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Eric West (R&B) Biography
Contemporary R&B/Pop singer, actor and model Eric West (born May 18, 1982 in New York, NY USA) became an overnight sensation, making a name for himself as a singer and popular dancer at the young age of 14 in Japan, his debut single "End Of The World" released internationally in 1997 was a Top 10 hit that brought West massive fame, recognition and idolization in Japan [performing under the name Eryk]. In 1996, he made his acting debut in Movies Money Murder; in 2004, two more movies followed, Lords of Dogtown, and a movie with pop idol Lindsay Lohan and Nick Cannon currently in production. Eric has appeared on CNN People In The News and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Eric started recording music at the age of 12 much like his uncle Grammy winner Smokey Robinson of Motown fame, in 1995 West released his debut single "End Of The World" in Asia, it achieved Top 10 status on the Tokyo Hot 100 singles chart, right before he turned 15 he had finished recording a full-length album that was never released. His debut single was released to Urban radio late 1996, failing to expolde in America, even with all of it's stellar music reviews from the music industry's most respected, and it's undeniable impact in the worlds of R&B, Rap and Pop for being one of the very first haunting, mysterious - styled recordings according to Billboard Magazine, the single still managed to earn a My VH1 Music Award nomination for Best Legal Download (in association with Rolling Stone Magazine).
In the summer of 1998 Eric took his voice to radio, at age 16 he was the youngest DJ ever on FM radio in New York City, when he became a CO-host of the Top 9 at 9 on WBLS with radio diva JC Jordan.
After nearly 3 years out of the spotlight Eric returned briefly in 2001 with Can You Help Me? his first single in over 5 years, produced by Stay-C Hogan and written by Eric West it became an international mega hit topping the B-Radio Latin American radio charts for 2 weeks, rivaling songs by Justin Timberlake and Madonna for the No. 1 spot, while hitting Top 5 in Chile, Bolivia and Mexico, rumors of an album being released floated around on the Internet, but were untrue at the time. In fall 2002, Eric appeared on the runway at the 2002 VH1/Vouge Fashion Awards during a tribute to fashion icon Ralph Lauren, and also appeared during the Alexander McQueen presentation. Eric then appeared on MuchMusic's TV special "2002: What's Hot For Fall" with Jimmy Cozier, Olivia, Lindsay Pagano and Marcus, and hit No. 2 on the Australian R&B Airplay chart with "What I Wanna Do".
Eric once again disappeared until early 2004 and returned bigger than ever. He signed a deal with Artist Against Racism to appear in their TV commercial's in America. Artist Against Racism is an organization that also includes superstars like Celine Dion, Lenny Kravitz, Sarah McLachlan, Mike Myers, Bush and Aerosmith. He made his acting debut in the new show In My Lifetime directed by Devin Hampton and Little X who has directed music videos for Sean Paul, Usher, Alicia Keys, R. Kelly and Nelly. Eric then received a top honor from the OCTN; he was awarded the Humanitarian Award : Youth Of The Millennium. Eric also appeared in his own fashion spread in Marie Clarie Japan. He was featured as one of fashion's top new models and singers, and that was just early 2004.
On August 28th 2004, Eric made media headlines worldwide when he wore a "I Support Janet Jackson" t-shirt to the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. Which was a bold statment in regard to Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime controversy. Eric told Teen People USA, "It was my way of showing Janet support after being blacklisted by so many media outlets".
Eric started work on his debut album "Half Life" due in early 2005. Eric was scheduled to tour the UK as opening act for European superstar Matt Goss famous for UK hits When Will I Be Famous and I'm Coming With Ya, but the tour was canceled due to Goss' recent ill health.
