Kyle Vincent

Kyle Vincent (February 12, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and environmentalist.

Vincent was born and raised in Berkeley, California, U.S.A.. He received musical training in the Berkeley Public Schools. He currently lives in western Massachusetts.

Musical career

Kyle Vincent began his music career at the age of 8, playing alto saxophone in Berkeley school jazz bands. At age 11 he appeared on stage with Donald Byrd, taking turns improvising with the legendary trumpeter. He studied voice with master vocal coach and renowned opera singer Claudine Spindt for several years, and took bass lessons from legendary guitarist Joe Satriani. After playing bass in an S.F. Bay Area pop/punk band, he moved to Los Angeles to become the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in the teen pop band, Candy. The band featured Gilby Clarke who would subsequently join Guns N' Roses, Heart, MC5, and Rock Star Supernova with Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe. The group, originally signed to Curb Records/MCA Records, soon had their contract purchased by Mercury/Polygram which released their sole album, "Whatever Happened To Fun...". The album was produced by Jimmy Ienner who had previously produced hit albums for the Raspberries and the Bay City Rollers. While in Los Angeles, Vincent studied with renowned vocal coach Seth Riggs.

While recording demos as a solo artist in an L.A. studio, Vincent began work on a song entitled, "Nature Girl" with Eden Ahbez, writer of the classic song, Nature Boy (song). popularized by Nat King Cole. Vincent had met Ahbez in an L.A. stereo store where Vincent had been working, and Ahbez told Vincent that he reminded him of his deceased son, about whom he had written "Nature Boy".

After leaving Candy, Vincent was signed to MCA as a solo artist and recorded the album, "Trust", and toured as the opening act for Barry Manilow on his "Greatest Hits" tour. The "Trust" album was produced by Vincent, Clif Magness (Avril Lavigne,Wilson Phillips), and Steve Levine (Culture Club,Beach Boys), and featured co-writes with Magness and Steve Kipner, writer of "Physical" and Genie In A Bottle.

For his next album, Vincent signed with Disney's Hollywood Records which released the album, "Kyle Vincent", which spawned the U.S. "Billboard"/"Radio & Records" Adult Top 20 single, "Wake Me Up (When The World's Worth Waking Up For)", co-written by vocalist/guitarist Parthenon Huxley. ('Wake Me Up' was featured in the Garry Marshall directed motion picture, "The Other Sister", starring Juliette Lewis, Diane Keaton, and Tom Skerritt.) In 1999, Vincent released "Wow & Flutter" on SongTree Records, (repackaged version with 2 bonus tracks released on SongTree/Varese Sarabande in 2001). "Sweet 16" (2000), "Solitary Road" (2003), "Don't You Know" (2005), "Gathering Dust" (2007), released on SongTree Records. In 2006 Vincent was signed to Universal which released "Invisible Man", a compilation CD on their UMe Digital label. In 2007 the DVD "Live & Unlive Too" was released.

His songs have also appeared on various television shows including MTV's "Road Rules", "The Real World", "Daria", ABC's "All My Children", and "Save the Planet: A CBS/Hard Rock Cafe Special".

Also in 2007, Vincent was chosen to be the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers Kyle Vincent's song "Sierra" was adopted by the Sierra Club and John Denver's Windstar Foundation. It was included on the "Dear Earth" double CD released Earth Day, 2007. Other artists on the CD include Gladys Knight, The Kingston Trio, Olivia Newton-John, John Denver, Melanie, and readings from the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu.

Other

In 1995, Vincent was a participant in the California AIDSRide 2, bicycling 540 miles in 7 days from San Francisco to Los Angeles, raising money for AIDS care facilities.

Official endorser of California Healthy School Lunch Resolution (ACR-16), which asked schools to offer a plant-based lunch option on the daily menu. The resolution overwhelmingly passed the California Assembly and Senate in 2003.

Volunteer instructor with Kids Protectors of the Environment, an after-school environmental program directed at high-risk youth.

His song, "5000 Heroes" raised money for the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, and received commendations from former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Senator Bob Dole.

In 2003, he was the featured performer at the inauguration of then Nebraska governor (and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture) Mike Johanns.

In 2007, Vincent was one of a select group of people personally trained by former Vice President Al Gore in Nashville, Tennessee to be an official presenter of Gore's slide show, as seen in "An Inconvenient Truth". Vincent's version includes the impact which diet has on the environment.

Some of the artists Kyle Vincent has appeared or recorded with include:
* 10,000 Maniacs
* Bryan Adams
* Eden Ahbez
* Gerry Beckley
* Donald Byrd
* Blessid Union of Souls
* Wally Bryson
* Fortunes David Carr
* Tony Childs
* Gilby Clarke
* The Cowsills
* Ron Dante
* Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
* Julia Fordham
* Kim Fowley
* Leif Garrett
* Kevin Gilbert
* Amy Grant
* The Guess Who
* Corey Hart
* Sophie B. Hawkins
* Jimmy Ienner
* Yuko Ishikawa
* Elliot Kendall
* Kill For Thrills
* Steve Kipner
* Tuesday Knight
* Robert Lamm
* Steve Levine
* Hank Linderman
* Michael Lloyd
* The Loveless
* Clif Magness
* Barry Manilow
* Ziggy Marley
* Richard Marx
* Jonathan Moffett
* Night Ranger
* O.M.C.
* John JR Robinson
* The Rubinoos
* Run DMC
* Sister Hazel
* Martin Sexton
* Duncan Sheik
* Rick Springfield
* Hal Stein
* Matthew Sweet
* The Ventures
* The Wondermints
* Rufus Wainright
* Freddie Washington
* Paul Williams

References

External links

* [http://www.kylevincent.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/kylevincent Kyle Vincent] at MySpace