Michael Wycoff
Michael Wycoff was an American R&B singer. Wycoff attended Wilmington Junior High School and Phineas Banning High School in Wilmington, Los Angeles, California. Wycoff played keyboards and sang in the school's talent shows solo where his fan base was born as he was always a top performing act.
Michael Wycoff | |
---|---|
Birth name | Michael Wycoff |
Born | [1] Torrance, California | January 1, 1956
Origin | Los Angeles, California |
Died | March 13, 2019 63)[2] | (aged
Genres | Soul Funk R&B |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1976–2019 |
Labels | RCA Records |
Wycoff sang backup on Stevie Wonder's album Songs in the Key of Life. He signed a solo contract with RCA and released three albums between 1981 and 1983, scoring a few hit singles on the U.S. R&B charts. His second album, Love Conquers All, included the song, "Looking Up to You," that was sampled by the 1990s R&B group Zhané on their hit song, "Hey Mr. D.J." in 1993.
Wycoff succumbed to an addiction to drugs and alcohol. His addiction ultimately caused him the loss of his career, his home and his family, and Wycoff ended up homeless. At the bottom, he found his way back through his faith, beating his habit and ultimately becoming Minister of Music at several Los Angeles area churches.
His oldest son is a DJ, who, in May 2013, released his own album titled A Boy and His Toys under the name DJ Michael Wycoff.[3]
Discography
Albums
Year | Album Name | Label | US R&B |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | Come to My World | RCA Records | |
1982 | Love Conquers All | 54[4] | |
1983 | On the Line | 54[4] |
Singles
Year | Song | UK[5] | US R&B[6] |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | "Feel My Love" | — | 43 |
1981 | "One Alone" | — | 52 |
1982 | "Looking Up to You" | — | 47 |
"Still Got the Magic (Sweet Delight)" | — | 64 | |
1983 | "Tell Me Love" | 60 | 23 |
"There's No Easy Way" | — | 83 | |
References
- "Michael Wycoff Soulwalking Page". Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- "Michael Wycoff Dies..." Soul and Jazz and Funk. March 15, 2019.
- A Boy and His Toys
- Billboard, Allmusic.com
- "UK Chart History".
- Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com