LeMel Humes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lemuel “LeMel” Humes
Background information
Birth nameLemuel Nigel Humes
Occupation(s)Songwriter, composer, & Producer
Years active1986–present
LabelsWarner Bros., Arista

Lemuel “LeMel” Humes is an American songwriter/composer, musician, singer, and producer. He is perhaps best-known for his longstanding songwriting and production relationship with R&B/soul singer Miki Howard, particularly his work on her early/breakthrough albums.

Career[edit]

Humes began his recording career in the early 1980s, releasing the single "Dance So Fine" under the name Nijel in 1982.[1][2]

Working as a staff songwriter for Warner Brothers Music Publishing, he earned more public recognition when he wrote and produced nearly all of the tracks on Miki Howard's Atlantic Records debut album, Come Share My Love, including the top-ten R&B chart hit title track.[3][4][5][6] Humes also played various keyboards and provided backing vocals throughout the album, while also arranging several songs. His other highlights on the album include a vocal duet with Howard on the song "I Can't Wait (to See You Alone)" and performing all instruments (via the "Kurzweil 250 Computer Systems") on the song "My Friend".[7] Humes continued working with Howard, writing and producing several songs on her second album, Love Confessions, including (again) the title track.

This early success segued into work with other artists, including Whitney Houston (co-writing the album track "Where You Are" from the Whitney (1987) album), Stephanie Mills (producing "Comfort of a Man" on her Home album), The Pointer Sisters (co-writing their final top 40 R&B hit of the 1980s, "He Turned Me Out", featured on the soundtrack to the 1988 film Action Jackson), Ray Charles (writing "Let Me Take Over" on his My World album),[8][9][10] Thelma Houston, and Meli'sa Morgan. He scored his first number one R&B hit in 1989, writing and producing Stacy Lattisaw's duet with Johnny Gill, "Where Do We Go from Here".

Humes also continued to work with Miki Howard throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, returning to a prominent role on her Femme Fatale and Can't Count Me Out albums, the first of which included her number one R&B hit, "Ain't Nobody Like You".

Select Discography[edit]

Songs written/composed[edit]

Miki Howard[edit]

Whitney Houston[edit]

Stacy Lattisaw[edit]

The Pointer Sisters[edit]

  • "He Turned Me Out"

Ray Charles[edit]

  • "Let Me Take Over"

Thelma Houston[edit]

  • "High"

Meli'sa Morgan[edit]

  • "So Long, Goodbye"

Sweet Obsession[edit]

  • "I Want to Know"

Amii Stewart[edit]

  • "Stay With Me (We Can Work it Out)"

Songs/Albums produced[edit]

Miki Howard[edit]

Stephanie Mills[edit]

  • "Comfort of a Man"

Milira[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nijel @Discogs.com Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  2. ^ Billboard 1982 Soul Chart history Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  3. ^ "LeMel Humes". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  4. ^ Joel., Whitburn (2007). Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006 : chart data compiled from Billboard's adult contemporary charts, 1961-2006, and adult top 40 charts, 1996-2006. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research Inc. p. 129. ISBN 9780898201697. OCLC 171287750.
  5. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1994-07-23). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ Pollock, Bruce (1992). Popular Music: An Annotated Index of American Popular Songs. Gale Research Incorporated. ISBN 9780810382343.
  7. ^ Brown, Joe (1987-01-16). "FRESH , FUNKY RB RELEASES". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  8. ^ Blues & Soul. Napfield Limited. January 1990. p. 14.
  9. ^ White, Adam, 1947 or (1993). The Billboard book of number one rhythm & blues hits. Bronson, Fred. New York: Billboard Books. ISBN 0823082857. OCLC 27975988.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "THE CONCIERGE". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  11. ^ Pollock, Bruce (1992). Popular Music: An Annotated Index of American Popular Songs. Gale Research Incorporated. ISBN 9780810382343.
  12. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1996-12-07). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. ^ "Where You Are Whitney Houston". genius.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  14. ^ "Miki Howard - Come Share My Love". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-05-03.