Turbo B facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Turbo B
Turbo B in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Durron Maurice Butler
Born	(1967-04-30) April 30, 1967 (age 57)
Origin	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Genres	Eurodance, hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1990–present

Durron Maurice Butler (born April 30, 1967), known as Turbo B, is an American rapper and beatboxer. He was once the frontman of the German electronic music group Snap!

After completing a period of service with the United States Army in Germany, Butler went on tour with the Fat Boys. He was soon discovered by the managers of Snap! and contributed to the albums World Power and The Madman's Return and their respective number-one hits, "The Power" and "Rhythm Is a Dancer".

After leaving Snap!, Butler pursued a solo career and also formed the group Centory, which had several minor hits. Butler is known to tour with other artists who were prominent in the 1990s. He has contributed to singles by Victoria Silvstedt, H-Blockx, Master Blaster, and Regi Penxten.

Early years

Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Butler started his music career as a drummer for a heavy metal band in his hometown. After joining the United States Army in July 1985, he completed basic training (C-4-3) at Fort Dix and was transferred to the 8th SC, Redstone Arsenal, AL for advanced training where he qualified to become an ammunition specialist. With his advanced training complete, he was sent to Friedberg, Germany to join the 60th Ordnance Company in Ray Barracks. After completing his service in the Army he returned to the USA but went back to Germany shortly thereafter to tour with The Fat Boys. In 1989 DJ Rico Sparx discovered his rapping talents and introduced him to Snap! producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (who were using the pseudonyms Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III); they chose him to replace Chill Rob G's vocals in their song "The Power". He chose the stage name Turbo B, which had been his nickname since childhood.

Success with Snap!

"The Power" became a major international hit, and Butler became recognizable as the frontman of the group. To promote their debut album, World Power, they toured widely.

In the run-up to the 1992 release of Snap!'s second album, The Madman's Return, "Rhythm Is a Dancer" was planned to be the first single. Butler reportedly hated the song and wanted "Colour of Love" to be issued instead. In December 1991, he got his wish, but "Colour of Love" went fairly unnoticed in the UK and US charts. Münzing and Anzilotti then insisted on releasing "Rhythm Is a Dancer" as the second single, and it became the group's second major international hit. Butler left Snap! shortly after due to growing dissent with the group and its managers.

In 2000, Snap! and Turbo B rejoined for a comeback and released the single "Gimme a Thrill". The song failed to chart, and their planned album One Day on Earth was subsequently never released.

Solo career and Centory

After leaving Snap!, Butler pursued a solo career, releasing the album Make Way for the Maniac in 1993 on Polydor Records. It featured the singles "I'm Not Dead", "Get Wild", "What You See", and "Nice & Smooth".

He went on to form the band Centory in 1994, with Gary Carolla, Delgado (Kevin Estevez), and Alex Trime (Eddie Gibson). They released the album Alpha Centory, which spawned four minor hits in the European charts. Butler toured with Centory following their success. He did not feature on their last single, a cover of Milli Vanilli's "Girl You Know It's True", which instead featured singer Trey D.

Butler did not issue any more solo material until 2005, when his single "New Day" was released under Holy Chaos Recordings. He has contributed to singles by Victoria Silvstedt, H-Blockx, Master Blaster, and Regi Penxten, among others.

Discography

with Snap!

Albums

Singles

with Centory

Albums

Singles

Solo releases

Albums

Singles

Collaborations

See also

In Spanish: Turbo B para niños