J. Long

Long was born into a family of musicians.[2] His uncle, Huey Long (1904–2009), was an African-American jazz and R&B guitarist of the pop group The Ink Spots. By age 17, he was selling beats recorded on equipment his stepfather, Melvin Hudnall, bought him.[2] As he developed as an artist, he cited musician D'Angelo as a heavy influence.[3]

Long signed his first record deal soon after graduating high school, but his career began to take off with his 2008 single, "Berry Love". Long released his debut album Girl Listen in 2009, whose single "Personal Freak" hit #4 on Billboard. His record sales caught the attention of hip hop group Pretty Ricky, who were searching for a new singer to join the group. Long remained with the group from 2010 to 2012. He later rejoined them on their European tour in April 2015. Long took a break from music for spiritual reasons.[2][3] Upon his return, Long began to write and produce inspirational music, releasing an album entitled R & B (Redeemed and Blessed), featuring the single, "Jesus I Need You".[4]

In 2019, three years into their relationship, it was reported that Long married Cyntoia Brown. Brown had been imprisoned for killing a man while a teenager. Wes Yoder, a representative for both Long and Brown, confirmed the marriage but stated that the details of how the two met would be released in Cyntoia Brown Long's memoir through Atria Books.[5]