Brian McKnight

Biography

Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. (born Brian Kelly McKnight; June 5, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality, and multi-instrumentalist. An R&B performer, he is recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range, and melisma.
McKnight was raised in Orlando, Florida, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career at the age of 19. He signed with Mercury Records to release his 1992 debut single, "The Way Love Goes×The Way Love Goes1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1The Way Love Goes (Edit)4:15B1Goodbye My Love1:06B2One Last Cry1:12B3Is The Feeling Gone?0:57", which preceded his debut album Brian McKnight (1992). A modest success, the album received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned his first hit song, "One Last Cry×One Last Cry25 May 1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1One Last Cry (single edit)4:012Goodbye My Love (A Real Goodbye mix)6:103Never Felt This Way5:36", which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, he recorded the duet "Love Is" (with Vanessa Williams) for the Beverly Hills, 90210 soundtrack; the song peaked at number three on the chart. His 1997 single, "You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste Your Time)×You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste Your Time)1997 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste Your Time)4:492You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste Your Time) (no rap radio version)4:09" (featuring Mase) peaked within the chart's top 20 and led his third album, Anytime×Anytime23 September 1997 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Anytime4:342Could4:263You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time)4:474Show Me the Way Back to Your Heart3:565Everytime We Say Goodbye4:056You Got the Bomb4:427Hold Me3:498The Only One for Me5:139Til I Get Over You4:5710I Belong to You4:4511Jam Knock4:3412When the Chariot Comes4:31 (1997)—his final release with Mercury before he signed with Motown. His 1999 single, "Back at One×Back at One21 September 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Last Dance4:442Stay4:243Played Yourself4:174Back at One4:245Stay or Let It Go4:4066, 8, 124:077You Could Be the One3:238Shall We Begin3:599Gothic Interlude1:0110Can You Read My Mind3:5711Lonely4:2712Cherish4:0513Home4:2414Whenever You Call4:2215Back at One / Un, dos, tres (Spanish version)4:22" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song; it preceded the album of the same name (1999), which was the first of four of his albums—Superhero×Superhero21 August 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Prelude2:482When You Wanna Come4:323What’s It Gonna Be4:244My Kinda Girl3:535Love of My Life4:426Whatever You Want4:037Everything3:328Get Over You3:399Superhero3:0710Still4:1911Don’t Know Where to Start4:3012The Biggest Part of Me4:3413When Will I See You Again5:1814For You2:0015Groovin Tonight (edited)5:20 (2001), U Turn×U Turn25 March 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1All Night Long4:182Backseat (Getting’ Down)4:323Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda4:034Try Our Love Again4:005Where Do We Go From Here4:246Been So Long3:377Good Enough4:328Someday, Someway, Somehow4:459For the Rest of My Life3:3710If It Was Cool5:5711U Turn4:3412So Sorry4:3513One of the One’s Who Did4:53 (2003), and Gemini×Gemini8 February 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Stay With Him (intro)2:262What We Do Here3:423Everytime You Go Away4:424Grown Man Business3:365Everything I Do6:406Here With You4:247All Over Now3:328She3:439Stay3:5810Come Back4:1111Watcha Gonna Do?4:0912Your Song3:3613Me & You5:08 (2005)—to consecutively debut within the top ten of the Billboard 200. His ninth album, Ten (2006) marked his final major label release.
He has received 16 Grammy Award nominations, third only to Zubin Mehta and Snoop Dogg for having the most nominations for the award without a win.

Early life

McKnight was born in Buffalo, New York to Claude McKnight, Jr. and Ruth Elaine Willis. His introduction to music was joining his church choir as a child; it was directed by his grandfather. Brian and his family moved to Orlando, Florida when he was about 10. His father worked for Martin Marietta. He began composing instrumental material while learning to play several instruments.
His brothers graduated from Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, Florida and the family moved to Orange County, Florida. Brian McKnight then went to Maynard Evans High School in Orlando. McKnight formed a band and began performing original songs at local venues. By 18, he was offered a publishing deal and left for Los Angeles when he was about 19.

