Brian McKnight is an American singer, songwriter, producer and actor known for his musical finesse and having released a number of tracks and albums that have been well received by audiences and critics alike. His work has been nominated 16 times for Grammy Awards as of June 2019. Brian McKnight is the third musician to have the most Grammy nominations without a win, after Morten Lindberg and Snoop Dogg. From the beginning of his career, Brian McKnight gained recognition when his self-titled debut album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on the Billboard 200 chart. Soon after, his 3rd studio album, Anytime, was also well received by audiences and received RIAA Platinum certification and a Grammy nomination. Some of the other albums Brian McKnight has released are I Remember You , Back at One , Superhero , Turn U , Gemini , Evolution of a Man , Ten , Just Me , More Than Words , and Genesis . He has also dabbled in acting and has been cast in a few shows and films such as Sister Sister , The Beat , Platinum ,American Dreams , Leverage , Black Dynamite , Note to Self , A Rural Christmas Carol , Sandy Wexler , Hollywood in Vienna 2015: Tales of Mystery , Adults , and Twilight: The Story of Hope . In addition, Brian McKnight also has a huge social media following with 250,000+ followers on Instagram, 150,000+ followers on Twitter, 500,000+ subscribers on YouTube and 1.5M+ followers on Facebook.

Born name

Brian Kelly McKnight

nickname

Brian

Sun sign

Twins

Place of birth

Buffalo, New York, United States

Residence

Los Angeles, California, United States

nationality

training

Brian McKnight went to Maynard Evans High School in Orlando, Florida, USA. He then studied at Oakwood College ( Oakwood University ), a private, historically black Seventh-day Adventist university in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1987 to 1989.

occupation

Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Actor

family

• Father – Claude McKnight, Jr.
• Mother – Ruth Elaine Willis (She played piano and sang in a gospel choir at Buffalo’s Emanuel Temple.)
• Siblings – Claude McKnight III (older brother) (musician, member of Gospel Singing Group Take 6 ), Michael McKnight (older brother)

Manager

Brian McKnight is represented by Red Entertainment Agency, Talent Agency, New York, New York, USA.

Genre

R&B, Soul, Adult

instruments

Vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, tuba, drums

labels

• Mercury Records (1988–1997)
• Motown Records (1998–2005)
• Warner Bros. (2006–2008)
• E1 Music (2009–2015)
• Kobalt Music Recordings (ab 2015)
• Universal Music Group / SoNo (Ab 2016)

To build

Athletic

Height

6 feet 4 inches or 193 cm

weight

95 kg or 209.5 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Brian McKnight dated –

1. Julie McKnight – Brian McKnight and singer Julie McKnight started dating when they were in college, and the college sweethearts tied the knot in 1990. Over the course of their relationship, the duo was blessed with three children. After being married for over a decade, things started to fall apart and they eventually divorced in 2003, ending in a 13-year marriage.
2. Annalisa Mungcal – It is speculated that Brian McKnight has dated Annalisa Mungcal in the past and the duo even got engaged over the course of their relationship.
3. Miriam Moreno (2008) – In 2008, McKnight had an affair with Miriam Moreno and they welcomed their first and only child together, a son named Evan Brian, the following year.
4. dr Leilani Malia Mendoza (2014-Present) – Brian McKnight started dating Pediatric neurophysiologist Leilani Malia announced their engagement in 2014 and eventually married on December 29, 2017. They have been together ever since and McKnight often uploads their pictures and videos to Instagram, to update his fans about his relationship status and show his love for Leilani Malia.

race/ethnicity

Schwarz

hair colour

salt and pepper

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

• Strong falsetto and strap area
• Towering Height
• toned body
• shaved head

brand promotion

Brian McKnight has done endorsement work for a number of brands including:

• Sears (TV commercial) (2001)
• RADD (TV Commercial) (2001)

Religion

Brian McKnight grew up a Seventh-day Adventist.

