André Cymone is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 bassist

Bassist

A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...

, songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 and record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

. Cymone was a bass guitarist for recording artist Prince

Prince (musician)

Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

's touring band, pre-Revolution

The Revolution (band)

The Revolution was an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979 by Prince. Although widely associated with rock music, the band's sound incorporated heavy metal, pop, funk, R&B and hard rock elements. Before their official break-up, The Revolution had released one studio album,...

. Cymone began a solo career in 1981. His song, "The Dance Electric" (written by Prince), reached number ten on the R&B charts. Cymone later co-wrote and produced songs for other acts, including Jody Watley

Jody Watley

Jody Vanessa Watley is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul....

's "Looking for a New Love

Looking for a New Love

"Looking for a New Love" is the first single from Jody Watley's eponymous debut album. "Looking for a New Love" became one of the biggest pop and R&B singles of 1987...

", "Still A Thrill", and "Real Love

Real Love (Jody Watley song)

"Real Love" was the first single from Jody Watley's second album, Larger than Life. "Real Love" became one of the biggest pop and R&B singles of 1989. The single reached number-one on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and dance chart....

".

Early years

Cymone was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

, the son of Fred Anderson, a musician, and Bernadette, a social worker. Cymone was the youngest of six children. The Anderson home soon had an additional member — a young Prince

Prince (musician)

Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

 who left his own home due to conflicts with his father. Prince's cousin started a band called Grand Central and invited Prince and Cymone. The band was later renamed Champagne and included Cymone's sister Linda and Morris Day

Morris Day

Morris E. Day is an American musician and composer. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time.-1970s and 1980s:...

. Cymone's stage name

Stage name

A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

 comes from a variation of his middle name

Middle name

People's names in several cultures include one or more additional names placed between the first given name and the surname. In Canada and the United States all such names are specifically referred to as middle name; in most European countries they would simply be regarded as second, third, etc....

, Simon.

Career

In the late 1970s, after Prince released his debut album, For You, Prince recruited Cymone as bassist for his touring band. Cymone stayed with Prince until 1981 when he quit the band over tensions with Prince.

The two later resolved their issues and Cymone went on to release 3 solo albums — Livin' in the New Wave (1982), Survivin' in the 80's (1983), and AC (1985). All are long out of print. His most successful single - a song written by Prince - was "The Dance Electric" from the AC album.

Cymone went on to become a record producer and is better known for producing Jody Watley

Jody Watley

Jody Vanessa Watley is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul....

 (to whom he was married and shares a son) than for the music he released as a solo artist. He has produced and written songs for several other artists, including Pebbles, 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...

, Jermaine Stewart

Jermaine Stewart

William Jermaine Stewart was an American R&B singer best known for his Billboard hits "The Word Is Out" and "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" .-Early life and career:Born in Columbus, Ohio, to parents Ethel M...

 and Adam Ant

Adam Ant

Adam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...

.

Cymone is referenced by Brooklyn band, The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...

 on their critically received debut album, Almost Killed Me

Almost Killed Me

Almost Killed Me is the debut studio album by Brooklyn-based rock band The Hold Steady, released on March 16, 2004 on Frenchkiss Records. It is considered by many to be a concept album, with several recurring themes such as near-death experiences, parties and the fictional character Charlemagne...

in track two, The Swish.
His song "Better Way" was a huge part of the "Beverly Hills Cop 2" soundtrack released in 1987.

Albums

• Livin' in the New Wave (1982), Columbia
  Columbia Records
  Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
  
  
• Survivin' in the 80's (1983), Columbia
• AC (1985), Columbia

Singles

• "Livin' in the New Wave" (1982)
• "Kelly's Eyes" (1982)
• "Survivin' in the 80's" (1983)
• "Make Me Wanna Dance" (1983)
• "The Dance Electric" (1985)
• "Satisfaction" (1985)
• "Lipstick Lover" (1985)