Laney Stewart facts for kids

Laney Stewart (born January 10, 1966) is an American music expert. He is a talented songwriter, music producer, musician, and manager. For over 30 years, he has helped create hit songs for many famous R&B, hip hop, and pop artists.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Philip Lane Stewart II was born in 1966 in the Chicago area of Illinois. His mom, Mary Ann Stewart, was a singer who performed with stars like Aretha Franklin. His uncle, Morris "Butch" Stewart, was also a musician and producer.

Laney taught himself to play piano and drums by age nine. When he was 12, he started singing in commercials. As a teenager, he began writing music for commercials too. By age 15, his songs were released on CBS Records with jazz artist Ramsey Lewis. At 16, he became part of Chicago's growing house music scene. He was one of the first producers in this style, creating songs like "Crazy" for Arrogance in 1986.

He worked as a studio musician with his uncle Wayne Stewart. At 18, Laney and his friend Kenneth Hale started their own company, Minute Men. They wrote popular commercial jingles for big brands like Bud Light and McDonald's. They even won an award for their work on the California Lottery ads. Laney was busy working in music clubs at night and with advertising companies during the day.

Building a Music Career (1988-1998)

In 1988, Laney Stewart signed his first music publishing deal with Famous Music. He teamed up with songwriter Tony Haynes. Together, they wrote many songs for artists. In 1990, Laney and Tony formed The Groove Asylum. They worked with famous producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who taught Laney a lot about songwriting.

Laney also signed young writers to his company. These included his younger brother, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, and Kuk Harrell. His other younger brother, Mark E. Stewart, helped with the business side.

Laney worked with important music executives like Sylvia Rhone. He helped create successful songs, such as "Never Let Them See You Sweat" by Go West. This song was featured in the movie White Men Can't Jump. Another hit was "Candlelight and You" by Keith Washington and Chante Moore, from the movie House Party 2.

In 1992, Laney moved his company from Chicago to Los Angeles. In 1994, he and his brothers became founding partners in RedZone Entertainment.

In 1996, Laney worked with famous musician and producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. This led to him working with artists like Madonna and Tony! Toni! Toné! He wrote and produced songs for the movie Soul Food. He also wrote the top 10 hit "Last Night's Letter" for K-Ci & JoJo's album Love Always.

Redzone Entertainment and Atlanta

In 1999, Laney moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He joined his brothers as a partner in RedZone Entertainment. RedZone helped make Atlanta a major music city. They produced hits like "Hit ‘Em Up Style" by Blu Cantrell and "No Scrubs" by TLC. Laney became the president of RedZone. He helped keep the company active and successful.

Laney continued to write and produce hit songs. These included "Without You" by Charlie Wilson and "Everything" for B2K's Pandemonium album.

A Music Publisher and Mentor

As a music publisher, Laney helped new writers grow their skills. He taught his brother "Tricky" Stewart and Kuk Harrell the secrets of making hit songs. He published songs for many big artists like Britney Spears, Usher, and Pink.

One of the biggest R&B songs he published was "I Love Me Some Him" from Toni Braxton's Secrets album. This album sold over 8 million copies! He also published "Me Against The Music," a duet by Britney Spears and Madonna. This song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

Other pop hits he published included "Case of the Ex" by Mýa. This song was a huge international success. In 2001, he published B2K’s hit song "Uh-Huh," which was a top-selling single in the U.S. that year.

Discovering The-Dream

In 2003, Laney started a new music publishing company called Morningside Trail Music. He discovered and signed a talented writer and producer named Terius "The-Dream" Nash. Their first song together was "Everything" for B2K.

Laney helped The-Dream become an award-winning writer and artist. The-Dream went on to write many huge hits. These included Rihanna's "Umbrella," Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body," and Beyoncé's "Single Ladies."

Recent Years and Giving Back

In 2005, Laney took a break from music after being diagnosed with kidney cancer. In 2009, he and his wife started Stewart Music Group. This company combines music publishing, production, and artist management. In 2010, Laney received a kidney transplant from his wife.

While recovering, he signed a deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the biggest music publishing companies in the world. He also started a new writing and production team called "The Sharpshootaz." This team includes talented writers like Alex Jacke. In 2012, The Sharpshootaz produced songs for Jesse McCartney. They also released an EP for Alex Jacke called "D.F.M."

Personal Life

Laney Stewart lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, Khaila Stewart. They have three children: Jordan, Clarke, and Christopher. Laney and his wife are involved in research at UCLA to help people with kidney disease and those needing organ transplants.

Selected Songs as Songwriter and Producer