Kenneth Edmonds was born on April 10, 1958, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds. Barbara was a pharmaceutical plant manager. 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's 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.
Edmonds later played with funk performer Bootsy Collins, who tagged him "Babyface" because of his cute face while he was still a teen.
He also played in the groups Manchild (which had a 1976 hit "Especially for You" with band member Daryl Simmons), as he was a guitarist for the band. Then, as a keyboardist 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).
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. The tune was on Midnight Star's double-platinum No Parking on the Dance Floor album, and while it never hit the charts, the song is still played on quiet storm shows. Babyface remained in The Deele until 1988, when both he and Reid left the group.
In the late 1980s, he contributed to the creation of new jack swing, writing and producing music for the likes of Bobby Brown, Karyn White, Pebbles, Paula Abdul and Sheena Easton.
In 1989, Edmonds co-founded LaFace Records with Reid. Three of the label's early artists TLC, Usher, and Toni Braxton were successful, the former becoming one of the best selling female groups in music history.
Braxton's eponymous 1993 debut album went on to sell over eight million copies, and earned her the 1994 Grammy Award Best New Artist. TLC's first two albums on LaFace—1992's Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip and 1994's CrazySexyCool—combined to sell more than 15 million copies in the U.S. CrazySexyCool won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B album.
Babyface helped form the popular late-90s R&B group Az Yet.
Edmonds works with many successful performers in contemporary music. “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” produced for Whitney Houston, was his first #1 Top 40 hit in the US.
He also wrote and produced Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love to You," both of which established records for the longest stay at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
He co-wrote, co-produced, and provided backing vocals on Madonna's 1994 Bedtime Stories, which featured the 7-week #1 hit "Take a Bow," and shared billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner "Change the World" from the Phenomenon soundtrack.
He also wrote and produced the #1 hit "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" for Whitney Houston as well as the rest of the critically acclaimed 10 million selling Waiting to Exhale soundtrack in 1995, which spawned additional hits for Houston, Brandy and Mary J. Blige.
Additionally, Edmonds has produced and written music for many artists including Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Al Green, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Pebbles, Tevin Campbell, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tamia, Shola Ama, 3T, Sisqó, Dru Hill, Fall Out Boy, Céline Dion, Honeyz, Katharine McPhee, Mariah Carey, Vanessa L. Williams, Chanté Moore, En Vogue, Kenny G, Kristinia DeBarge, Lil Wayne, Japanese singer Ken Hirai, P!nk, Marc Nelson, TLC, and Phil Collins among others.
He received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year in 1995–1997.
In 1994, he appeared and performed on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 entitled "Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (Part 2)".
In the mid-1990s, Edmonds and his then wife Tracey Edmonds expanded into the business of motion pictures, setting up Edmonds Entertainment Group and producing films such as Soul Food (1997), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and also the soundtrack for the film The Prince of Egypt, which included contributions from numerous artists, including Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
They are the current executive producers of the hit BET reality series College Hill. Edmonds also worked with David Foster to compose "The Power of the Dream," the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics, performed by superstar Céline Dion. Linda Thompson provided the lyrics.
Babyface also participated as a duet partner on the Fox reality show Celebrity Duets.
Babyface was in the studio for about two years with Ashanti to produce her album The Declaration.
His album Playlist consists of eight cover songs and two original works. It was released on September 18, 2007. It was the first album on the newly re-launched Mercury Records label.
He worked on the Lil Wayne album Tha Carter III, on the Kanye West-produced "Comfortable." He also worked with R&B singer Monica for her sixth studio album Still Standing.
He has written and produced over 26 #1 R&B (many of which hit the pop charts at either #1 or the top ten) hits throughout his career.