Jeff Thomas - © 1997 - 2004 ARTISTdirect Inc. All Rights Reserved
Eric started recording music at the age of 12 much like his uncle Grammy winner Smokey Robinson of Motown fame, in 1995 West released his debut single "End Of The World" in Asia, it achieved Top 10 status on the Tokyo Hot 100 singles chart, right before he turned 15 he had finished recording a full-length album that was never released. His debut single was released to Urban radio late 1996, failing to expolde in America, even with all of it's stellar music reviews from the music industry's most respected, and it's undeniable impact in the worlds of R&B, Rap and Pop for being one of the very first haunting, mysterious - styled recordings according to Billboard Magazine, the single still managed to earn a My VH1 Music Award nomination for Best Legal Download (in association with Rolling Stone Magazine).
In the summer of 1998 Eric took his voice to radio, at age 16 he was the youngest DJ ever on FM radio in New York City, when he became a CO-host of the Top 9 at 9 on WBLS with radio diva JC Jordan.
After nearly 3 years out of the spotlight Eric returned briefly in 2001 with Can You Help Me? his first single in over 5 years, produced by Stay-C Hogan and written by Eric West it became an international mega hit topping the B-Radio Latin American radio charts for 2 weeks, rivaling songs by Justin Timberlake and Madonna for the No. 1 spot, while hitting Top 5 in Chile, Bolivia and Mexico, rumors of an album being released floated around on the Internet, but were untrue at the time. In fall 2002, Eric appeared on the runway at the 2002 VH1/Vouge Fashion Awards during a tribute to fashion icon Ralph Lauren, and also appeared during the Alexander McQueen presentation. Eric then appeared on MuchMusic's TV special "2002: What's Hot For Fall" with Jimmy Cozier, Olivia, Lindsay Pagano and Marcus, and hit No. 2 on the Australian R&B Airplay chart with "What I Wanna Do".
Eric once again disappeared until early 2004 and returned bigger than ever. He signed a deal with Artist Against Racism to appear in their TV commercial's in America. Artist Against Racism is an organization that also includes superstars like Celine Dion, Lenny Kravitz, Sarah McLachlan, Mike Myers, Bush and Aerosmith. He made his acting debut in the new show In My Lifetime directed by Devin Hampton and Little X who has directed music videos for Sean Paul, Usher, Alicia Keys, R. Kelly and Nelly. Eric then received a top honor from the OCTN; he was awarded the Humanitarian Award : Youth Of The Millennium. Eric also appeared in his own fashion spread in Marie Clarie Japan. He was featured as one of fashion's top new models and singers, and that was just early 2004.
On August 28th 2004, Eric made media headlines worldwide when he wore a "I Support Janet Jackson" t-shirt to the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. Which was a bold statment in regard to Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime controversy. Eric told Teen People USA, "It was my way of showing Janet support after being blacklisted by so many media outlets".
Eric started work on his debut album "Half Life" due in early 2005. Eric was scheduled to tour the UK as opening act for European superstar Matt Goss famous for UK hits When Will I Be Famous and I'm Coming With Ya, but the tour was canceled due to Goss' recent ill health.
Jeff Thomas - © 1997 - 2004 ARTISTdirect Inc. All Rights Reserved
Eric West (R&B) All Music Guide Biography
eryK. is a well known pop singer, in Japan, and well as a dancer. It was his first single "End Of The World" released from his 1997 debut album that first brought eryK. massive fame, recognition and idolization in Japan.
This led to a singing career that sparked a GOLD debut album that peaked at #44 in Japan, and 4 hugely successful singles in Japan the #6 hit "End Of The World" that followed by "No Doubt" then followed by "Did You Know (That I)" which luckily crossed over onto all charts in Japan. "End Of The World" created such a big buzz that he signed onto do the Zone TV Commercial, and was a regular fixture for a Black artist on Japanese TV, he was an early teen pop superstar at the age of 14.
