AL BERRY BIOGRAPHY

SAY what you will about AL BERRY, the man has an unshakable belief in himself and in his music. Al is one of those vocalists that leave fans and critics alike scratching their heads in search of not just superlatives, but valid comparisons. You can hear vocal hints gleaned from legendary performers such as Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder and Al Green. Al isn't imitative of anyone in particular, but like some of those singers, his soulful vocals are what you notice first. Al has forged a musical style he can rightly claim as his own. Al writes songs that defy genre and cross aural boundaries with abandon.

Al Berry was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised on a heavy diet of soul music. "Ever since I can remember I would put on my favorite records and sing along to Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Earth Wind & Fire, and Stevie Wonder. These were the voices that kept me company." Al had good taste in friends, because it was the many hours of singing and dancing to those old scratchy classics that would give Al the vocal vocabulary and undeniable ability to reach the world with his voice.

Al recalls "I always knew that it would be music that would take me around the world." Al not only had a wonderful voice, but also a tremendous natural ability for the drums and the bass guitar and it was actually this skill that would lead Al to greener pastures. For the next ten years, Al played and sang with some of the most talented and prestigious musicians that Baltimore had to offer. Jazz, Rock, Funk, he played it all.

While attending a Music and Arts High School in Baltimore, Al was encouraged to audition for the world-renowned Peabody Conservatory at John Hopkins University. He was thrilled to be accepted into the vocal scholarship program. Al explains, "It was a completely new experience for me to sing Opera in Italian and French, and for a kid from the inner-city that was a trip! It was a great experience though, because I was doing things with my voice that I had never even thought I could do, as well as developing a great appreciation for Opera and Classical Music." The treasures of Baltimore began to pale, however. After some extended visits to New York, Al realized how much more it had to offer, and upon completion of Peabody, he made the big move to New York City.

"It was very tough at first," admits Al. "One night while working a party at the Hard Rock Café I met an upcoming new artist. We vibed and discussed writing together and he told me that he was about to start recording his first album and needed a bass player. Shortly afterwards I found myself standing face to face with Nile Rodgers who was going to produce this record. I was a huge fan of Chic and all of Niles' production work." That was all the opportunity Al needed to showcase his ability, because after working on that first album, Nile wound up calling Al for almost every new project he worked on. They became good friends, and Al had the good fortune to record, perform or tour with Lionel Ritchie, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Vaughan, Lenny Kravitz, Bobby Womack, and the Cars' Ric Ocasek, among countless others.

In 1991 Al traveled to Los Angeles to join the group Civilization as the lead singer and co-writer in the band. Al met his wife while recording the album and although he swore he'd NEVER move to LA, he now lives in Burbank with his wife and children. Meanwhile, Al remained hard at work writing and compiling material for what turned out to be his first solo album. Released on a limited basis Al Berry was completed in 1997 and introduced Al's inner voice to the world. The songs on that album were a true expression of Al's personal life and deeply rooted spiritual themes. His passion for music kept him very busy collaborating with others and writing new material this time dealing with overcoming fear, doubt, faithlessness, anger & prejudice and more importantly the love for his children.

Al's new album, "Take The Pain Away" (Superb/EPIC), will be released in the fall 2001. The album was recorded in Los Angeles with a talented cast assembled in the studio including Al Berry (lead vocals, bass and acoustic guitar), guitarist Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie), keyboardist Jamie Muhoberac (Seal), drummer Mark Lomax and several other world-class studio musicians. It was co-written and produced by long time friend and collaborator Shiro Gutzie.

2001 promises to be a special year for Al Berry as he takes his unique musical offerings to the world.