He is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer nicknamed “Sol” born in Brooklyn, New York, to a family who are very involved in the music industry. Some of the family members include his cousins Akira Dee, Inaya Day and the rap artist Poison Pen and the nephew of a producer and keyboard player.
Interested in music from an early age, when he was at high school he used to meet up with his friends in his parents basement to rehearse and also it was a place where they could store their instruments and equipment. After a while he got himself some four-track recording equipment and proceed to set himself up in business as The Hole in the Ground Studios.
One of his friends at school was Randy Muller who had formed the band Dynamic Soul, and he would sing backing for them on occasion. This band would change its name to Brass Construction in 1973 and would soon become a successful chart-hitting group.
He and Randy retained their friendship and they would work in collaboration for a large part of his career. He also played host to the band B.T. Express in his studios early on in their career and as a songwriter he saw success with them in 1975 with his “Give It What You Got” which became a hit.
Before long he established his own group. Fuel, who were made of musicians who had seen success with other disco groups and later he and Randy Muller put together their Alligator Bit Him Productions. Next would be his band Skyy, often known as New York Skyy in the UK” who he would lead as a singer and guitarist and with whom he would achieve 14 Billboard R&B chart songs from 1979 to 1984.
Recording on the Salsoul record label until it shut down and continuing to release further material with Atlantic after that, the majority of these hits were written and produced by him still collaborating with Randy Muller. They included “Call Me”, “First Time Around”, “Givin’ It To You”, “Let’s Celebrate”, which was their only entry on the UK chart, “Let’s Turn It Out”, “Real Love”, “Start of a Romance” and “This Groove is Bad”.
Some of their albums include Inner City, Nearer to You, Skyyline, Skyyport and Skyywayand their tours saw them traveling all over the world and with Kool & The Gand on an extensive US tour. The group made their last album in 1992 but a reunion was suggested in the liner notes of their “Best of Skyy” 1996 compilation.
B.T. Express recordings
Give It What You Got
(Roadshow S62191) (US promo 45)
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