six brothers (including future After 7 band members Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, the latter of whom went on to have a modestly successful solo career), attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and as a shy youth, wrote songs to express his emotions. When he was in eighth grade, Edmonds' father died of lung cancer, leaving his mother to raise her sons alone. At this stage, Edmonds became determined to have a career in music.Įdmonds later played with funk performer Bootsy Collins, who tagged him "Babyface" because of his youthful look. Barbara was a production operator at a pharmaceutical plant. Edmonds was born on April 10, 1959, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds.
