Born in Washington, D.C. on September 22, 1966, Keith Martin was an R&B singer, songwriter and producer best known for his romantic slow jams. He grew up listening to soul and R&B music and, at the age of 10, started learning to play the piano, bass, and drums while also practicing his singing. By the age of 19, he was writing his own songs. Keith Martin grew up with close friends and R&B stars Stacy Lattisaw and Johnny Gill, becoming involved in the burgeoning music scene surrounding them. Former Con Funk Shun drummer Louis A. McCall, Sr. signed Keith Martin to a management deal, which led to his involvement in several tours with rap music star MC Hammer. Relocating to Los Angeles, California, in 1990 alongside his management team, Keith Martin worked with several popular artists, producers and songwriters including Boyz II Men. Signed to Ruffhouse Records (a subsidiary of Columbia/Sony), he released the single “Never Find Someone Like You,” which was featured on the soundtrack to the 1995 motion picture Bad Boys. Keith Martin’s debut album, It’s Long Overdue, was released in 1995 and hit Number 82 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart. Several singles were released from the album - “Never Find Someone Like You,” and “Moment in Time” – although they didn’t reach the Top 40. Although his album was not the success that many expected, Keith Martin continued to work behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer. After the release of his 2003 album All the Hits, Keith Martin took a job as an in-house producer in Manila, moving there in 2004. He continued to write for others as well as releasing solo albums including Love of My Life (2004), I’m Not Alone (2005), Let Me Take Control (20007), This Road (2010), and The Vision (2013). He continued to work with Filipino and American artists as well as Australian singer Ron Kingston. On March 25, 2022, Keith Martin was found dead at his home in the Philippines. He had been dead for at least a week before he was found. It was later determined that he had died of a heart attack.
