The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-born musician has seen his share of tragedy, triumph and tabloid tribulation. His first group with his siblings, appropriately named Benet, failed. He was a part of the neo-soul wave, but was eclipsed by the likes of Maxwell and D’Angelo. His daughter’s mother, Tami, died in a car accident when their daughter, India, was a baby, making the aspiring young musician a single father. And of course, there was his marriage to Halle Berry – anyone heard of her? - that exposed his infidelities with multiple women.

Fortunately, it seems that everyone has now moved on – Benet to Manuela Testolini, Prince’s second ex-wife (Imagine those conversations about their exes.) - and Berry to her boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry. Maybe Benet’s musical career can now get its just due.

Just off the short-lived Sexy Soul Tour with Ledisi and Mint Condition, Benet is soon to hit the road in Korea, so if you happen to be over there, check him out. In the meantime, his single, “Love, Patience and Time,” from 2008’s “Love and Life” is out now.


BORN: Eric Benet Jordan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

BIG BREAK: Getting signed to Capitol Records in 1992 in the group Benet with his sister and cousin.

RESUME: Benet has released a total of four CDs since his debut.

BACK STORY: As a solo act, Eric Benet released his first CD, “True To Myself,” in 1996, a year after D’Angelo’s debut and in the midst of the neo-soul wave that included Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Musiq, Jill Scott and India.Arie.

FUN FACT: His daughter, India, is a talented vocalist also.

NUMBERS: “A Day In the Life,” released in 1999, has been Benet’s most successful album to date, going gold and spawning the singles “Georgy Porgy” with Faith Evans and “Spend My Life With You” with Tamia. But two songs from “Hurricane” hit number-one on the R&B charts: “Pretty Baby” and “I Wanna Be Loved.” His first single, “You’re the Only One,” from “Love and Life” also went to the top slot.

LATEST WORK: “Love, Patience and Time” from his CD “Love and Life.”


BEST OF ERIC BENET (Video):

Eric and his daughter, India, sing “You’re The Only One”

“Spend My Life With You”

“I Wanna Be Loved”

“Georgy Porgy”

BEST OF ERIC BENET (Interviews):

"There was a certain way of crafting a song back in the day that a lot of artists have strayed away from. I think nine times out OF 10, when you hear an R&B song, some producer was in the studio, made a hot track and gave it to somebody to write on top of the track. But the way they used to make music is that somebody would sit at the piano, and they would weave the melody in with the chords and have the lyrics make sense with it all. Songs would have a beginning, a build and an end, and that's the way I try to write the songs on this album.”

- Soultracks.com (2008)


"I'm proud of the fact that I'm a father. Probably more so than any other accomplishment that I've achieved. I feel like its one of the things that I'm good at. I feel like, and India can co-sign on this, I'm pretty good at being daddy. It’s brought me so much joy and so much purpose into my life. I want to do it again actually before it’s all over.”

- Thabiz.com (2008)


"We have not been in such a bad plight (laughs) as .....

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