![]() ![]() Kim Kardashian treats her children to a bouncy castle, karaoke and crafting station as she throws a VERY lavish Sing 2 screening at her $60m mansion 'Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift': Paris Fury flashes her tummy in unique bow top as she shares heartfelt message about husband Tyson Listen to Ne-Yo’s new single, Forever Now, out on December 3 If that’s not enough, then there’s probably another guy running around who’ll make headlines by setting himself on fire.’ ‘And I’ll keep writing songs for people who love music. ‘But I want my children to have a regular life, so they won’t be coming with me on tour. ‘Becoming a father has given me a new perspective,’ he says. He is also a proud family man, although the singer and his actress fiancée Monyetta Shaw are keen to keep daughter Madilyn, three, and son Mason, one, out of the limelight. His Motown role has seen him sign female vocalist Scotty Rebel and singer-songwriter Kevin Ross. On a happier note, Ne-Yo has plenty of other projects to occupy him. I’ll never sell them on, because I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was profiting from Mike’s death. ‘Now I don’t know what to do with those songs. ‘Sadly, we never made it into the studio together,’ Ne-Yo says with a sigh. The pair had started working together shortly before Jackson’s death in June 2009, with Ne-Yo meeting the tragic superstar and submitting ten songs for an album they had planned to begin recording once Jackson’s ill-fated This Is It residency in London had run its course. Soul man: Ne-Yo has had four UK number ones, sold more than 30 million records, and has won three Grammy awards He began writing songs to come to terms with the split, and credits his mum with introducing him to the music – and sartorial style – of Frank Sinatra after she took a job as a bank manager in Las Vegas.Īnother vital source of inspiration was Michael Jackson, and Ne-Yo acknowledges that his sweet, high-pitched voice harks back to classic Jackson albums like Off The Wall. In August, Ne-Yo secured his fourth UK number one with the effervescent Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself), a single that gave Motown its first UK chart-topper in 20 years (the last was Boyz II Men’s End Of The Road).īorn in Arkansas, the singer was raised by his mother after his parents separated. The retro-flavoured Alone With You recalls The Beatles, and there is a duet, She Is, with Nashville star Tim McGraw. His fifth studio effort (the initials stand for Realising Every Dream), it augments soul-searching ballads and Euro-dance anthems with detours into pop and country. Renaissance man Ne-Yo’s decision to shun R&B's routine diet of bling and bravado has paid dividends, though, and he should enhance his burgeoning reputation with new album R.E.D., out now. I’m not going to set myself on fire and start running around the room.’ ![]() In America, too much music is dominated by hype and scandal, and I suffer in the States because that’s not me. I’m the guy you’ll find in the grocery store. If I write about sex, I try to be subtle about it. I’m respectful of women, and I don’t write songs that are sexually suggestive. ‘I have lots of young fans, so I’m responsible in my lyrics. ‘I was brought up to have good manners,’ he tells me. Stylish: Ne-Yo took his stage name from Keanu Reeve's character in The Matrix He would ask staff what they’d buy with their last dollar: the latest Motown single or a sandwich. ‘He told me about the l meetings the label used to hold in Detroit. ‘Meeting Berry blew my mind,’ says Ne-Yo, peering up at me from under the brim of his hat. And, after taking on his new executive role, he wasted no time in seeking advice from Berry Gordy, Jr., the Detroit music legend who launched Motown on an unsuspecting world in 1959. The job, once occupied by Smokey Robinson, will see him developing new talent for a label that revolutionised pop in the Sixties.Įven a hit-maker as accomplished as Ne-Yo is willing to learn, however. He has also written hits for Cheryl Cole, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber, while almost single-handedly reviving the art of the gentlemen's dress hat (today, he’s sporting a natty fedora, worn at a jaunty angle).Īnd, as if that isn’t enough, he is now on a mission to save Motown Records, having recently been appointed Senior Vice President in charge of A&R. The 30-year-old from Las Vegas, who did indeed take his stage name from Keanu Reeve’s character in Hollywood sci-fi movie The Matrix (he was born Shaffer Smith), has sold 30 million records and won three Grammy awards by performing his own super-smooth pop numbers. Ne-Yo is the reigning king of American R&B, a recent guest mentor on The X Factor and a singer whose music is probably nestling somewhere on your teenager’ s iPod. Who is Ne-Yo? If your answer is: the man from The Matrix, you’re only half right. The new king of R&B: Ne-Yo is the new senior vice president of A&R ![]()
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