Anthony Lockett

An Atlanta native, rhythm came to Anthony Lockett early on. He was a teenager when he joined Cameo in 1978 as a vocalist and guitarist. Cameo founder Larry Blackmon began collaborating with him on songs that would eventually earn the group their first gold record. Although Cameo was known as a hard-driving funk band, many of the fifteen songs Lockett wrote for the group were beautiful love ballads such as "Sparkle," which was a Top 10 R&B smash that sold 400,000 copies as a single and propelled the band's 1979 album, "Secret Omen" to gold status. Cameo's songs have been sampled by scores of vocalists and rappers over the years, Lockett and the band appeared on all the major television programs of the day, such as the The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Soul Train and The Dinah Shore Show. The group's unique sound laid the foundation for today's urban music. Many R&B artist cite Cameo as a major musical influence.Before leaving the group, Lockett branched out into producing R&B groups for RCA Records and PolyGram Records. He had also played on recordings by Gladys knight & the Pips and Peabo Bryson. Four gold records later, and upon leaving the funk group in 1983 he devoted himself to a new spiritual calling and transformed all his studio skills into collaborating on gospel projects with Candi Staton, Babbie Mason and Dottie Rambo among others.Lockett shows his lattitude as an enterainer by recently enbracing his love for country music. "I've always liked the music," he says. "All my father had to listen to was country music. He taught me how to play guitar and whenever he tried to sing, it came across as country. when I started in R&B that was what was happening. But things change and now country is where it's at. I was watching Country Music Television (CMT) one day and began to notice how country music has evolved. I said to myself, `I can really do this.' So, I thought, `I'm going to write some songs and see what they sound like.' I was looking for something new because, at the end of the day, I'm an entertainer first."He played with Stevie Wonder, Patti Labelle, Natalie Cole, Prince and Johnny Gill, Tyler Perry's national stage production "Madea Goes to Jail" and the "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" motion picture soundtrack on Motown Records. Lockett also still plays and sings with the funk band, Cameo. Finding different avenues in the music industry Lockett has successfully plugged himself into each one as producer, engineer, composer, arranger and musician. Being versitle he continues to reach all musical expections of the times. music layout @ HOT FreeLayouts.com love / music / movies / frazy