Hector King

Infobox Musical artist


Img_size = 150
Name = Hector King
|Img_capt =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Hector King Tamayo
Born = Birth date and age|1982|5|4|mf=y
Died =
Origin = Culiacan, Mexico
Genre = Pop, Latin
Years_active = 1999–present
Label = Encino Sound Int.
URL = [http://www.hectorking.net hectorking.net]

Hector King is a Mexican recording artist who is making an effort to break out into the international stage. King has one critically acclaimed (Spanish language) album under his belt, "VIVE", and a follow-up (in English) has been announced for 2007.

Biography

Early years

King was born in Culiacán, Mexico of parents Saul King and Martha Tamayo. Mexican modern painter Rufino Tamayo was a distant relative of King's on his mother's side. As of 2007, his parents still live in Culiacán where his father works for the State Government. King's mother is a former Congresswoman and a former Senator in Mexico.

King began taking piano lessons at the age of 10, earning a degree in Contemporary Keyboard Execution from Yamaha Music five years later. He then moved on to the stage in regional theatre productions of "The Sound of Music", "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".

1998-2002

In the late 1990s, King moved to Monterrey, Mexico to train in classical music. While attending college King went on to compose the score for two musicals: "Siempre Verde" and "Tilín Larín". He also entered the Festival de la Canción del Sistema ITESM (a renowned songwriting competition in Mexico) and won four major awards with his song "Vive": Best Lyric, Best Music, People's Choice Award and Song of the Year.

During this time, Hector King joined Sergio, Federico and Jorge Velderráin to form a pop-rock band named Nitia. Without a label or management, Nitia went on to have two singles on Mexican radio: "Esta Noche" and "Renacer". The group disbanded after a couple of years, but in 2002 the Velderráin brothers (now as a band named Maqina. Love) and Hector King collaborated in a pop compilation, "Kemado Master", released regionally by Peerless/MCM/Warner Music. King's first single as a solo act, "Chubidubi", first received airplay in April 2002. However, without further support from the label and a well organized tour, support in radio and record sales stalled.

Enticed by his longtime friend (later to become his manager) Mariana Guevara, who was then living in Los Angeles and working at a major publicity firm, King put together a demo of his songs, both in English and Spanish, and sent it to her. Within weeks King was preparing to perform his first US gig: a benefit concert for the Youth at Risk, held in July 2002 at the Warner Bros. Records lot in Hollywood.

Encino Sound

VIVE

During that first brief stay in Los Angeles, Hector King met producer/composer David Hewitt, who signed him to his US-based Encino Sound label. A couple of months later, King moved to Los Angeles to start work on the production of his first solo album.

In a move that would soon prove to be decisive for the future of Encino Sound, then CEO Bill Welty instructed King to put on hold all work done for his debut album as it had all been prepared for an English language release. Welty felt that King's appeal would be better understood by Latin audiences and thus it was decided that Hector King's debut would be sung in his native tongue: Spanish.

"VIVE" was released in 2005 to critical acclaim, with the press naming King the "best new talent out there… fresh, innovative, unique". Bill García, former executive of Sony Music, compared King with the likes of Ricky Martin and Juanes: "he's got the whole package… very seldom you see acts like him".VIVE's first single, the vallenato-infused "Tú Me Gustas" was picked up by almost one hundred radio stations from Puerto Rico to California. Nevertheless things suddenly took a turn for the worst.

2006-2007

King and his manager (Guevara) split amicably, putting a much needed promotional tour on indefinite hold. At the same time, Encino Sound announced that it couldn’t support "VIVE" due to financial hardship. On April 6, 2006, Bill Welty committed suicide in his home in Encino, California. Encino Sound was left practically bankrupt and inoperable.

King took the following months to revise the work he had begun initially on an English language album and is currently putting the finishing touches on it.Encino Sound has been taken over by David Hewitt and the label is now in talks with several major record companies to secure distribution and promotion of these two album through a possible joint-venture.The release of Hector King's English language debut album is expected in early 2007.

Discography

* "Kemado Master" 2002 Peerless/MCM/Warner Mexico
* "Vive EP" 2005 ESI Mexico
* "VIVE" 2005 ESI US/Mexico
* "Tu Me Gustas EP" 2006 ESI US

External links

* [http://www.hectorking.net Official website in Spanish]
* [http://www.myspace.com/mrhectorking MySpace Site in English]