Adam Kidron
Encyclopedia
Adam Kidron is a British
-born ex-music producer, serial entrepreneur, and the ex-Chief Executive Officer
of Urban Box Office (UBO), a reggaeton
and urban
Latino
record label
based in New York City
. He is currently the Managing Partner of 4food, a fast-healthy food concept launching in New York in 2009. 4food's mission is to bring fast, fresh, nutritious and delicious food (from local farms and producers) to as many people, of as many different age groups, lifestyles, income-levels, and ethnicities as possible. Adam is also the President of 4FOOD4LIFE Inc. – a non-profit organization committed to the promotion and sustainability of community growth and revitalization through nutrition and wellness education, vocational training, and economical development.
in London in 1978. In 2006, Kidron, together with Eduardo Reyes, produced "Nuestro Himno
" — the controversial Spanish-language version of "The Star Spangled Banner". It was dubbed by the media as "The Spanish Star-Spangled Banner". The recording was closely based on the U.S. Government's own, sanctioned translation in 1919 of a famous poem by Francis Scott Key
, that would twelve years later become the National Anthem of the United States. It was recorded to give recent Spanish-language immigrants that have not yet learned English an equal opportunity to understand "The Star-Spangled Banner" and ideals of freedom that the U.S. flag represents.
The controversy surrounding the recording received blanket media coverage around the globe, including a strongly supportive editorial in The Washington Post
. It even provoked a rare public disagreement between President George W. Bush
and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
:
Nuestro Himno was released by Urban Box Office, Inc., also known as "UBO", the successor company to Urban Box Office Network, Inc. Adam Kidron was its CEO. UBO also released the #1 Billboard hits "Reggaeton Latino", by Don Omar
; "Atrevete", by Wisin & Yandel
, "Que Ironia" by Andy Andy, as well as the multi-platinum DVD documentary and soundtrack "The Chosen Few - El Documental." Later pressings of The Chosen Few included the controversial music video for Reggaeton Latino, which featured library footage of Che
and Fidel Castro
.
Adam Kidron's father, Michael Kidron
, was a Marxist economist
, best known for his book Western Capitalism Since the War—a fact that has been noted as significant by conservative blogs.http://isteve.blogspot.com/2006/04/who-is-adam-kidron-man-behind-nuestro.htmlhttp://www.heretical.com/ofarrell/coonkike.html. Adam Kidron is the brother of Beeban Kidron
, director of mainstream Hollywood movies like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
.
His marketing prowess and ability to raise money is unparalleled, but this never leads to a finished product that works within a marketplace...
In 1983, Adam Kidron and his then-girlfriend, Lizzy Mercier Descloux
, made a long journey through Africa
, starting in Ethiopia
and ending in South Africa
, where, inspired by all they had experienced, they recorded the album Gazelles, with a band made up of leading Sowetan
musicians. The title track was a surprise hit in France, and in 1984, Mercier Descloux won the prestigious Bus d'Acier award for Gazelles.
In 1984, while recording Nina Hagen In Ekstasy (1985)—an album that generated big club hits like Universal Radio and Spirit In The Sky but failed commercially—Kidron had a near-fatal motorbike accident. He went on to produce Mercier Descloux's masterpiece One for the Soul—a collaboration with legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker
, in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
in 1985.
In 1994 Kidron co-executive produced the movie soundtrack "Jason's Lyric
" with George Jackson
, Doug McHenry
and Sam Sapp. Jayson's Lyric peaked at number one on the Billboard
R&B charts, and reached number 17 on the Billboard 200. The soundtrack contained three charted singles; "U Will Know," (A 20 year old D'Angelo
wrote and produced the song) featuring vocals from D'Angelo, Tevin Campbell
, R. Kelly
, Gerald Levert
, Tony Toni Tone, El DeBarge
, Portrait
, Christopher Williams
, After 7
, Intro
, Joe
, Brian McKnight
, H-Town
, Keith Sweat
, DRS, Usher
, Damion Hall
, and Al B. Sure!