Mercury Records: Brian McKnight and Anytime (1990–1997)

McKnight's older brother, Claude V. McKnight III (and Claude's band Take 6), signed a record deal with Warner Brothers subsidiary Reprise Records in 1987, releasing their first album in early 1988 and encouraging Brian to shop his own demo tapes. By the age of 19 he signed his first recording deal with a subsidiary of Mercury Records, Wing Records. His debut album Brian McKnight was released in 1992, and peaked at number 58 on the Billboard 200 chart. His first release was "The Way Love Goes×The Way Love Goes1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1The Way Love Goes (Edit)4:15B1Goodbye My Love1:06B2One Last Cry1:12B3Is The Feeling Gone?0:57", which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album also featured the ballad and Top 20 single, "One Last Cry×One Last Cry25 May 1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1One Last Cry (single edit)4:012Goodbye My Love (A Real Goodbye mix)6:103Never Felt This Way5:36". It was followed by two more albums for Mercury, I Remember You×I Remember You8 August 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1On the Down Low4:522On the Floor4:173Your Love Is Ooh4:204Up Around My Way4:315Anyway5:156Still in Love3:587Every Beat of My Heart4:078I Remember You5:009Must Be Love4:3610Crazy Love4:0111Marilie5:1512In Love (interlude)0:5913Once Again4:2714You4:4515The Day the Earth Stood Still4:3616Niko's Lullaby1:4017Kiss Your Love Goodbye4:27 (1995) and Anytime×Anytime23 September 1997 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Anytime4:342Could4:263You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time)4:474Show Me the Way Back to Your Heart3:565Everytime We Say Goodbye4:056You Got the Bomb4:427Hold Me3:498The Only One for Me5:139Til I Get Over You4:5710I Belong to You4:4511Jam Knock4:3412When the Chariot Comes4:31 (1997). Anytime, McKnight's final album with Mercury, sold over two million copies and was nominated for a Grammy. The video for "Anytime", directed by Darren Grant, was nominated for Best Male Video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. In 1997, McKnight recorded "Remember the Magic" for Walt Disney World's 25th anniversary. After the release of his debut album, McKnight was part of the group Black Men United alongside Gerald Levert, his then-labelmate Joe, Christopher Williams, Boyz II Men, and others for the song "U Will Know", appeared and co-produced (alongside D'Angelo) on the soundtrack to the 1994 film Jason's Lyric.

Motown Records: Bethlehem and Back at One (1998–2004)

McKnight signed with Motown in 1998 and released a Christmas album, Bethlehem×Bethlehem20 October 1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Hail Mary2:092Bethlehem Tonight3:323Let It Snow '984:254Silent Night (interlude)1:165Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas4:006It's All About Love5:157Christmas Time Is Here3:278The First Noel3:369Home for the Holidays3:1810Don't Let Me Go4:1311Christmas Eve With You6:21, the first of five albums he released on Motown. In 1998, he was a guest star on the show Sister Sister. He appeared in multiple episodes, as Tia and Tamera's college professor. That same year, he recorded a duet with Mariah Carey on a song that named "Whenever You Call" that was released as a bonus track in Carey's #1's compilation. The duet is also featured in the 25th anniversary edition of Carey's Butterfly album.
In 1999, McKnight released Back at One, his most successful album to date, which eventually went on to sell over three million copies. Additionally, Back at One is one of four of McKnight's studio albums to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, reaching number 7 on October 9, 1999. In 2004, he co-wrote the song "Wait" with Australian soul artist Guy Sebastian, which appeared on Sebastian's Beautiful Life album.

Warner Brothers: Ten and performances (2005–2014)

In early 2005, McKnight made a cameo appearance in Mariah Carey's "It's Like That" music video directed by Brett Ratner. In late 2005, McKnight signed with Warner Bros. Records and released the album Ten during December 2006. It was his only studio album with the label. Three singles were released from the album: "Find Myself in You" (which originally appeared on the soundtrack to the 2006 Tyler Perry movie Madea's Family Reunion), "Used to Be My Girl×Used to Be My Girl12 September 2006 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Used to Be My Girl (Main Edit)4:142Used to Be My Girl (Instrumental)4:14" and "What's My Name". In October 2007, McKnight made his Broadway debut in the show Chicago.
Between 2006 and 2010, McKnight hosted The Brian McKnight Morning Show, a radio show with Pat Prescott on KTWV The Wave in Los Angeles. The show was briefly simulcast on KHJZ-FM, Smooth Jazz 95.7 The Wave in Houston. In January 2009, McKnight hosted "The Brian McKnight Show" on 98.7 KISS-FM in New York City. In 2009, he appeared as a performer in the eighth season of The Celebrity Apprentice. Each celebrity played to raise money for the charity of his or her choice. He elected to play for Youthville USA. Between September 2009 and May 2010, he hosted The Brian McKnight Show, a late night talk show billed as a combination of talk and variety which aired in syndication. McKnight sang the national anthem for MLB Opening Day in Cincinnati, Ohio with his sons Brian, Jr. and Niko on March 31, 2011. He had sung the national anthem for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, Game 6 of the 2002 World Series in Anaheim, California (near his Los Angeles home), and the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Detroit. He has sung the anthem throughout his career at numerous places. He sang "God Bless America" in the 7th inning of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series in San Francisco on October 22, 2012.

