Larry Blackmon

Larry Ernest Blackmon (born May 24, 1956) is an American vocalist and musician who gained acclaim as the lead singer and founder frontman of the funk and R&B band Cameo. Starting the band "East Coast", Blackmon formed the "New York City Players" as a compliment to the Ohio Players. Having to rename the group because of a conflict, Blackmon later called the group Cameo. Blackmon lived in Harlem and played drums on several hits for the band Black Ivory. He is the son of Lee Black, a former boxer.

Along with his unique vocal style, Blackmon's other personal touches included sporting an elaborate hi-top fade haircut and a codpiece over his pants. His signature "Ow!" was used as the intro for some of the band's songs.

Blackmon appeared as a backing vocalist on Ry Cooder's 1987 album "Get Rhythm" and Cyndi Lauper's 1989 album A Night to Remember. He also had co-producer credits on Eddie Murphy's 1989 album So Happy.

The snare drum sound that Blackmon created for "Word Up!" and "Candy" was duplicated on releases by a wide range of artists.^[1] The group Cameo appeared at Adventureland Palace sponsored by Black Pride Inc., on April 26, 1978.

Atlanta-based funk quartet CA$HFLOW, which had a hit with "Mine all Mine" in 1986, was founded by Cameo leader Larry Blackmon.

One of his sons is heavily involved in the New York political scene,^[2] while another son is currently involved in the hip hop music industry.

See also

• Atlanta Artists

References