, "If You Think You're Lonely Now," (a Bobby Womack
cover) performed by a (solo) K-Ci Hailey, and Brian McKnight's cover version of the Van Morrison
classic "Crazy Love."
In 1995 Kidron co-executive produced the soundtrack for Mario Van Peebles
, "Panther
" - A dramatized account of the story of The Black Panthers, which featured the all-star, all-female hot single "Freedom" performed by: Aaliyah
, Felicia Adams, May May Ali, MC Lyte
, Amel Larrieux, Az-Iz, Blackgirl, Mary J. Blige
, Tanya Blount, Brownstone, Casserine, Changing Faces, Tyler Collins, N'Dea Davenport
, Da 5 Footaz, E.V.E., Emage, En Vogue
, Eshe & Laurena of Arrested Development, Female, For Real, Penny Ford, Lalah Hathaway
, Jade, Jamecia, Jazzyfatnastees, Billy Lawrence, Joi, Brigette McWilliams, Milira, Miss Jones
, Cindy Mizelle, Monica, Me’Shell NdegéOcello, Natasha, Nefertiti, Patra
, Pebbles
, Pure Soul, Raja-Nee, Brenda Russell
, SWV
, Chantay Savage, Sonja Marie, Tracie Spencer, Sweet Sable, TLC
, Terri & Monica, Vybe, Crystal Waters, Caron Wheeler
, Karyn White
, Vanessa L. Williams
, Xscape
, Y?N-Vee, Zhané
.
In 1996 Kidron, along with Sam Sapp, Kenneth Edmonds ["Babyface"], and Antonio Reid ["LA"] executive produced "The Rhythm of The Games", the official soundtrack of the Atlanta Olympic Games.
and Ben Elton
, George Jackson and Doug McHenry
, Clarence Avant
and Quincy Jones
. In 1990 Kidron left Crossbow to form his own production company, Marvellous Pictures, Inc.
In 1991, Kidron and partners Steve Waterman
and Jeff Franklin
, begun production of Catwalk
in Toronto
, Canada
. Catwalk was a syndicated television series based around the struggles of an urban band trying to hit the big time. The series is best known for launching the career of Neve Campbell
(Daisy), discovered by Kidron while she was a performer in the Canadian production of The Phantom of the Opera
. Catwalk also featured Lisa Butler (Sierra), Christopher Lee Clements (Atlas), Paul Popowich
(Jesse), Kelli Taylor (Mary), and Keram Malicki-Sanchez
(Johnny). The show was based on a six-minute mini-movie Adam had produced in London's docklands, which had featured Kate Moss
.
The first series of Catwalk was widely syndicated and the show’s second season aired on MTV. In 1992, a few weeks before principal production of the series was scheduled to commence, Kidron was wrongfully excluded by his partners Franklin and Waterman from further involvement in the series. In 1993, Kidron sued Franklin, Waterman, Sony Pictures Entertainment and others, alleging fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and related joint intentional wrongful conduct. After lengthy pre-trial and trial proceedings, Kidron was awarded over $53 million in compensatory and punitive damages against Franklin, Waterman, Sony Pictures Entertainment and various other defendants (Case No. LASC BC066993).
On August 21, 1997, the judgment was reversed by the California Court of Appeal as to various of the defendants and upheld in certain respects as to others, including Franklin and Waterman (the decision of the California Court of Appeal was not published, but was based on an earlier decision - (1995), 40 Cal.App.4th 1571)[4]. After pursuing Franklin and Waterman through bankruptcy, Kidron ultimately procured a significant recovery. In a unique aspect of the case's final resolution, Kidron also recovered "ownership and control of the produced episodes and all related materials."
(producer of New Jack City
, Jason's Lyric
and other urban-themed movies) and Frank Cooper (a Harvard-trained lawyer who headed business affairs for Def Jam Records and founded the contemporary gospel label Tommy Boy Gospel), in a parking garage in New York City in 1999. The company's business model was to aggregate a diverse urban audience around websites targeting common lifestyle interests, such as IndiePlanet, LatinFlava,and celebrity-based sites tennis
-playing Williams sisters
, rather than race, color, or class.
