Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down

[Edie Antoinette]

Abbott's parents came from Venezuela and Antigua. He is a dual citizen of the US and Antigua. During his early years, Abbott's mother taught him how to play piano and encouraged him to develop vocally. His practice paid off when, at the age of eight, he sang in the St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir which recorded an album and performed on television.

Before his career as musician, Abbott studied psychology at University of California, Berkeley and creative writing at Stanford; where he won a Wallace Stegner fellowship. Also, he has taught English at University of California, Berkeley. To help pay for college, Abbott created a band and played local gigs, helping to develop his musical style.

After graduating, Abbott taught, but he could not shake his love for music. He decided to become a professional musician, build his own recording studio and to develop skills as a singer, guitarist, composer and producer.

In 1976, he married singer Freda Payne, and had one child, Gregory Abbott, Jr (born 1978). Gregory and Freda later divorced.

One of Abbott's first opportunities in his studio was an album for an independent record label, which gave him the opportunity to do a duet with Whitney Houston. Continuing on, Abbott produced for the group EQ on Atlantic Records.

In 1986, Abbott released his first solo album, Shake You Down. The title track for the album was a success, going platinum and topping the Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, "I Got The Feelin (It's Over)" which reached #5 on the R&B chart. With the strength of its singles, the album propelled to platinum status and earned Abbot several awards.

Abbott was well-known for his sophistication and style. He appeared in numerous magazine layouts, including a six-page fashion spread in Playboy. He also was featured as one of the ten sexiest male recording artists in Playgirl.

Internationally, Abbott carried much success, winning first prize at the Tokyo Music Festival. The title track of his second album, "I'll Prove It To You" which was released in 1988, was so liked in Japan that it was featured on a movie soundtrack. In Belgium, he performed with Princess Stephanie of Monaco and in Portugal, he would do interviews in their own language.

Abbott's third album featured this international vive and was titled One World! It had a heavy Caribbean influence and was a tribute to his parents.

Since then, Abbott has released the international albums, Eyes, Whispers, Rhythm, Sex... and Dancing In The Inner Realm... in 2002 and 2005 respectively. Rhyme and Reason, Abbott's latest effort, was released in 2006. A new single "Rhythm Rhyme" was released in December 2007

With the music business in flux as it has been over the past several years, Abbott has gone on to release singles and EPs instead of full fledged albums.

While still pursuing his passion for music as an artist, Abbott has also moved somewhat into placement of music for films and television as well as working on film projects of his own. http://www.grabbittmusic.com

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

The Green Eyed Monster...LOL. One of my Cousins was jealous of him because he had green eyes and he didn't, so that's what he called him....ROFLMBO

[Edie Antoinette]

Bwa ha ha ha ha! I had a monster crush on him when this came out...I know...that!

[KnightD12]

I always thought Abbott would be around for more than a minute. This is a great song.

[Boo]

I love this song

[Tonya Anderson]

This song is still the jam. I hate growing old, I wish I were back in the eighties moving to music like this and appreciating it all the more knowing what trash would evolve these last 20 yrs.

[Edie Antoinette]

Don't give the stuff today a second thought. I don't. I just groove to the real music like when it first came. We can still move to it like we always did.

I don't even know what's evolved to show you how much I ignore it..LOL