Keni Burke | |
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Birth name | Kenneth M. Burke |
Born |
Chicago, Illinois, United States |
September 28, 1953
Genres | R&B, soul, funk, jazz, Smooth Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, record producer, pianist, keyboardist, bass guitarist |
Instruments | Singing, guitar, piano/keyboards, bass, synthesizer |
Years active | 1966–present |
Labels | Buddah, Dark Horse, RCA, Expansion Records |
Associated acts | Five Stairsteps |
Kenneth M. "Keni" Burke (born September 28, 1953) is an American R&B, soul, funk, and jazz singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist who began his career as a member of the 1970s soul outfit, the Five Stairsteps.
As a member of the Five Stairsteps, Burke wrote the group's first minor hit "You Waited Too Long" in 1966, but the group would see their biggest success with the million-selling song "O-o-h Child" in 1970. The group went on to sign with George Harrison's Dark Horse Records in 1975, and had their next hit with the Burke-penned "From Us to You", from their 1976 album 2nd Resurrection. The group reemerged for two albums as the Invisible Man's Band but disbanded soon after.
Skilled as a guitarist and bassist, Burke continued to work for the Dark Horse label as a session musician, while burgeoning a solo career of his own. In 1977, he released his self-titled debut album, which featured the songs "Keep on Singing", "Give All You Can Give", and "From Me to You".
During this period he contributed instrumentation to songs by a diverse range of artists such as Sly & the Family Stone, Natalie Cole, Billy Preston, Terry Callier, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross, and Gladys Knight.