The business model was developed by Kidron after a failed attempt to establish Urban Box Office Networks, Inc., as a basic cable channel. In less than two years, Kidron, Jackson and Cooper raised and spent over $40 million of venture capital on Urban Box Office Networks, Inc. Kidron, who became the CEO of Urban Box Office Networks, Inc., is blamed by many for the company's demise after Jackson died in 2000.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born ex-music producer, serial entrepreneur, and the ex-Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Urban Box Office (UBO), a reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
and urban
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He is currently the Managing Partner of 4food, a fast-healthy food concept launching in New York in 2009. 4food's mission is to bring fast, fresh, nutritious and delicious food (from local farms and producers) to as many people, of as many different age groups, lifestyles, income-levels, and ethnicities as possible. Adam is also the President of 4FOOD4LIFE Inc. – a non-profit organization committed to the promotion and sustainability of community growth and revitalization through nutrition and wellness education, vocational training, and economical development.
Overview
Adam Kidron began his working life as a steward at the RoundhouseRoundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
in London in 1978. In 2006, Kidron, together with Eduardo Reyes, produced "Nuestro Himno
Nuestro Himno
"" is a Spanish-language version of the United States national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". The debut of the translation came amid a growing controversy over immigration in the United States "" (Spanish for "Our Anthem") is a Spanish-language version of the United States national anthem,...
" — the controversial Spanish-language version of "The Star Spangled Banner". It was dubbed by the media as "The Spanish Star-Spangled Banner". The recording was closely based on the U.S. Government's own, sanctioned translation in 1919 of a famous poem by Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
, that would twelve years later become the National Anthem of the United States. It was recorded to give recent Spanish-language immigrants that have not yet learned English an equal opportunity to understand "The Star-Spangled Banner" and ideals of freedom that the U.S. flag represents.
The controversy surrounding the recording received blanket media coverage around the globe, including a strongly supportive editorial in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. It even provoked a rare public disagreement between President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
:
Nuestro Himno was released by Urban Box Office, Inc., also known as "UBO", the successor company to Urban Box Office Network, Inc. Adam Kidron was its CEO. UBO also released the #1 Billboard hits "Reggaeton Latino", by Don Omar
Don Omar
Don Omar, also known as El Rey Don Omar, also known as El Rey Don Omar, also known as El Rey (born William Omar Landrón Rivera; February 10, 1978, is a Puerto Rican Reggaetón singer and actor.-Early life:...
; "Atrevete", by Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel are a Puerto Rican reggaeton Duo, consisting of Juan Luis Morera Luna and Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar . They started their career in 1998 and have been together since, winning several awards during that time....
, "Que Ironia" by Andy Andy, as well as the multi-platinum DVD documentary and soundtrack "The Chosen Few - El Documental." Later pressings of The Chosen Few included the controversial music video for Reggaeton Latino, which featured library footage of Che
Che
Che is a Spanish diminutive interjection commonly used in Argentina and Uruguay. A form of colloquial slang used in a vocative sense as "friend", and thus loosely corresponds to expressions such as "mate", "pal", "man", "bro", or "dude"; as used by various English speakers...
and Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
.
Adam Kidron's father, Michael Kidron
Michael Kidron
Michael Kidron was a revolutionary thinker and cartographer. He was part of the leadership of the International Socialists through the 1960s and 1970s. He is perhaps best remembered for his visually arresting The State Of The World Atlas.-Early life and career:Kidron was born on 20 September...
, was a Marxist economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, best known for his book Western Capitalism Since the War—a fact that has been noted as significant by conservative blogs.http://isteve.blogspot.com/2006/04/who-is-adam-kidron-man-behind-nuestro.htmlhttp://www.heretical.com/ofarrell/coonkike.html. Adam Kidron is the brother of Beeban Kidron
Beeban Kidron
Beeban Kidron is an English Film Director known for her much-lauded adaptation of Jeanette Winterson's autobiographical novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and for directing Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason...
, director of mainstream Hollywood movies like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is a 1999 novel by Helen Fielding, a sequel to her popular Bridget Jones's Diary. It chronicles Bridget Jones's adventures after she begins to suspect that her boyfriend, Mark Darcy, is falling for a rich young solicitor who works in the same firm as him, a woman...
, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar is a 1995 American comedy film, starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo as three New York drag queens who embark on a road trip...
.
His marketing prowess and ability to raise money is unparalleled, but this never leads to a finished product that works within a marketplace...
Record producer (1980-1996)
Having started out as a "tea boy" for Matrix Studios in London, UK, Adam Kidron went on to produce many of the most important releases of the early 1980s,http://www.tangents.co.uk/tangents/main/2006/december/reason50.html including:- Cult hero and ex-front man of Pere UbuPere Ubu (band)Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant...
, David ThomasDavid Thomas (musician)David Lynn Thomas is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.He was one of the founding members of the short-lived protopunkers Rocket From The Tombs , where he went by the name of Crocus Behemoth, and of punk group Pere Ubu . He has also released several solo albums...
's modernist classic The Sound of the Sand - Scritti PolittiScritti PolittiScritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...
's seminal Songs to RememberSongs to RememberSongs to Remember is the debut album by the British new wave pop group Scritti Politti. Released in 1982, the album peaked at no.12 in the UK....
(1982), containing three groundbreaking single releases:- The Sweetest Girl / Lions After Slumber
- Asylums in Jerusalem/Jacques Derrida
- Faithless
- Orange JuiceOrange JuiceOrange Juice was a Scottish post-punk band founded in the middle class Glasgow suburb of Bearsden as the Nu-Sonics in 1976. Edwyn Collins formed the Nu-Sonics with his school-mate Alan Duncan and was subsequently joined by James Kirk and Steven Daly, who left a band called The Machetes. The band...
's You Can't Hide Your Love Forever (1982) - James Blood Ulmer's Are You Glad to be in America?
- Rip Rig + Panic's (featuring Neneh Cherry) 1983 avant garde, post-punkPost-punkPost-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
masterpiece Attitude - Important recordings for Ian DuryIan DuryIan Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...
, Robert WyattRobert WyattRobert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
(as "Skipper" Kidron), Cabaret VoltaireCabaret Voltaire (band)Cabaret Voltaire were a British music group from Sheffield, England.Initially composed of Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk and Chris Watson, the group was named after the Cabaret Voltaire, a nightclub in Zürich, Switzerland that was a centre for the early Dada movement.Their earliest performances...
, Orchestra Rouge, Aztec CameraAztec CameraAztec Camera were a Scottish New Wave band from the Glasgow suburb of East Kilbride, formed in 1980 and centered around teenage singer-songwriter, Roddy Frame. Their album Love was among the nominations for Best British Album at the 1989 BRIT Awards....
, The RaincoatsThe RaincoatsThe Raincoats are a British post-punk band. Ana da Silva and Gina Birch formed the group in 1977 while they were students at Hornsey College of Art, London, England.-Career:...
, and Australian CrawlAustralian CrawlAustralian Crawl were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne , Brad Robinson , Paul Williams , Simon Binks and David Reyne in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough...
In 1983, Adam Kidron and his then-girlfriend, Lizzy Mercier Descloux
Lizzy Mercier Descloux
Lizzy Mercier Descloux was a French singer and musician, a pioneer in the worldbeat genre, as well as a writer and painter....
, made a long journey through Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, starting in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and ending in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where, inspired by all they had experienced, they recorded the album Gazelles, with a band made up of leading Sowetan
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
musicians. The title track was a surprise hit in France, and in 1984, Mercier Descloux won the prestigious Bus d'Acier award for Gazelles.
In 1984, while recording Nina Hagen In Ekstasy (1985)—an album that generated big club hits like Universal Radio and Spirit In The Sky but failed commercially—Kidron had a near-fatal motorbike accident. He went on to produce Mercier Descloux's masterpiece One for the Soul—a collaboration with legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
, in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1985.
In 1994 Kidron co-executive produced the movie soundtrack "Jason's Lyric
Jason's Lyric
Jason's Lyric is a 1994 romantic drama film, written by Bobby Smith, Jr., and directed by Doug McHenry. The film marks the directorial debut of McHenry, who co-produced the film with George Jackson...
