Reggie Calloway facts for kids

Reggie Calloway (born January 23, 1955) is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer who has been nominated for a Grammy Award. He has worked in the music business for over 45 years!

Reggie became famous in the late 1970s as the founder and leader of the music group, Midnight Star. Their album No Parking on the Dance Floor was a huge hit, reaching #2 on Billboard's R&B Album charts and selling millions of copies.

Later, Reggie and his brother Vincent formed the R&B duo Calloway. Their song I Wanna Be Rich became a big pop hit, reaching #2 on Billboard's Pop chart. Reggie also wrote and produced Casanova for the group LeVert, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. He has created songs for many famous artists like Natalie Cole, NSYNC, and Teddy Pendergrass. His song Love Overboard, sung by Gladys Knight & the Pips, even won a Grammy Award! Many artists, including Snoop Dogg and Usher (musician), have used parts of Reggie's music in their own songs.

Reggie Calloway also works to support artists' rights in the music industry. He is involved with several important music organizations, like the Archives of African American Music and Culture. In 2022, he was honored by being added to the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Reginald LeVon Calloway was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. His dad was in the Air Force. In 1964, Reggie and his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. His mom opened a flower and ice cream shop, where Reggie and his brothers, Greg and Vincent, helped out.

In junior high, Reggie was busy! He played basketball, football, and the trumpet. He was even the Student Council President. In high school, he continued playing trumpet in the band and was the Senior Class President. By the mid-1970s, the Calloway family was very involved in Cincinnati's funk and jazz music scene. In 1975, Reggie, his brothers, and some friends formed a jazz-fusion group called SunChild. They even released their first song on their own record label!

Reggie went to Kentucky State University to study music. He was a top student and formed the electro-funk band Midnight Star with other music students. His brother Vincent joined the group soon after. To focus on their music, the band moved into Reggie's grandparents' empty house in Louisville, Kentucky. There, they were discovered by talent scouts and eventually got a record deal. They later moved to his mom's house in Cincinnati, and she became their manager.

Music Career Highlights

Reggie Calloway is a talented singer, songwriter, music producer, and plays many instruments. He also owns his own record label, Spiral Galaxy Entertainment, and a music publishing company called Calloco Music, Inc.

Midnight Star: A Techno-Funk Journey

Reggie formed Midnight Star in 1976 while at Kentucky State University. The band included Reggie, Belinda Lipscomb, Melvin Gentry, Kenneth Gant, Bill Simmons, Bo Watson, and Jeff Cooper. Later, Reggie's younger brother Vincent and Bobby Lovelace joined.

Reggie was the band's leader, writing, arranging, and producing their songs. He carefully studied popular songs and what DJs played in clubs. In 1979, Solar Records President Dick Griffey signed the band. Reggie learned a lot about producing by watching famous producers like Leon Sylvers III. He once shared that a short meeting with music legend Quincy Jones helped Midnight Star create their big hit, "No Parking on the Dance Floor."

Midnight Star had a special "techno-funk" sound, using lots of synthesizers and combining R&B, funk, and pop. Vincent Calloway often used a vocoder, which made their sound even more unique. Reggie recorded six albums with the group, releasing popular songs like Operator, Freak-A-Zoid, and Wet My Whistle. Their song No Parking On the Dance Floor was even named one of Rolling Stone's "100 Best Singles of 1984." In 1986, Reggie and Vincent left the group to work on new music projects.

Calloway: A Dynamic Duo

After leaving Midnight Star, Reggie formed the music duo Calloway with his brother Vincent. They released two albums, All the Way and Let's Get Smooth. Their single, I Wanna Be Rich, was a huge success, reaching #2 on Billboard's Pop chart and selling enough copies to be certified Gold.

In 2009, Reggie released his first solo album, Bring Back the Love, which received good reviews.

Songs for a Cause

Reggie and his brother Vincent have also used their music to help others. In 2017, they released a charity song called Houston after schools in Houston were badly flooded by Hurricane Harvey. Other artists joined them on the song, and all the money raised went to the Houston Independent School District.

In 2020, the Calloways released the song Politics to encourage people to register and participate in voting. Reggie said it was one of the most important songs they had ever written.

In 2021, Reggie also sang on Skip Martin's charity single, People Get Ready, alongside famous artists like Stevie Wonder and Ray Parker Jr.. All the money from this song was donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This song was compared to the famous charity song We Are the World and reached #1 on the World Indie Music Charts in 2022.

Writing and Producing for Other Stars

Reggie Calloway became a very important writer and producer for many other artists. Dick Griffey, the head of SOLAR Records, asked Reggie if he knew other talented groups. Reggie introduced him to the group The Deele (which included future stars Kenny Babyface Edmunds and LA Reid). Reggie produced their 1983 album, Street Beat, which had the hit song Body Talk.

Even while performing with Midnight Star, Reggie continued to write and produce for others. In the early 1980s, he worked with Royalcash and wrote songs for The Whispers. In 1985, he co-wrote the title song for Klymaxx's album Meeting in the Ladies Room.

By the mid-1980s, Reggie was a top writer and producer. In 1987, his song Jump Start helped restart Natalie Cole's music career. His song Love Overboard, sung by Gladys Knight & the Pips, won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo with a Vocal. He also wrote and produced Casanova for LeVert, which earned him a Grammy nomination.

In 1988, Reggie wrote and produced the #1 song Joy for Teddy Pendergrass. He also wrote other songs for Teddy Pendergrass, including holiday songs like Happy Kwanzaa.

Helping Artists with Their Money

Reggie Calloway has also worked to help artists get money for their creative works without giving up ownership. He helps artists understand their music royalties (the money they earn from their songs). He is the Director of Music Royalty Funding at Sound Royalties and helped start the Royalty Exchange, which are companies that help musicians with their finances.

Discography Highlights

Reggie Calloway has been involved in many successful albums throughout his career. Here are some of the main ones:

• 1980: The Beginning (with Midnight Star)
• 1981: Standing Together (with Midnight Star)
• 1982: Victory (with Midnight Star)
• 1983: No Parking on the Dance Floor (with Midnight Star) - This album sold over 2 million copies!
• 1984: Planetary Invasion (with Midnight Star) - This album sold over 500,000 copies!
• 1984: Street Beat (for The Deele)
• 1986: Headlines (with Midnight Star) - This album also sold over 500,000 copies!
• 1989: All the Way (with Calloway)
• 1992: Let's Get Smooth (with Calloway)
• 2009: Bring Back the Love (Reggie Calloway solo album)