Laney Stewart facts for kids

Laney Stewart (born January 10, 1966) is an American songwriter, music producer, musician, music publisher, music executive, and manager. He also mentors young people in the music industry. Over the past three decades, Laney has written, produced, and published hit songs for many famous R&B, hip hop, and pop artists.

Laney Stewart's Music Journey

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Laney Stewart grew up surrounded by music. His mother, Mary Ann Stewart, was a successful singer. She sang background vocals for famous artists like the Ohio Players and Aretha Franklin. His uncle, Morris "Butch" Stewart, was also a musician and producer.

By the age of nine, Laney had taught himself to play both the piano and drums. When he was 12, he started singing on advertising jingles in Chicago. As a teenager, he began writing and composing his own jingles. By 15, he had his first songs released commercially with Ramsey Lewis.

At 16, Laney became a regular in Chicago's growing house music scene. He was one of the first house music producers. For example, he produced the song "Crazy" for Arrogance in 1986 [1]. He also worked as a session musician, playing instruments for recordings. His main keyboard influence was Patrick Leonard, known for his work with Madonna.

When he was 18, Laney and his partner Kenneth Hale started their own jingle company called Minute Men. They created popular ads for brands like Bud Light, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola. They even won an award for their work on the California Lottery ad campaign. Laney was busy doing house clubs at night and jingle sessions by day.

Stepping into the Music Industry (1988-1998)

In 1988, Laney signed his first publishing deal with Famous Music. A publishing deal means a company helps manage and promote your songs. Within a few years, Laney teamed up with songwriter Tony Haynes. They had many songs placed with artists. Laney then upgraded his deal to a "joint venture," which means he shared ownership and profits with Famous Music.

With a publishing deal, Laney decided to focus on working with recording artists instead of just jingles. In 1990, he and Tony Haynes formed The Groove Asylum. This led him to work with famous producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They greatly influenced Laney's songwriting and production style.

Laney also started signing young writers to his company. These included his younger brother, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Kuk Harrell, and Sean Hall. He also brought his other younger brother Mark and future sister-in-law Judi into the business side of the company.

Laney then worked with MCA Records executive Louil Silas Jr.. This led him to collaborate with other top executives like Sylvia Rhone and Quincy Jones. He helped create successful songs like "Never Let Them See You Sweat" by Go West, which was in the movie White Men Can't Jump. Another hit was "Candlelight and You" by Keith Washington featuring Chanté Moore, from the movie House Party 2.

In 1992, Laney moved his company from Chicago to Los Angeles, California. In 1994, he became a founding partner with his brothers Tricky and Mark in RedZone Entertainment.

In 1996, Laney started working with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and his music publishing company. Babyface's guidance greatly influenced Laney's songwriting. This partnership led Laney to work with Madonna, Shanice, and Tony! Toni! Toné!. He also wrote and produced songs for the movie Soul Food. During this time, he wrote and produced the top 10 hit "Last Night's Letter" for K-Ci & JoJo's multi-platinum album Love Always.

Redzone Entertainment and Atlanta

In 1999, Laney moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He joined his brothers as a partner in RedZone Entertainment and Triangle Sound Studios. RedZone helped make Atlanta a major music city. They produced hits like "Hit ‘Em Up Style" by Blu Cantrell, "No Scrubs" by TLC, and "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child.

Laney became the president of RedZone. He managed the company's daily operations. Hit songwriter Ester Dean also joined Redzone's publishing team. Laney continued to write and produce hit songs. These included the #1 hit "Without You" by Charlie Wilson and "Everything" for B2K's Pandemonium album.

Laney as a Music Publisher

As a publisher, Laney worked with writers to help them improve their skills. He also helped build a large collection of songs. He mentored ""Tricky" Stewart," Kuk Harrell, and Sean Hall. He taught them how to consistently create hit songs, using what he learned from Jam & Lewis and Babyface.

He published songs for artists like Britney Spears, Usher, and Pink. He also published "Who Dat" by JT Money, which was the 1999 ASCAP Rap song of the year. It reached #5 on the Billboard pop charts. One of the biggest R&B songs he published was "I Love Me Some Him" from Toni Braxton's "Secrets" album.

Other pop hits he published included "Case of the Ex" by Mýa. This song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on Billboard's R&B chart. In 2001, he published B2K's "Uh-Huh," which was the #1 selling single in the US that year.

Discovering The-Dream and Morningside Trail Music

In 2003, Laney started another publishing partnership called Morningside Trail Music. He discovered and signed writer/producer Terius "The-Dream" Nash. Their first work together was the song "Everything" for B2K.

Under Laney's guidance, Nash became an award-winning writer, producer, and recording artist. He wrote hits like "Falsetto." Laney introduced Nash to his brother Tricky. Together, they wrote many hits, including Rihanna's "Umbrella," Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body," Justin Bieber's "Baby," and Beyoncé's "Single Ladies."

Recent Career and Personal Life (2005-Present)

In 2005, Laney took a break from music due to a health issue. In 2009, he and his wife, Khaila Stewart, formed Stewart Music Group. This company combined publishing, production, and management. In 2010, Laney received a kidney transplant from his wife.

While recovering, he finalized a deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the largest music publishing companies. He started a new publishing catalog called Music Gallery. His first signing was a new writing and production team called "The Sharpshootaz." Laney chose each writer for this team, including Alex Jacke and Sidney Miller.

In late 2011, The Sharpshootaz produced several songs for Jesse McCartney. In July 2012, Laney and The Sharpshootaz released an Alex Jacke EP called "D.F.M." Stewart Music Group includes Music Gallery/UMPG Publishing, "The System" Management and Consulting, and LS Productions.

Laney Stewart lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Khaila. They have three children: Jordan, Clarke, and Christopher. Laney and his wife are involved in research at UCLA for kidney disease and living donor transplants.

Discography as Songwriter and Producer