O'Bryan

At this point in his career, O’Bryan has only two things on his mind; delivering a great musical experience to his fans and reaching an audience of new listeners. O'Bryan was one of the most popular singers of the 1980s and scored a number of popular hits during his career.

A North Carolina native, O'Bryan moved to California as a young man and sang in Santa Ana's Second Baptist Church choir.

“I was singing in my high school talent shows. Choir Director Dwayne Roberts, was moved by a performance and invited me to join the Second Baptist Young Adult Choir in Santa Ana. Although I sang lead at times, I was really just a young guy from North Carolina trying to find his way.”

It was during this time that O'Bryan was introduced to Philadelphia musician, producer, and arranger Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey who invited the talented singer to join a group he was formulating called Have Mercy.

“We did one gig and fell apart!” At that point, I had a job working at Orange County Social Services as a mail clerk, and I wasn't actively pursuing a career in music.”

While O'Bryan's work with Have Mercy never materialized, the connection did result in an introduction to Soul Train host Don Cornelius.

“I sat at Don’s piano, played and sang and it was a go. I became the first artist for the Ron Kersey - Don Cornelius production team. Don and I made the rounds and after a few meetings, I was signed by Capitol Records.”

O’Bryan, Ron Kersey and Don Cornelius proved to be a winning team, producing the top ten Billboard album; Doin’ Alright, driven to the top of the charts by the hits; The Gigolo and Still Water (Love).

In 1983, O'Bryan returned with an excellent mid-tempo remake of Stevie Wonder's; You and I, arguably topping the master's original version. It hit the Soul Top 20 and continued O’Bryan’s ascent. The album of the same name hit the top 20 and also included the singer's; Soul Train's A Comin', the popular music show's theme song for the next four years.


In 1984, momentum carried his next album; Be My Lover, to the top of the charts peaking at number three. The first single - the insistent, chugging; Lovelite - marched to the top of the Billboard R&B singles chart. The success of Lovelite prompted Capitol to release Breakin’ Together as the next single. But it was O’Bryan’s penchant for ballads - the quiet storm staple; Lady I Love You, the lovelorn; You’re Always On My Mind and Go On And Cry, (which was the third single) - that shone as the album’s highlights. The title track also became known as one of O'Bryan's better up-tempo songs.

After lengthy contract negotiations with Capitol Records, O'Bryan returned in 1986 with his fourth studio album; Surrender. O’Bryan collaborated with writers Jerry Knight and Aaron Zigman to create the synth-driven; Tenderoni and Driving Force. However, arguably, the strongest cuts on the album were three ballads; You Have Got To Come To Me, Maria, and, Is This For Real, that displayed O’Bryan’s musical genius.

In the late ’80s, the landscape of the music industry changed considerably. With the rise of Hip Hop and New Jack Swing, traditional R&B artists such as O'Bryan, found themselves on the outside looking in. After unsuccessful contract renegotiations with Capitol Records and false starts with A&M and Third Stone Records, O'Bryan quietly exited the recording industry.

In 2007, O'Bryan returned with his independent release entitled; F1RST. The set derived its name from what O’Bryan called at the time, “…the first step of a new musical journey.” F1RST embodied moving, soulful ballads, highlighted by the songs; Just Like Doin’ It, Can I Kiss Your Lips, Man Overboard, Gotta Let You Go, and Gratitude.

In 2017, O'Bryan surprised fans with the release of his ballads compilation; For The Love Of You, which included a duet entitled; One More Try, with Prince Protégé, Sue Ann Carwell.

“I love to create music through which people can see themselves in the visions that I paint with my songs. Everything I do, I do for the love of my fans who appreciate my passion for making music.”