Bryan-Michael Cox facts for kids

Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter. He is famous for creating hit songs for some of the biggest names in music, like Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton.

Some of his most famous songs include "Be Without You" for Mary J. Blige, and "Burn" and "Confessions Part II" for Usher. He also worked on "Shake It Off" for Mariah Carey.

When he was in high school, Cox met a young singer named Beyoncé. He helped produce some of the first songs for her group, Destiny's Child. Later, he moved to Atlanta to build his music career. There, he teamed up with producer Jermaine Dupri and became a key creator at his record label, So So Def Recordings.

Cox even earned a Guinness World Record for having his songs on the music charts for more than five years in a row. This broke a record once held by The Beatles. In 2009, he was added to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame for his amazing work in music.

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Cox grew up surrounded by music. He has said that his mother loved buying records. He wrote his first song when he was only six years old and told his mom he wanted to be a musician when he was seven. To follow his dream, he went to a special arts high school in Houston, Texas.

While in high school, Cox met Beyoncé. He was a senior, and she was a freshman. He helped her record her very first demo tape, which is a sample of a musician's work. Even though they didn't work together again for seven years, getting positive feedback from Beyoncé's manager, Mathew Knowles, encouraged Cox to pursue a career in the music industry.

To get closer to the music scene, Cox decided to go to college in Atlanta. He enrolled at Clark Atlanta University to be in one of the top cities for music.

Career Highlights

1994–1999: Starting Out

Cox started his career as an intern at Noontime Records in Atlanta. An intern is someone who works to learn a job. His manager, Chris Hicks, saw his talent and helped him get started. Cox's first big hits as a producer were for the R&B group Ideal.

2000–2005: Creating Major Hits

In the early 2000s, Cox's career took off. He wrote songs for Lil Bow Wow's first album, including the single "Puppy Love". He also worked with the group Jagged Edge on their hit songs "He Can't Love U" and "Let's Get Married".

His biggest successes came when he worked with Usher on his album Confessions. Cox co-wrote and co-produced the number-one hits "Burn" and "Confessions Part II". The album was a huge success, winning a Grammy Award and selling over 20 million copies worldwide.

He also teamed up with Mariah Carey for her album The Emancipation of Mimi. He helped create the hit songs "Shake It Off" and "Don't Forget About Us". He also wrote the song "Say Goodbye" for Chris Brown's first album and the award-winning song "Be Without You" for Mary J. Blige.

2006–Present: Continued Success

Cox continued to produce hits for many artists. He worked with Bow Wow on "Shortie Like Mine" and with Mary J. Blige on her album Growing Pains. He also produced songs for the group Day26 and Trey Songz.

In 2010, he co-wrote and produced "Never Let You Go" for Justin Bieber's first album, My World 2.0. He also worked with Mariah Carey on her Christmas song "Oh Santa!" and with Usher on his album Raymond v. Raymond. More recently, he has worked with artists like Tamar Braxton, Drake, and Ty Dolla Sign.

Legacy in the Music World

Bryan-Michael Cox has had a major impact on R&B and hip hop music. Working alongside his mentor Jermaine Dupri, he has created 35 number-one hits and won nine Grammy Awards.

Billboard, a famous music magazine, named him one of the "Top 10 Producers of the Decade." Many of his songs are on Billboard's lists of the best songs and albums of the 2000s. For his incredible work, he has won the Songwriter of the Year Award many times.

Selected Songwriting and Producing Credits

Here are some of the famous songs Bryan-Michael Cox has helped create. A writer helps create the lyrics and melody, while a producer helps build the song's overall sound and recording.

See also

In Spanish: Bryan-Michael Cox para niños