Jean-Michel Byron

Jean-Michel Byron is a South African-born funk and rock vocalist. The singer-songwriter is best known for serving for a time as the lead vocalist for the Los Angeles-based progressive rock band Toto for new material on their first greatest hits album, Past to Present, as well as the band's Greatest Hits Live...and More project. Byron was the fourth frontman in the band's history, replacing Joseph Williams after Williams had suffered from voice issues due to intense touring, and the South African singer was pushed heavily by the group's record label. The line-up change divided Toto's band-members, yet key group member Jeff Porcaro expressed support at first. His tenure with the band ended up being both brief and highly controversial with fans. In more recent years, Byron has collaborated with the jazz fusion group Michael Sanders & the One Tribe Nation.

Born Jean-Michel Byron DuPlessis, Byron's musical career began in 1983 as a session singer, having also played in groups doing cover songs. Originally from East London, South Africa, he attended high school (senior secondary) at John Bissicker High School in a former "coloured area". He sang at high school concerts and community shows.

Byron joined Toto for their Past to Present album (also known by other titles such as Past to Present 1977-1990). Singing on the release's four new tracks, including the popular funk-fueled song "Love Has the Power", Byron had a style mixing rock music with rnb different than the group's past vocalists, being directly influenced by artists such as George Michael. The album proved to be an immense hit after it came out in mid-1990, reaching top 20 spots on album ranking charts in over four different nations worldwide including Germany and Switzerland, and it also attracted critical praise. Reviewers had mixed remarks on Byron's vocal abilities, with Allmusic's William Ruhlmann finding the artist "more soulful than his predecessors, but no more memorable."

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