Glenn Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glenn Lewis
Background information
Birth name	Glennon Ricketts Jr.
Born	(1975-03-13) March 13, 1975 (age 50) Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Neo soul
Occupation(s)	Singer–songwriter
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Sanctuary Records, Ruffhouse Records, Capitol Records, Epic Records
Associated acts	Stanley Clarke, Kardinal Offishall, Melanie Fiona, Amel Larrieux

Glenn Lewis, whose real name is Glennon Ricketts Jr., is a talented singer and songwriter from Canada. He was born on March 13, 1975. Glenn Lewis is known for his "neo soul" music, which is a mix of soul, R&B, and hip-hop. He was even nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004 and has won a Juno Award, which is a big music award in Canada. He has received six Juno nominations in total.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Glenn Lewis was born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in Toronto with his mother, who was from Trinidad and Tobago, and his father, Glennon "Glen" Ricketts Sr., who was from Jamaica. Both of his parents were musicians. His father was the lead singer of a band called Crack of Dawn in the 1970s. He also had his own music career as "Glen Ricks."

From ages eight to fourteen, Glenn lived in Trinidad. After that, he moved back to Toronto. As a teenager, he first thought about becoming an animator. However, he soon decided to focus on music instead. When he returned to Toronto, he went to Eastern High School of Commerce. There, he won a talent show by singing a Stevie Wonder song called "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Glenn Lewis has said that Stevie Wonder is his biggest inspiration. People often compare Glenn to Stevie Wonder because their singing voices sound similar. After high school, Glenn started making demo songs with musician Alex Greggs. He also began performing in nightclubs. Soon, he became a well-known artist in Toronto.

Music Career Highlights

Glenn Lewis's success in Toronto helped him release his first song, "The Thing to Do," in 1997. This song earned him a nomination for a Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording. His second song, "Bout Your Love," came out in 1998. It also received a Juno nomination. That same year, he was featured on a remix of Maestro's song "Stick to Your Vision."

In 1999, Glenn sang on a track called "Whatever It Takes." This song was on Canadian singer Jazmin's first album. The next year, he was featured on the song "Only Be in Love" by Baby Blue Soundcrew. This song earned him his third Juno nomination. All this exposure helped him get a record deal with Epic Records.

World Outside My Window Album

Glenn Lewis's first album with Epic Records was called World Outside My Window. It was released on March 19, 2002. The album included the popular song "Don't You Forget It." This song helped him win a Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording. The album reached number 4 on the Billboard charts. To promote his album, Glenn toured with famous artists like Alicia Keys and Tweet. The album also had a second song, "It's Not Fair," which reached number 90 on the R&B chart.

In 2002, Glenn Lewis recorded a cover of "Superstition" for a tribute album to Stevie Wonder. He also appeared in the 2002 movie Maid in Manhattan, which starred Jennifer Lopez. His song "Fall Again" was featured on the movie's soundtrack. This song was originally written for Michael Jackson. Later that year, Glenn released his first concert DVD, Glenn Lewis Live.

Later Projects and Collaborations

In 2003, Glenn Lewis started working on his second album, Back for More. The first song from this album, also called "Back for More," featured rapper Kardinal Offishall. It was played on the radio, and a music video was released. However, his record label later decided not to release the album.

Later in 2003, Glenn received a Grammy Award nomination. This was for his part in Stanley Clarke's song "Where Is the Love," which also featured Amel Larrieux. Glenn also won an International Achievement Award for his song "Don't You Forget It" at the SOCAN Awards in Toronto.

In 2006, he signed with Underdog Entertainment. He began working on an album with them called Remember Me, which was planned for 2007. He released a song called "Storm" in October 2006. This song became very popular in the underground soul music scene. However, in 2007, Glenn Lewis stopped working with The Underdogs. During this time, Glenn performed often overseas, especially in London, where he gained many fans.

Moment of Truth and Chasing Goosebumps

In 2009, Glenn Lewis reconnected with Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, known as "Dre & Vidal." They were the producers of his first album, World Outside My Window. On December 14, 2010, a popular soul music website shared his song "Good One." This led Glenn to officially release the song the next week. He released the official music video in September 2011. On November 9, 2011, Glenn Lewis signed with Ruffhouse Entertainment. His album project was distributed through Capitol/Caroline.

On April 29, 2013, Glenn released his song "Can't Say Love." It quickly became popular on Urban AC Radio stations. His album Moment of Truth was released on October 15, 2013. It included songs produced by Dre & Vidal, DJ Camper, and others. The album also featured a duet with singer Melanie Fiona.

In 2017, Glenn Lewis worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff and a group called ThePLAYLIST. They created a concept album called Chasing Goosebumps. This album was recorded and mixed in just seven days.

Discography

Albums

• World Outside My Window (2002)
• Moment of Truth (2013)
• Chasing Goosebumps (2017) (with ThePLAYLIST)

Singles