Manuel Seal | |
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Birth name | Manuel Lonnie Seal Jr. |
Born | September 26, 1960 (age 55) Freeport, Illinois, US |
Genres | Pop, R&B, gospel, soul, hip hop |
Occupation(s) | music executive, record producer, musician, composer, songwriter, arranger |
Instruments | piano, keyboards, guitar, synthesizer bass, saxophone, organ, flute |
Years active | 1992–present |
Labels | Seal Music Productions, So So Def |
Associated acts | Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Usher, Xscape, Nelly, Da Brat, Jermaine Dupri, Ron Isley, Bebe Winans |
Website | Official website |
Manuel Seal, Jr. (born September 26, 1960) is an American musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, vocal coach, and arranger. His credits include artists as Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Usher, TLC, Aretha Franklin, Xscape, Cherish, Tyrese, Alicia Keys, Ashanti, Monica, Lionel Richie, Avant, Gladys Knight, Aaron Hall, George Benson, Mary J Blige, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, El DeBarge, Shanice, Johnny Gill, LSG, Tamia, Gerald Levert, Marc Dorsey and Destiny's Child. He has won one Grammy Award from 13 nominations. Manuel Seal is the owner and CEO of Seal Music Productions. Inc. and S.L.A.C.K.A.D. Music.
Manuel as born in Chicago Illinois to parents Manuel and Betty Seal. Manuel also has two younger sisters. The family moved to Freeport Illinois when Manuel was 3. Both of his parents had musical backgrounds and they got him into piano lessons at the age of 5. His father was in a band, sang and played multiple interments and his mother sang in the church choir. They lived in the projects and when Manuel was 10 his father left the family, moving back to Chicago. His mother was a school teacher and worked hard to get her and her children a home. By the time Manuel was in high school his mother purchased a home, which him and his sisters still share. Manuel started playing the flute in grade school, because they didn't offer guitar. He was already excelling at the piano and wanted to learn every instrument he could. By high school he had formed a band and traveled to the few towns near him to perform. He was performing at bars, underage, and picked up a huge fan base throughout the midwest. He traveled extensively performing and perfecting his skills as a musician.