On April 23, 2012, McKnight posted to YouTube "If You're Ready To Learn", which has been characterized by Billboard as a "filthy jam". Billboard selected this lyric from the song to quote: "Let me show you how your __ works / Since you didn't bring it to me first." Other media outlets including MTV, the Toronto Sun, and NewMediaRockstars have written about McKnight's recent, more adult-oriented efforts. Soon after the single's release, McKnight and Funny or Die revealed that the single was a collaboration between the two. McKnight later explained that he wrote the parody as a commentary on the state of R&B, which he noted was in a period of degradation overall with famous radio station 98.7 Kiss FM shuttering and hit singles being inferior quality music, among other ailments.

Brian McKnight Music and Kobalt: Better (2015–2016)

On August 14, 2015, McKnight released the single "Uh Oh Feeling", the first track from his album Better×Better26 February 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Strut4:282Just Enough3:493Can't Take It4:524Better3:415Uh Oh Feeling3:416Like I Do3:307Lovin You From a Distance4:188Goodbye4:239Get You Into My Life4:1610Enough3:2811Key 2 My Heart4:4212Just Waiting4:09. It was released on his own label, Brian McKnight Music LLC via Kobalt Label Services. Better was released on February 26, 2016 and the album received positive reviews.

SoNo Recording: An Evening with... and Genesis (2016–present)

On September 23, 2016 (twenty years from the date of his studio album Anytime×Anytime23 September 1997 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Anytime4:342Could4:263You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time)4:474Show Me the Way Back to Your Heart3:565Everytime We Say Goodbye4:056You Got the Bomb4:427Hold Me3:498The Only One for Me5:139Til I Get Over You4:5710I Belong to You4:4511Jam Knock4:3412When the Chariot Comes4:31), McKnight released his first live CD, DVD and Blu-ray collection entitled An Evening with Brian McKnight (in partnership with independent recording label, SoNo Recording Group, via Universal Music Group). The concert was recorded at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California. The release includes fourteen songs performed live with his full band, plus three newly written and recorded songs. The first single, "Everything", was in the Top 20 on the national Adult Contemporary charts in September 2016. The CD version of the concert debuted on the Billboard R&B chart at No. 13, as a Hot Shot Debut. Also included is a duet with Gino Vannelli, on the song "Brothers in the End". The Blu-ray and DVD version of the release premiered on the Billboard Music DVD chart at number 9.
McKnight released the album Genesis×Genesis25 August 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Genesis - prelude1:332I want u3:17310 million stars4:194Hungry 4 u4:065Forever - (radio edit)3:386Don’t leave4:167So damn real4:218UDONTHAV2BLONELYNOMO4:039Everything3:2210Die for your love4:0211Blow your mind3:0912Genesis3:3613Never3:3314All i need4:18 on August 25, 2017. It featured three Top 30 Urban AC and AC hits: "Everything", "Forever" and "I Want U". Genesis premiered on the Nielsen SoundScan Top 10 Current R&B Albums and Top 20 Current Hip Hop/R&B Albums. The album was produced by Tim Kelley of the duo Tim & Bob. In January 2018, McKnight was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards. He was nominated for Outstanding Male Artist and Outstanding Album for Genesis (alongside Bruno Mars, Charlie Wilson, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z and Mary J Blige). In May 2018, McKnight announced that he was working on his next studio album tentatively titled Bedtime Story, which would be 60 minutes of music "for the bedroom aka baby-making music". In 2021, Brian McKnight competed on The Masked Singer spin-off The Masked Dancer as "Cricket".

Personal life

McKnight was married from 1990–2003 to singer-songwriter, Julie McKnight, and they have two sons. Brian also has a daughter he fathered from a previous relationship. He had been estranged from his son Niko for many years, dating back to the elder McKnight publicly referring to his oldest children—Niko and older brother Brian Jr.—as being "products of sin". On May 30, 2025, Niko died of cancer.
In 2014, Brian McKnight and Leilani Malia Mendoza, a pediatric neurophysiologist, began dating and they announced their engagement in May 2017. On December 29, 2017, McKnight and Mendoza were married. Mendoza has two children from a previous relationship. McKnight and Mendoza had a son who died in infancy. In December 2022, McKnight and Mendoza had another son, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr. McKnight legally changed his name to Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. matching his son's name.

Religion

Brian McKnight grew up a Seventh-day Adventist. Religion was important in the McKnight family, with many generations being Seventh-day Adventists. His grandfather was a pastor of a church, and his mother played the piano and sang in a gospel choir in Emanuel Temple in Buffalo, New York. Being the youngest of four boys, McKnight became a member of an a cappella gospel quartet with his brothers. He also attended Oakwood College, a Seventh-day Adventist university in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1987 to 1989. In his second year, he got into trouble for violating Oakwood's rules about dormitory visitors for having his girlfriend in his dorm room. They were both expelled.