Ricky Fanté
Ricky Fanté | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ricky Fanté |
| Born | November 4, 1978 |
| Origin | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Genres | R&B, Neo soul, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Virgin/EMI Records (2002–2007) |
| Website | Ricky Fanté's Official Website |
Ricky Fanté (born November 4, 1978)[1] is an American R&B singer. He's best known for his debut single "It Ain't Easy," which garnered critical praise, in addition to numerous television and film soundtrack appearances. Fanté’s vocal sound has been compared to Wilson Pickett, Sam Cooke, Al Green, and Otis Redding.
Music career
After serving in the United States Marine Corps for a few years after high school,[2] a demo of his two-man group, produced by his partner ex-rocker Scott Rickett called Soul Surfers, fell into the hands of A&R executive Josh Deutsch, which led to a development deal in 2001. In 2002, Fanté met with Norah Jones's collaborator Jesse Harris, and began co-writing and recording his debut record.
Fanté was then signed by Virgin Records and released Rewind in July 2004. Fanté gained critical acclaim for the song "It Ain’t Easy." He performed the single on NBC’s long-running late night talk and variety show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Although the song was not considered a hit, the album garnered moderate success in the U.S. and abroad. The song reached No. #8 on Italian music charts.
In 2005, Ricky Fanté recorded the title song "Shine" for the film Robots, and the upbeat tune "That’s All I Need" for the HBO film Lackawanna Blues. In the same year, he performed a duet with the Italian singer Giorgia Todrani for her MTV Unplugged.
In 2009, he recorded the theme song for the hit ABC television series Shark Tank, which was written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford. Afterward, he took a break from singing to return to school.
In 2015, he began work on a new album with Scott Rickett and Herman Matthews.[3] In 2016, he released a collaborative album with Scott Rickett titled Good Fortune through their own independent label, Soul Surfer Records.[4]
Acting
In 1998, Fanté portrayed legendary singer Marvin Gaye in the television mini-series The Temptations.
In 2005, he appeared in Yours, Mine and Ours, a movie starring Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo, and sang Major Harris’s “Love Won't Let Me Wait” during a pivotal scene of the movie.
That same year, he also appeared in the television series American Dream and the successful ABC made-for-television movie Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Discography
Albums
- 2002: Soul Surfers (with Scott Rickett)
- 2004: Rewind
- 2016: Good Fortune (with Scott Rickett)
Other Appearances
- 2004: "I Let You Go (WFUV: City Folk Live VII)
- 2005: "Shine" (Robots Soundtrack)
- 2005: "That's All I Need" (Lackawanna Blues Soundtrack)
- 2005: "Love Won't Let Me Wait" (Yours, Mine and Ours Soundtrack)
- 2009: "Shark Tank Theme" (Shark Tank Soundtrack)