You Were There
Babyface Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'm still the same ole' kid
And your jokes still bring me laughter
As if you still were here
And it hurts
When I smile
'Cause my heart still remembers
When you were around
'Cause you were there
When no one was
Just when I thought nobody cared
You showed me love
'Cause you were my friend
You always told me
And I am still here
Because you were there
So precious, small treasures
A time when truth was innocent
True friendship, was all we were after
A place where kids could still be kids
And it hurts
But I'm glad
'Cause at least I was blessed
To have you as my friend
'Cause you were there
When no one was
Just when I thought nobody cared
You showed me love
'Cause you were my friend
You always told me
And I am still here
Because you were there
You're my best friend
There are no accidents
God has a plan for everyone
And he brought you in my life
To show me what a good friendship was
'Cause you were there
When no one was
Just when I thought nobody cared
You showed me love
'Cause you were my friend
You always told me
And I am still here
Because you were there
In Babyface's song You Were There, the lyrics speak to the enduring power of true friendship. The song opens with the acknowledgement that time passes and the world changes but the singer remains the same. It is the memory of their friend that remains steadfast, as if they were still there. The lines "And it hurts when I smile 'cause my heart still remembers when you were around" indicate the depth of the singer's emotions even years after their friend's passing.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the impact of their friend's presence in their life. They were there "when no one was" and showed the singer love when they felt uncared for. The emphasis on the importance of friendship and its ability to make a life-changing difference is further emphasized in the lines "You're my best friend, there are no accidents. God has a plan for everyone and he brought you in my life to show me what a good friendship was." The song ultimately expresses gratitude for the role the friend played in the singer's life and the fact that they are still here because of that friendship.
Overall, Babyface's You Were There is a moving tribute to the power of friendship and the importance of the people we allow into our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Time passes, the world changes
Despite the changes in the world, time keeps moving forward
But I'm still the same ole' kid
I may have grown up, but inside I still feel like the same person
And your jokes still bring me laughter
The memories of you still bring joy to my heart
As if you still were here
It feels like you haven't really left
And it hurts
But the pain of your loss is still present
When I smile
Even though I may put on a brave face
'Cause my heart still remembers
My heart can't forget the friendship we shared
When you were around
The happy moments we shared together
'Cause you were there
You were always there for me when I needed you
When no one was
Even when I felt alone, you were there
Just when I thought nobody cared
You showed me that I was not alone
You showed me love
You were a true friend who cared for me
'Cause you were my friend
You were more than just someone I knew, you were my friend
You always told me
You were there to support and guide me
And I am still here
Even in your absence, I continue to live my life
Because you were there
And that is thanks to the impact you had on my life
So precious, small treasures
The memories we made were priceless and irreplaceable
A time when truth was innocent
A simpler time when things were more straightforward
True friendship, was all we were after
We didn't need anything else but each other
A place where kids could still be kids
We could be silly and carefree without any worries
And it hurts
The nostalgia of those times can also be bittersweet
But I'm glad
Yet, I'm grateful for the memories we shared
'Cause at least I was blessed
I feel fortunate for having had you in my life
To have you as my friend
And for the bond we shared to have been so strong
You're my best friend
Out of all the people I knew, you were the closest to me
There are no accidents
I don't believe our meeting was a coincidence
God has a plan for everyone
I trust that your presence in my life was part of a divine plan
And he brought you in my life
And I am so grateful for that
To show me what a good friendship was
Your friendship has set the standard for what true friendship means to me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KENNETH EDMONDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@onsongoisaiah1130
"You Were There"
Time passes, the world changes
But I'm still the same ole' kid
And your jokes still bring me laughter
As if you still were here
And it hurts
When I smile
'Cause my heart still remembers
When you were around
'Cause you were there
When no one was
Just when I thought nobody cared
You showed me love
'Cause you were my friend
You always told me
And I am still here
Because you were there
So precious, small treasures
A time when truth was innocent
True friendship, was all we were after
A place where kids could still be kids
And it hurts
But I'm glad
'Cause at least I was blessed
To have you as my friend
[CHORUS]
You're my best friend
There are no accidents
God has a plan for everyone
And he brought you in my life
To show me what a good friendship
(CHORUS)
@AnastasiaBeaverhousn
I think every single one of us gets emotional listening to this song! ❤️
God bless you, wherever you may be!
@MyeshaParris
❤ Thank you.
@Fullasoul
so proud to have worked on this video....still watching and listening in 2022!
@JamesOnen
Tell us more! ❤
@flokamau6536
This is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, also so so sad, and that movie 😭😭
@sir_habedi4296
I remember when this came out in 1999... I knew this was going to be one of my lifetime songs... evergreen... What a masterpiece King Edmonds 👏🏿🙏🏾🖤
@Daisy_Aimee
When songs may not win Grammys but win hearts and stand the test of time. Empowering composition and remarkable song embodying true love, kindness and companionship.
@summerwood8211
I cried during the movie and I cry everytime I watch this video....such a nice song
@cad5238
It shows you are a person with a sympathetic heart ❤️
@hollifieldk6749
To my baby girl Mona Lisa, all of your 5 lbs of pure joy, always here, good or bad days, rain or sunshine, happy with your ball, a taste of steak, a ride in the car....you have shown me and continue to shower me with your unconditional love and true friendship. You have saved my life.