Brian McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is a Grammy-nominated American singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, pop and R&B musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who can play nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, French horn and trumpet.
McKnight's musical career began with a musical childhood, in which he was a member of a Seventh-day Adventist Church choir and a band leader in high school at Sweet Home High School in Amherst, New York.
Encouraged by his older brother Claude's band, Take 6, getting a record deal, McKnight sent out demo tapes and, at the age of 19, signed his first recording deal with Mercury Records subsidiary Wing Records. However, He ended up recording his albums for Mercury, released his first album, Brian McKnight, in 1992. He went on to release three more albums for Mercury records before moving to Motown Records. His final album with Mercury Records, Anytime sold over two million copies and was nominated for a Grammy.
In 1999, McKnight released Back at One (his second release from Motown; after the Christmas album Bethlehem), which sold over three million copies. Throughout his career he has collaborated with a variety of musicians including Mase, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Mary J. Blige, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Vanessa Williams, Ivete Sangalo, Kirk Franklin, For Real, Canibus, Quincy Jones, Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, Shoshana Bean, Mariah Carey, Regine Velasquez, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, Rascal Flatts and Josh Groban (on his 2007 #1 Christmas album Noël).
In 1999, McKnight was confirmed to be in negotiations to pose nude for Playgirl Magazine. However, the talk fizzled and the status of such negotiations is unknown (though not officially canceled).
McKnight’s vocal style is his own. He does however draw heavily (particularly in his use of melisma) from Stevie Wonder and Michael Sembello. Echoes of Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Take 6 founder Claude V McKnight can also be heard in McKnights voice.
Mcknight also has an uncanny ability to mimic the timbre and style of other singers . He can do a spot on imitation of Nat King Cole, Stevie Wonder, Prince and feels comfortable singing songs written in higher keys.
McKnight is divorced and has two sons (Brian Jr. 18 and Niko 16) and currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Brian currently hosts a radio show, The Brian McKnight Morning Show with Pat Prescott on KTWV The Wave in Los Angeles, CA. The show was also simulcasted on KHJZ-FM, Smooth Jazz 95.7 The Wave in Houston, TX from 6am-9am CST, but this station has since changed its format. In October 2007, McKnight had his debut on Broadway in the show Chicago
