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Karyn White (born October 14, 1965) is a Grammy Award-nominated Pop/R&B singer who became popular during the late 1980s.
Karyn Layvonne White was born in Los Angeles, the youngest of five children. She sang in a church choir and worked as a backing singer, then sang on Jeff Lorber's single "Facts of Love" before signing to Warner Bros. Records and, after graduating from Howard University, released her self-titled debut album in 1988. Produced by Babyface, Karyn White sold about 2 million copies, and contained the hit singles "The Way You Love Me," "Secret Rendezvous," "Superwoman" and "Love Saw It", a duet with Babyface. Her follow-up album was Ritual of Love in 1991. It had songs produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and featured the hit single "Romantic", which hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Other singles from the album include "The Way I Feel About You," "Walkin' the Dog," and "Do Unto Me." The famous photographer and director Matthew Rolston directed the hit video for the single Romantic. The late photographer and stylist Michael Walls, who is credited as stylist on the Ritual of Love album, worked closely with Karyn White and Matthew Rolston on the look for the Ritual of Love cover and 3 of the music videos released for the album. Walls brainstomed the idea for the Chanel inspired simple pearls and black dress used on the album cover, the french maid look and multiple wardrobe changes for the "The Way I feel About You" video, and the colorful "Walkin' the Dog" video, which was based on a scene from the film Sweet Charity.
White married Terry Lewis in 1992 and together they had a daughter, Ashley Nicole. After divorcing Lewis, White has since remarried to producer/musician Bobby G, a virtuoso guitarist who has played in her band and with such artists as Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Her next album was Make Him Do Right in 1994. The album did not sell particularly well, although she did chart with the singles "Hungah" and the Babyface-penned "Can I Stay with You", which became her final U.S. R&B top-ten hit thus far in early 1995. "I'd Rather Be Alone" was a moderate hit peaking at #50 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. White left Warner Bros. Records in 1995 and dropped out of the music public eye for many years to start a family.
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