Known for

• The third musician (as of June 2019) after Morten Lindberg and Snoop Dogg, he has received the most Grammy nominations without a win, having been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards
• Released a number of popular albums such as Brian McKnight , I Remember You , Back at One , Anytime , Turn U , Evolution of a Man , Gemini , More Than Words , and Genesis
• Having amassed a huge social media following with 250,000+ followers on Instagram, 150,000+ followers on Twitter, 500,000+ subscribers on YouTube and 1.5M+ followers on Facebook

First album

Brian McKnight released his eponymous studio album, Brian McKnight in 1992 through Mercury Records. It consisted of songs like The Way Love Goes , Goodbye, My Love , After Love , One Last Scream , Never Felt Like This , Staying the Night , Has the Feeling Gone? , No Can Do , and My Prayer and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was also ranked #58 on the Billboard 200 chart .

first movie

Brian McKnight made his first motion picture appearance as a record executive in the 2003 comedy-action-drama film, The Beat . They included Rahman Jamaal, Kazz Wingate IV, Derek Barbosa, Michael Colyar, Coolio and John Cothran.

First TV show

Brian McKnight made his first appearance as “himself” in an episode of the music talk show series. Soul Train in February 1993.

Personal trainer

Brian McKnight has maintained a stunning physique through regular exercise. Even at the age of 50, the musician managed to train as often as possible, and also focuses on eating right.

Brian McKnight Facts

1. He grew up with his brothers in a highly religious family in Buffalo, New York, USA, and his grandfather was a church pastor.
2. Brian McKnight began his musical career at a very young age, joining his church choir as a child.
3. After his brother’s band , Take 6 , signed a record deal with Warner Brothers, Brian McKnight was inspired to buy his own demo tapes and soon after signed his first record deal with Wing Records, a subsidiary of Mercury Records, when he was just 19 was years old.
4. During his sophomore year at Oakwood College, Brian McKnight was expelled along with his girlfriend for violating Oakwood’s dormitory visitor rules for bringing his girlfriend into his dormitory.
5. His 3rd studio album, Anytime , was released in 1997 through Mercury Records and consisted of tracks like Anytime You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time) , Show Me The Way Back To Your Heart , Every Time We Say Goodbye , The Only for me , Until I get over you , I belong to you , and When the chariot comes . It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and also received a Grammy nomination.
6. At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, the music video for Anytime , directed by Darren Grant, was nominated in the Best Male Video category.
7. In 1998, Brian McKnight signed to Motown Records.
8. He shares credits with Australian singer-songwriter Guy Sebastian on the song entitled Waiting , from Sebastian’s album, Beautiful Life , released in October 2004.
9. Brian McKnight made his Broadway debut on the show in October 2007. Chicago .
10. He served as the host for the radio show, The Brian McKnight Morning Show along with Pat Prescott from 2006 to 2010.
11. In 2005, he was featured in Mariah Carey’s video for the song, It Is What It Is .
12. Brian McKnight was also cast in the 2nd season of the reality game show, Celebrity Apprentice 2009 and he decided to play for the non-profit children’s charity, Youthville USA .
13. He hosted The Brian McKnight Show from September 2009 to May 2010.
14. Brian McKnight has sung the national anthem on multiple occasions such as the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio, the 2002 World Series Game Six in Anaheim, California, and the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Detroit, Michigan. He also sang the national anthem for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Opening Day on March 31, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his sons Brian, Jr. and Niko.
15. He attracted a great deal of critical attention after falling If You Are Ready to Learn , der von. was dubbed “dirty jam,” according to Billboard , on YouTube on April 23, 2012. He later clarified that it was a parody of the state of R&B that’s gone down.
16. Brian McKnight and his 13th studio album, Genesis , released August 2017, was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards in January 2018 in the Outstanding Male Artist and Outstanding Album categories, along with the likes of Bruno Mars, Charlie Wilson, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, and Mary J. Blige.
17. He was friends with Steve Harvey.
18. He has appeared in a number of shows and films such as Stanley T in Da House , Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show , The Beat , The Rosie O’Donnell Show , Platinum , American Dreams , Leverage , Black Dynamite , The Mumblesteens , The Steve Harvey Show , A rural Christmas story , Hollywood in Vienna 2015: Tales of Mystery , Who wants to be a millionaire? , The Tonight Show With Jay Leno , The Wayne Brady Show , Twilight: The Story of Hope, Adults , New York Undercover , The Roseanne Show , The Oprah Winfrey Show , The Isaac Mizrahi Show , The Sharon Osbourne Show , Jimmy Kimmel Live! , The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson , and Fair Game with Kristine Leahy .
19. Brian McKnight’s credits as a producer include working on The Brian McKnight Show , Brian McKnight: Mad Love , and Black Men United: You’ll Know .
20. Visit his official website @ mcknight360.com.
21. Follow Brian McKnight on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, iTunes, Spotify and YouTube.