" with George Jackson
George Jackson
- People :* George Jackson , American MLB player from 1911–1913* George Jackson , U.S. Black Panther, prisoner, and author* George Jackson , English botanist...
, Doug McHenry
Doug McHenry
Doug McHenry is an American film director and producer.He graduated from Stanford University in 1973 with a degree in Economics, and from Harvard University with a degree in law and business administration....
and Sam Sapp. Jayson's Lyric peaked at number one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B charts, and reached number 17 on the Billboard 200. The soundtrack contained three charted singles; "U Will Know," (A 20 year old D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
wrote and produced the song) featuring vocals from D'Angelo, Tevin Campbell
Tevin Campbell
Tevin Jermod Campbell is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actor. He scored a string of R&B chart hits as a teenager in the early to mid-1990s.-Music career:...
, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert was an American R&B singer. Gerald Levert sang with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon in the R&B trio LeVert. He was also a part of LSG, an R&B supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and Levert...
, Tony Toni Tone, El DeBarge
El DeBarge
Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
, Portrait
Portrait (group)
Portrait are an American R&B vocal quartet, consisting of members Michael Angelo Saulsberry, Irving Washington III, Eric Kirkland and Philip Johnson.-Career:...
, Christopher Williams
Christopher Williams (singer)
Christopher Williams is an American R&B singer and actor.-Music career:...
, After 7
After 7
After 7 is an R&B group founded in 1988 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the siblings of popular pop and R&B singer-songwriter-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds"...
, Intro
Intro (band)
Intro is an American R&B trio from Brooklyn, New York. Intro released two albums and had a string of US hits in the 1990s. Their biggest, "Come Inside", featured Sabrina Morrison on vocals. Intro's, Kenny Greene, died from complications of AIDS in 2001...
, Joe
Joe (singer)
Joseph Lewis Thomas , usually credited simply as Joe, is an American R&B singer and record producer.-Early life:Joe is a native of Cuthbert, Georgia and later moved to Opelika, Alabama. The son of two preachers, Joe spent much time in church singing, playing guitar, and even directing the choir...
, Brian McKnight
Brian McKnight
Brian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....
, H-Town
H-Town
H-Town most commonly refers to the city of Houston, TX.Other references:* Hamilton, Ontario* Houston, Mississippi* Hell* Heidelberg West, Melbourne* Hampstead, Maryland* Hackney, London* Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire* Hondo, Texas...
, Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
, DRS, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Damion Hall
Damion Hall
Damion Hall, also known as Damion "Crazy Legs" Hall is an African-American R&B singer. He is a member of the new jack swing group Guy and is the brother of Guy member, Aaron Hall. He has released one solo album, Straight to the Point in 1994, which spawned one single, "Satisfy You", featuring...
, and Al B. Sure!
Al B. Sure!
Albert Jason Brown III is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He grew up in Leonia, New Jersey and Mount Vernon, New York. During the late 1980s under the stage name Al B...
, "If You Think You're Lonely Now," (a Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
cover) performed by a (solo) K-Ci Hailey, and Brian McKnight's cover version of the Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
classic "Crazy Love."
In 1995 Kidron co-executive produced the soundtrack for Mario Van Peebles
Mario Van Peebles
Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:...
, "Panther
Panther (film)
Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...
" - A dramatized account of the story of The Black Panthers, which featured the all-star, all-female hot single "Freedom" performed by: Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
, Felicia Adams, May May Ali, MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, Amel Larrieux, Az-Iz, Blackgirl, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Tanya Blount, Brownstone, Casserine, Changing Faces, Tyler Collins, N'Dea Davenport
N'Dea Davenport
N'Dea Davenport is an American recording artist, dancer, performer and producer, best known for her work as a vocalist in the UK funk band, The Brand New Heavies, and her pioneering contributions to the genre of acid jazz.-Biography:...
