I had a band when I was like 15 in high school. You know what’s a trip? Music has always been around with me. When did you realize that you could sing? The bill was Jackie, The Five Stairsteps and The Sandpebbles. I was eight years old at the RKO Albee in Brooklyn in like 1969.

My first concert makes me sound like a real old man. Growing up, I liked all the stuff that everyone else was listening to, like Motown, but the biggest group of all was The Beatles. I remember standing by a radio and just listening to that song. The very first song in my memory is “Do You Want To Know A Secret?” (EDDIE SINGS THE CHORUS) For years, I thought John was singing that song, but then I realized it was George. 33 on the Adult R&B airplay chart without any major label push.Īs Eddie Murphy explains here, his passion music is even bringing him back to the idea of performing live for people again as he explains here:Įddie, what was the first music to really connect with you growing up? He followed that up with “Promise (You Won’t Break My Heart)” - a pretty piece of vulnerable, Quiet Storm soul - which is fast rising on Billboard’s R&B Singles charts, entering this week at No. Murphy’s first new album since 1993’s “Love’s Alright” is already off to a promising start: “Red Light” - a classic-sounding reggae jam featuring Snoop Lion - was released along with a video in September. Today, he’s invited Billboard into his home studio to discuss the place of music in his life and his upcoming album “9,” being released independently on Feb.

Eddie murphy and snoop lion