Al Jarreau: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
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Birth Name:

Alwyn Lopez Jarreau

Born:

Mar 12, 1940 in Milwaukee, WI

Genres:

Music, Standards & Vocal Music, Classical Music, Traditional Pop Vocal Music

Decades Active:

1960's|1970's|1980's|1990's|2000's

Artistic Quality

High

Cultural Impact

Medium

Popularity

High

Ratings Guide

The only vocalist in history to net Grammy awards in three different categories (jazz, pop, and RB, respectively), Al Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, WI, on April 12, 1940; the son of a vicar, he earned his first performing experience singing in the church choir. After receiving his master's degree in psychology, Jarreau pursued a career as a social worker, but eventually he decided to relocate to Los Angeles and try his hand in show business, playing small clubs throughout the West Coast. In the mid-'60s, he recorded an LP, but largely remained an unknown, not re-entering the studio for another decade. Upon signing to Reprise, Jarreau resurfaced in 1975 with We Got By, earning acclaim for his sophisticated brand of vocalese and winning positive comparison to the likes of Billy Eckstine and Johnny Mathis. After 1976's Glow, Jarreau issued the following year's Look to the Rainbow, a two-disc live set that reached the Top 50 on the U.S. album charts. With 1981's Breakin' Away, he entered the Top Ten, scoring a pair of hits with "We're in This Love Together" and the title track. After recording 1986's L Is for Lover with producer Nile Rodgers, Jarreau scored a hit with the theme to the popular television program Moonlighting, but his mainstream pop success was on the wane, and subsequent efforts like 1992's Heaven and Earth and 1994's Tenderness found greater success with adult contemporary audiences. A string of budget compilations and original albums hit the shelves at the end of the decade, but into the turn of the century his original output slowed down.

- Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide