Kem brings his tales of redemption and soulful sound to the State Theatre for Mother’s Day.
By: Megan Sullivan
Even through tumultuous times, singer-songwriter Kem held on tight to his dream of becoming a successful musician. The Detroit-based artist has two gold-plus albums under his belt on the venerable Motown Records label. The appeal of his soulful and silky vocals paired with lyrics of love and spirituality allowed his music to top urban adult contemporary and R&B charts. The road to success wasn’t an easy one, though.
"During my teenage years I (tried) to cope with my emotions through alcohol and drugs, which led to separation from my family and a few years being homeless, and doing the things that people do who are in an active addiction with drugs and alcohol," Kem says. "Music was always still my dream and, at that time, it was just a dream."
Retreating into the world of writing songs and experimenting on the piano was his only refuge. Once Kem gained the strength to seek help and recover from his addictions, he began putting his life back together.
"I don’t regret my past, though, because my life is good today and I’ve learned some things," he says. "My work is a ministry it is. I talk about it on stage, talk about my addiction, the grace of God, being able to overcome. That’s really what my story is about.
"I’m really grateful for even the dark times of my life," he adds. "If we’re able to learn and overcome, then it was nothing but good and we can help somebody else."
Kem will share his stories and his R&B/jazz sound at the State Theatre in New Brunswick May 13. The concert, presented by UnderCover Entertainment, also will feature a special guest comedy performance by Dean Edwards, formerly of Saturday Night Live.
Born in Nashville and raised in Detroit, Kem’s earliest memory with music goes back to about age 4. "As a child, I fell in love with the piano," he recalls. "My love with that instrument has probably been the catalyst to me pursuing a career in the music industry.
"We were living in Nashville with my grandfather and he had a piano in the house," he continues. "I don’t ever really recall anyone playing it except for me. My parents were strictly academic and so I don’t really know where (my musical ability) came from, but it’s resonated with me all of my life. It was one of the first things that moved me emotionally."
Kem is essentially self-taught on the piano and still plays by ear to this day. He started out trying to emulate songs he heard in church. "It was really just me sitting down at the piano. I could sit down for hours and hours, which some people didn’t really care for," he says, laughing. "Piano was my thing, you know? Throughout some of the darkest times of my life, that’s where I was."
His fascination with music never let up, even when he hit rock bottom in his early 20s. After Kem emerged from his dark period around 1990, he found a job as a waiter, joined a prestigious church gospel choir and sang at summer festivals in Detroit to earn a living. He also sang Top 40 covers in a wedding band for a few years while working on his own material. When people hired Kem to perform original songs only, it was rough at times, but he began cultivating a small fan base in Detroit.
That fan base served as the backbone for the success of his first CD, Kemistry. He wrote, produced and financed the debut album in 2002 on his own label (also named Kemistry). Heavily self-promoted, the CD sold more than 10,000 copies and Kem began getting airplay on the radio. "There was a blip on the radar," he says. "Who is this guy in Detroit who is unsigned, what is this about?"
The CD’s success garnered attention from executives at Motown, who signed Kem to the label and re-released Kemistry in 2003. It went on to sell more than 500,000 copies nationally.
Critics were comparing Kem’s sound to that of jazz-pop phenomenon Al Jarreau. The lead single, "Love Calls," received heavy airplay on jazz and urban adult contemporary radio stations and USA Today pegged it early on as a "Motown classic." Kem went on the road for a national tour and the album reached the number 14 spot on the Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
While Kem maintained the same R&B and jazz sound on his sophomore LP, KEM Album II (2005), he says he took the production up a notch and had more time to develop his songs. The success of Album II surpassed that of Kemistry, and peaked at number one on the Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The CD included the single "I Can’t Stop Loving You," which became a number one hit on urban adult contemporary radio, and the track "You Might Win," featuring label mate Stevie Wonder on harmonica.
"He’s an amazing individual and I’m glad to call him a friend today," Kem says. "That reminds me I have to call him to do something on the next record. You have to start early with Stevie," he adds with a laugh.
In addition to national tours for Album II, Kem and his band embarked on their first European tour last November. The band consists of saxophonist Dave McMurray, keyboardist/pianist Brian O’Neal, guitarist Quinten Baxter, percussionist Marlon Curry, drummer Ron Otis and bassist Al Turner. One of Kem’s funniest tour moments occurred while they were performing in Maryland.
"A fan very lovingly brought me and the band a pot of chitlins. It was interesting," he says. "I thought, ‘Oh, that’s love. Somebody brought 30 or 40 pounds of chitlins. That’s a true committed fan for real.’"
Kem will perform at the State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, May 13, 6 p.m. Tickets cost $42-$80; (732) 246-7469; www.statetheatrenj.org. Kem on the Web: www.kemmusic.com and www.kemistryrecords.com