b. 10 April 1970, Washington, DC, USA. Lattimore first entered the music industry at the age of 14 when he joined the R&B vocal group Maniquin, who recorded briefly for Epic Records in the 80s. When that band broke up, Lattimore remained in the industry as a songwriter for artists including Glenn Jones and Jon Lucien. As a solo artist, Lattimore and new label Columbia Records were keen to project a more mature, sophisticated image, though one still rooted in a traditional R&B style. The reward was two minor hit singles, ‘Never Too Busy’ and ‘For You’, and substantial sales for his solo debut, which marked him out as a strong male R&B voice, sympathetic towards but stylistically opposed to the hold hip-hop had taken on the genre. As he told the press: ‘I have an appreciation for hip-hop and what it’s about, but that’s not the life I live. I grew up listening to Earth, Wind And Fire albums, and that’s what I know.’ He also stressed his wish to address the negative portrayal of African-American males in the media, and the music industry in particular. Columbia’s marketing of Lattimore was certainly targeted at the mainstream, with support slots for R&B/soul traditionalists such as Chaka Khan and Barry White.
Following the release of his acclaimed second collection, From The Soul Of Man, Lattimore signed a new recording contract with Arista Records, for whom he recorded 2001’s Weekend. The bestselling follow-ups saw Lattimore performing duets with his wife Chanté Moore.
