ABBA

He is a singer-songwriter and producer born in New Orleans and raised in Los Angeles who sand in his church choir and studied at the Otis Art Institute where he was able to concentrate on music.

While attending high school his singing talents were put to good use when he sang on the tracks “Shout” and “Sham Me Lama Ding Dong” for the Animal House soundtrack.

Showing a major talent for football, even though never playing the game in high school, he managed to secure himself a scholarship in the sport at the Long Beach State University. This led to him securing himself a career as an NFL cornerback. He was a member of several teams including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Baltimore Colts and after joining the Los Angeles Rams he played in the 1980 Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His time as a player was sadly curtailed after just 4 years when his neck was injured. His son, Airabin, is now also a professional football player who has played in both the United States and Canada.

After he stopped playing he concentrated on being a professional singer, which he could have done earlier when he was asked to join The Miracles in 1978. He turned down this offer down so he could continue to follow his football career. Around 1987 he performed as a member of the group Shalamar, remaining with them for around 5 years. In 1993 he met up with Pete Moore from The Miracles again and was once again offered a place in the group. This time he became a singer with The Miracles and stayed with them until 2005.

In the movies his co-written “Tease Me, Please Me” appeared on the soundtrack of Lambada, which he also produced, and as an actor he appeared in the 1986 Wildcats.

Throughout his musical career he has worked with many artists either as a singer, songwriter and/or producer. They include Babyface, The Band AKA, Bobby Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Gap Band, Alexander O’Neill, Rose Royce and The Whispers.

Today he can still be heard singing and touring with the splinter group The Sound of Miracles and in the new line-up of Shalamar.

Still involved in sport he coaches football, plays basketball and can often be seen playing in charity golf tournaments.

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