CeCe Rogers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids CeCe Rogers
CeCe Rogers in Manchester, United Kingdom
Background information
Birth name	Kenneth Jesse Rogers III
Born	(1962-04-30) April 30, 1962 (age 63) Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Genres	House gospel R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter record producer
Years active	1987–1999 2008–present
Labels	Atlantic Sony USB

CeCe Rogers (born Kenneth Jesse Rogers III, April 30, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is from Cleveland, Ohio.

When he was 11 years old, CeCe Rogers was performing and imitating the famous singer Chubby Checker. The legendary musician James Brown saw him and gave him the nickname "CeCe." CeCe Rogers is known as one of the most popular male singers in house music. In 1987, he worked with Marshall Jefferson to record the song "Someday." This song became very important in house music. It was even ranked as one of the top songs of all time by Mixmag magazine.

His song "All Join Hands" also became well-known in 1991. This happened after DJ Laurent Garnier started playing it in his mixes.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

CeCe Rogers went to Shaw High School in East Cleveland, Ohio. He also studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He started learning to play the piano when he was just five years old. His mother was a music teacher, and she introduced him to gospel music. This type of music became the base for all his future songs. People thought he was a child music genius. When he was nine, he was a special musician on a weekly TV show called The Gene Carroll Show.

In 1984, CeCe Rogers moved to the New York area. There, he taught singing and piano. He also worked with famous artists like Melba Moore and Freddie Jackson. He even started his own music group called CeCe & Company. This group played jazz and R&B songs. Some of the singers in his group later became famous, like Sybil Lynch and Adeva.

Music Career Highlights

In 1987, CeCe Rogers recorded "Someday" with Marshall Jefferson, who wrote the song. After this, he signed a contract with Atlantic Records. This made "Someday" the first house music song ever released by a major record company.

At first, CeCe Rogers did not realize how popular house music was becoming in Europe. So, he focused on other types of music. In 1989, he released his first album, CeCe Rogers. This album had a mix of modern R&B and house songs. Critics liked it, but it did not sell many copies. His second album, Never Give Up (1991), also did not sell well. After this, Atlantic Records stopped working with him. He then went back to singing background vocals for TV commercials.

In 1993, the famous DJ David Morales asked CeCe Rogers to work on his first album, Games. CeCe also helped Morales with many remix projects. These included songs for Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross, and music for the movie Sister Act. CeCe Rogers has written and produced many songs with his friend and business partner, Marshall Jefferson.

In 1989, CeCe Rogers wrote a popular song in the UK called "Got to Get You Back" for the singer Kym Mazelle. House music quickly grew from Chicago and became very popular in Europe. CeCe Rogers toured with Marshall Jefferson, helping soulful house music become well-known there.

In 1994, CeCe Rogers recorded several popular songs with an Italian band called Jestofunk. This led to three world tours with the band. After five years, CeCe Rogers decided to stop touring and try teaching. He saw a need for more African American male teachers in city schools. So, he taught music production for eight years at a vocational school in New Jersey. He later became a supervisor for the school district. He also started a gospel choir that won many awards.

CeCe Rogers' Music

CeCe Rogers has released several albums and many single songs.

Albums

• CeCe Rogers (1989)
• Never Give Up (1991)
• Key of Ce (2017)

Singles

• "Someday" (1987)
• "Forever" (1989)
• "All Join Hands" (1990)
• "Never Give Up" (1991)
• "No Love Lost" (1994)
• "Come Together" (1995)
• "I'll Be Your Friend" (with Benny Benassi) (2020)

Songs as a Featured Artist

CeCe Rogers has also sung on songs by other artists.

• "Say It Again" (with Jestofunk) (1994)
• "Can We Live" (with Jestofunk) (1994)
• "Happy" (with Jestofunk) (1999)
• "I Want You" (with Bob Sinclar) (2014)
• "Come with Me" (with David Morales) (2016)