JR Hutson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids JR Hutson
Background information
Birth name	Lee Hutson Jr
Also known as	J.R. Swinga
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	R&B soul pop
Occupation(s)	Record producer executive producer music industry executive songwriter singer arranger instrumentalist speaker
Instruments	Vocals piano bass
Years active	1990-present
Labels	Warner Bros. Records Motown Hidden Beach Atlantic
Associated acts	Jill Scott Earth Wind & Fire Anthony Hamilton Musiq Soulchild Dezi Paige Lalah Hathaway Leela James Carl Thomas Wayman Tisdale

JR Hutson, whose real name is Lee Hutson Jr., is an American music producer, songwriter, and talent developer. He helps artists create their music and grow their careers. He has worked with many famous musicians like Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Stevie Wonder, and Earth Wind & Fire.

JR Hutson has earned Gold and Platinum records, which means his music has sold millions of copies. He has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards, which are very important music awards. Today, he continues to produce music and help new artists.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

JR Hutson was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Music was a big part of his family. His father, Leroy Hutson, was a soul musician and a member of the famous group The Impressions. His mother was also a professional opera singer.

JR's first music lessons happened at The American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey. While at the school, he traveled all over the country singing. The choir recorded many albums. They even sang on a famous version of Cindy Lauper's song "True Colors" for a Kodak TV commercial.

Career Highlights

Early Music Production and Motown Records

As a teenager, JR Hutson moved to Miami, Florida. There, he learned to play bass and keyboards. He also started writing songs. In high school, he formed a singing group called Living Proof. JR created and produced all the music for the group.

Living Proof was noticed by many big record labels. They eventually signed with RCA Records. JR later left the group. He then spent some time learning from the famous producer Teddy Riley in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Soon after, JR Hutson signed a deal as a solo artist with Motown Records. He used the name JR Swinga. His most well-known song as JR Swinga was "Chocolate City." This song was about life at a historically Black college. The music video for "Chocolate City" was filmed at Florida A&M University. While at Motown, he also produced music for other artists on the label. These included Boyz II Men, Jason Weaver, and jazz artist Wayman Tisdale.

Hip Hop Production

JR Hutson also produced many notable hip hop songs from his hometown of Miami. He worked with Slip N Slide Records. He produced a track called "You, Me & She" which featured Trick Daddy and J-Shin. He also helped many other local Miami rap artists.

Hutson also helped a hip hop artist named Sianhide get a record deal. An executive from Warner Brothers, KRS-One, chose Hutson to work with Sianhide. They released the song "We Gon Ride" on KRS-One's "Temple Of HipHop Kulture" album.

Moving to Los Angeles and Hidden Beach Records

In 2002, JR Hutson moved to Los Angeles, California. There, he reconnected with Steve McKeever, who had a record label called Hidden Beach Recordings. JR wrote, produced, and performed the song "I Choose You" for a Hidden Beach album. He also wrote and produced "Wonderful & Special" for artist Mike Phillips, where JR was the featured singer.

After working on many projects for Hidden Beach, JR Hutson was recommended to Jill Scott. She was a major artist on the label. It is said that the music JR Hutson created became the main part of her album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3. They formed a very successful creative partnership. JR Hutson once explained how he made the song "Whenever You're Around." He said he wanted to create it like the legendary producer Quincy Jones. He brought in many musicians to jam and find the right sound.

Recent Work and Achievements

In 2008, Hutson worked with Musiq Soulchild to produce the popular song "SoBeautiful."

In 2010, JR Hutson and Jill Scott officially started working on Scott's album The Light of the Sun. Hutson was the executive producer and helped write many songs on the album. They recorded the album in several studios across California and Pennsylvania. The album featured collaborations with artists like Anthony Hamilton and Eve. When it was released on June 21, 2011, it became Jill Scott's first album to reach #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It sold 135,000 copies in its first week.

In 2013, Hutson achieved another goal: writing and producing a song for Earth Wind & Fire. This was for their album Now, Then & Forever. This album was special because it brought back the original Earth Wind & Fire lineup. It was their first album in 10 years. Hutson's song, "Love is Law," is the second track on the album.

Discography

Here are some of the albums and songs JR Hutson has worked on:

1990s

• 1994
  • J.R. Swinga - "Chocolate City" (from State of Emergency: Society in Crisis, Vol. 1)
  • Boyz II Men - "On Bended Knee (Swingamix)" (Remix Producer)
• 1995
  • Wayman Tisdale - "Circumstance" (from Power Forward)
  • Jason Weaver - "For The Love Of You" (from Love Ambition)
• 1996
  • Wayman Tisdale - "These Feelings" (from In The Zone)
• 1997
  • Zhane - "This Song If For You" (from Saturday Night)
• 1999
  • Siahnide - "We Gon' Ride" (from The Temple Of Hiphop Kulture)
  • J-Shin - "U Me & She” Feat. Trick Daddy (from My Soul, My Life)

2000s

• 2002
  • Mike Phillips - "Wonderful & Special (Feat. “J.R.”)" (from You Have Reached Mike Phillips)
• 2003
  • JR Hutson - "I Choose You" (from Hidden Hits Vol. 1)
• 2007
  • Jill Scott - The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3
    • "Come See Me"
    • "Crown Royal"
    • "Whenever You're Around" (featuring George Duke)
    • "Wanna Be Loved”
    • "Imagination"
• 2008
  • Musiq Soulchild - "SoBeautiful" (from OnMyRadio)

2010s

• 2011
  • Jill Scott - The Light of the Sun (JR Hutson was Executive Producer)
    • "So in Love" (featuring Anthony Hamilton) (co-writer)
    • "Shame" (featuring Eve and The A Group)
    • "All Cried Out Redux" (featuring Doug E. Fresh)
    • "Le Boom Vent Suite”
    • "So Gone (What My Mind Says)" (featuring Paul Wall)
    • "Hear My Call”
    • "Making You Wait"
    • "Missing You"
    • "When I Wake Up"
    • "Rolling Hills"
  • Carl Thomas - "The Night Is Yours" (from Conquer)
  • Lalah Hathaway - "Small Of My Back" (from Where It All Begins)
• 2013
  • Earth Wind & Fire - "Love Is Law" (from Now, Then & Forever)
• 2014
  • Leela James - "Stay With Me" (from Fall For You)
• 2015
  • Kenny Lattimore - Anatomy Of A Love Song (JR Hutson was Executive Producer)
    • "Still Good" (featuring Da' T.R.U.T.H. and Shanice)
    • "Back 2 Cool" (featuring Kelly Price)
    • "Built To Last"
    • "Beautiful Nowheres"
  • Maysa - "Miracle" (from Back to Love)
  • Malcolm Jamal Warner's Miles Long - Selfless (JR Hutson was Executive Producer)
    • "Brand New Day" Feat. Ledisi & Robert Glasper

Awards and Recognition

JR Hutson has been recognized for his work in the music industry.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are very important awards given each year for achievements in music.

ASCAP Awards

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) gives out awards each year to honor songwriters and composers.

Chart Positions

JR Hutson's work has appeared on many music charts, showing how popular his songs and albums are.

Notable Studio Albums

Notable Singles