, Da 5 Footaz, E.V.E., Emage, En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, Eshe & Laurena of Arrested Development, Female, For Real, Penny Ford, Lalah Hathaway
Lalah Hathaway
Eulaulah Donyll Hathaway best known as Lalah Hathaway referred to as the First Daughter of Soul, is a contemporary R&B and jazz singer. She is the daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway and a classically trained vocalist. In 1990, Lalah Hathaway released a self-titled album. The album's first...
, Jade, Jamecia, Jazzyfatnastees, Billy Lawrence, Joi, Brigette McWilliams, Milira, Miss Jones
Miss Jones
Tarsha Jones, better known as Miss Jones, is a former R&B artist and radio personality. Miss Jones is currently the host of the Power 99 morning show "Jonesy In The Morning" after previously working for Hot 97 until 2008.-Early life:...
, Cindy Mizelle, Monica, Me’Shell NdegéOcello, Natasha, Nefertiti, Patra
Patra (singer)
Patra is a reggae singer. In her beginnings as a Female Dancehall deejay in the late 1980s, she used the stage name, Lady Patra...
, Pebbles
Pebbles
Pebbles may refer to:* Pebbles, small rocks* Pebbles , Boston-area radio DJ* Pebbles , British-trained thoroughbred racehorse of the 1980s* Pebbles Flintstone, a character in The Flintstones animated television show...
, Pure Soul, Raja-Nee, Brenda Russell
Brenda Russell
Brenda Russell is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Known for her eclectic musical style, her recordings have encompassed several different genres, including pop, soul, dance, jazz and adult contemporary...
, SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
, Chantay Savage, Sonja Marie, Tracie Spencer, Sweet Sable, TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
, Terri & Monica, Vybe, Crystal Waters, Caron Wheeler
Caron Wheeler
Caron Wheeler is a two-time Grammy Award winning British R&B/soul singer, who gained fame by writing and singing the lead vocals on the two biggest hits for Soul II Soul Caron Wheeler (19 January 1963) is a two-time Grammy Award winning British R&B/soul singer, who gained fame by writing and...
, Karyn White
Karyn White
Karyn White was a new jack swing singer who became popular during the late 1980s.-Biography:White was born in Los Angeles,to the parentage of Vivian and Clarence White. She is the youngest of five children...
, Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
, Xscape
Xscape (band)
Xscape, was a female American R&B group that originally started out as a quintet and then became a quartet. The group had a string of hit songs during the 1990s...
, Y?N-Vee, Zhané
Zhane
Zhané was an American R&B/hip hop soul duo, best known for their 1994 hit "Hey Mr. D.J.", which reached #6 in the U.S. Other popular hits include "Groove Thang" and minor hit "Sending My Love," both released in 1994...
.
In 1996 Kidron, along with Sam Sapp, Kenneth Edmonds ["Babyface"], and Antonio Reid ["LA"] executive produced "The Rhythm of The Games", the official soundtrack of the Atlanta Olympic Games.
TV producer/Catwalk (1986-1997)
In the mid 1980s Adam Kidron became partner in Crossbow Films Ltd., a groundbreaking UK-based independent producer of syndicated television. At Crossbow, Kidron developed innovative television formats with Henry WinklerHenry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
and Ben Elton
Ben Elton
Benjamin Charles "Ben" Elton is an English comedian, author, playwright and director. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, as a writer on such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as also a successful stand-up comedian on stage and TV....
, George Jackson and Doug McHenry
Doug McHenry
Doug McHenry is an American film director and producer.He graduated from Stanford University in 1973 with a degree in Economics, and from Harvard University with a degree in law and business administration....
, Clarence Avant
Clarence Avant
Clarence Avant is an American music executive, entrepreneur, and film producer. He was also known as the Godfather of Black Music.Avant's 75th birthday was celebrated by Billboard magazine, on its February 2006 issue....
and Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
. In 1990 Kidron left Crossbow to form his own production company, Marvellous Pictures, Inc.
In 1991, Kidron and partners Steve Waterman
Steve Waterman
Steve Waterman is a producer for both movies and television.He was co-producer for Casper and executive producer for Stuart Little and Stuart Little 2.He is currently producing the upcoming live-action/CGI animated Alvin and the Chipmunks movie....
and Jeff Franklin
Jeff Franklin
Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Franklin is an American television producer, writer, and director, best known as the creator of the long-running TV series Full House.-Career:...