In 1997, "End Of The World", earned him 3 J.O.A.M award Nominations , Best R&B Song, Best R&B Male Recording, and Best New Artist, and an MTV Asia Video Award Nomination, he didn't walk away with any of those awards but he did win a 1998 J.O.A.M songwriters award for "End Of The World" and in 2000 he won the Aspire Music Award for Best New R&B Act, an award which was publicized everywhere due to winning over act's like Macy Gray and teen group Blaque.
eryK. then seemed to disappear from the TV in Japan for about eighteen months, but while recording, promoting, and some TV work took a lot of his time, He was getting ready for his second album "eryK." the album's first single "I've Tried" became a massive hit in Japan in spring 2000, but the single failed to do well in the United States when it was shipped to radio summer 2000, and that forced the single to be canceled and his album got postponed.
eryK. collaborated with some of music's biggest of his sophomore release, Does Chasez ring a bell to any Boy Band Fans? In 2001 eryK. was forced back into the studio after he completed a 2 week tour with Blaque, and Griffin to re- record his forthcoming album. While "I've Tried" was poised to be eryK.'s first #1 hit in Japan, the single and album were still drooped from being released, now eryK. will make a 2nd attempt to with a new single shipping to radio in July 2001 titled "The New Me", which is also the title of his new studio album also.
eryK. has since become a regular name on the teen seen, but don't be fooled he maybe 19 year's old, but he is becoming powerhouse, an international star who writes and sings his own songs, who also started making early TV appearances in America on hit tv shows like Trackers, and the Oprah Winfrey show, magazine appearances in Jane, Right On, Black Beat, Teen Pop, Pop Star, High profile reviews on MP3.com,
musicreview.com and listen.com. In 2000 he also signed a deal with Artist Against Racism, you can find eryK. in their TV Commercial's in America, and Magazine Ads all across the world, eryK. is apart of an organization, that also includes superstars like Celine Dion, Bush and
Aerosmith.
If critics ever thought that EryK. was just a one hit wonder after "End Of The World" in late 1996. They might just have another thing coming.
This led to a singing career that sparked a GOLD debut album that peaked at #44 in Japan, and 4 hugely successful singles in Japan the #6 hit "End Of The World" that followed by "No Doubt" then followed by "Did You Know (That I)" which luckily crossed over onto all charts in Japan. "End Of The World" created such a big buzz that he signed onto do the Zone TV Commercial, and was a regular fixture for a Black artist on Japanese TV, he was an early teen pop superstar at the age of 14.
In 1997, "End Of The World", earned him 3 J.O.A.M award Nominations , Best R&B Song, Best R&B Male Recording, and Best New Artist, and an MTV Asia Video Award Nomination, he didn't walk away with any of those awards but he did win a 1998 J.O.A.M songwriters award for "End Of The World" and in 2000 he won the Aspire Music Award for Best New R&B Act, an award which was publicized everywhere due to winning over act's like Macy Gray and teen group Blaque.
eryK. then seemed to disappear from the TV in Japan for about eighteen months, but while recording, promoting, and some TV work took a lot of his time, He was getting ready for his second album "eryK." the album's first single "I've Tried" became a massive hit in Japan in spring 2000, but the single failed to do well in the United States when it was shipped to radio summer 2000, and that forced the single to be canceled and his album got postponed.
eryK. collaborated with some of music's biggest of his sophomore release, Does Chasez ring a bell to any Boy Band Fans? In 2001 eryK. was forced back into the studio after he completed a 2 week tour with Blaque, and Griffin to re- record his forthcoming album. While "I've Tried" was poised to be eryK.'s first #1 hit in Japan, the single and album were still drooped from being released, now eryK. will make a 2nd attempt to with a new single shipping to radio in July 2001 titled "The New Me", which is also the title of his new studio album also.
eryK. has since become a regular name on the teen seen, but don't be fooled he maybe 19 year's old, but he is becoming powerhouse, an international star who writes and sings his own songs, who also started making early TV appearances in America on hit tv shows like Trackers, and the Oprah Winfrey show, magazine appearances in Jane, Right On, Black Beat, Teen Pop, Pop Star, High profile reviews on MP3.com,
musicreview.com and listen.com. In 2000 he also signed a deal with Artist Against Racism, you can find eryK. in their TV Commercial's in America, and Magazine Ads all across the world, eryK. is apart of an organization, that also includes superstars like Celine Dion, Bush and
Aerosmith.
If critics ever thought that EryK. was just a one hit wonder after "End Of The World" in late 1996. They might just have another thing coming.
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