, begun production of Catwalk
Catwalk (TV series)
Catwalk is a Canadian musical drama series that ran for 49 episodes on the YTV network from 1992 until 1994. The series' first season aired in syndication in the United States, while the second season aired on MTV.-Synopsis:...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Catwalk was a syndicated television series based around the struggles of an urban band trying to hit the big time. The series is best known for launching the career of Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell
Neve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
(Daisy), discovered by Kidron while she was a performer in the Canadian production of The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
. Catwalk also featured Lisa Butler (Sierra), Christopher Lee Clements (Atlas), Paul Popowich
Paul Popowich
-Biography:Popowich was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and was raised in Stoney Creek, Ontario. In high school, he studied dramatic art and played classical piano...
(Jesse), Kelli Taylor (Mary), and Keram Malicki-Sanchez
Keram Malicki-Sanchez
Keram Malicki-Sánchez is a Canadian actor, singer, writer, new media guru, and music and film producer.-Early life & acting career:...
(Johnny). The show was based on a six-minute mini-movie Adam had produced in London's docklands, which had featured Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
.
The first series of Catwalk was widely syndicated and the show’s second season aired on MTV. In 1992, a few weeks before principal production of the series was scheduled to commence, Kidron was wrongfully excluded by his partners Franklin and Waterman from further involvement in the series. In 1993, Kidron sued Franklin, Waterman, Sony Pictures Entertainment and others, alleging fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and related joint intentional wrongful conduct. After lengthy pre-trial and trial proceedings, Kidron was awarded over $53 million in compensatory and punitive damages against Franklin, Waterman, Sony Pictures Entertainment and various other defendants (Case No. LASC BC066993).
On August 21, 1997, the judgment was reversed by the California Court of Appeal as to various of the defendants and upheld in certain respects as to others, including Franklin and Waterman (the decision of the California Court of Appeal was not published, but was based on an earlier decision - (1995), 40 Cal.App.4th 1571)[4]. After pursuing Franklin and Waterman through bankruptcy, Kidron ultimately procured a significant recovery. In a unique aspect of the case's final resolution, Kidron also recovered "ownership and control of the produced episodes and all related materials."
Urban Box Office Network, Inc. (1999-2001)
The urban Internet portal UBO, the predecessor of the current Urban Box Office, Inc., was founded by Adam Kidron, along with the late film director/producer George JacksonGeorge Jackson (film director/producer)
George Jackson was a film director and producer. Jackson was born and raised in Harlem, New York and graduated from Fordham Prep in Bronx, NY and Harvard College in Cambridge, MA...
(producer of New Jack City
New Jack City
New Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
, Jason's Lyric
Jason's Lyric
Jason's Lyric is a 1994 romantic drama film, written by Bobby Smith, Jr., and directed by Doug McHenry. The film marks the directorial debut of McHenry, who co-produced the film with George Jackson...
and other urban-themed movies) and Frank Cooper (a Harvard-trained lawyer who headed business affairs for Def Jam Records and founded the contemporary gospel label Tommy Boy Gospel), in a parking garage in New York City in 1999. The company's business model was to aggregate a diverse urban audience around websites targeting common lifestyle interests, such as IndiePlanet, LatinFlava,and celebrity-based sites tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
-playing Williams sisters
Williams sisters
The Williams sisters are two professional American tennis players: Venus Williams born 1980, seven-time Grand Slam title winner , and Serena Williams born 1981, thirteen-time Grand Slam title winner , both of whom were coached from an early age by their father Richard Williams...
, rather than race, color, or class.
The business model was developed by Kidron after a failed attempt to establish Urban Box Office Networks, Inc., as a basic cable channel. In less than two years, Kidron, Jackson and Cooper raised and spent over $40 million of venture capital on Urban Box Office Networks, Inc. Kidron, who became the CEO of Urban Box Office Networks, Inc., is blamed by many for the company's demise after Jackson died in 2000.