What Happened Between Anita Baker and Babyface? Why Did Anita Baker Remove Babyface?
by A Maria | Updated Jun 16, 2023
Who is Anita Baker?
Anita Denise Baker is an American Singer and Songwriter. She is famously known for her soulful ballads, particularly from the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Beginning her career in the late 1970s as part of the funk band Chapter 8, Anita Baker ventured into the spotlight with her debut solo album, The Songstress, in 1983. However, it was in 1986 that she truly achieved stardom with the release of her second album, Rapture, which soared to Platinum status and featured the Grammy-winning single "Sweet Love."
Since then, Baker's exceptional talent has garnered her eight Grammy Awards and propelled four of her albums to Platinum status, in addition to two Gold albums. Renowned for her contralto vocal range spanning nearly three octaves, Anita Baker continues to captivate audiences with her soulful and melodic performances.
What Happened Between Anita Baker and Babyface?
Anita Baker and Babyface have to perform a concert together at the 15 City Songstree Tour but it has been ended and Anita had removed Babyface from the same. Anita Baker, the 65-year-old singer-songwriter, recently encountered a distressing situation involving online abuse from fans of a distinguished 64-year-old record producer. Expressing her disappointment, she took to Twitter to address the issue.
Alongside her tweet, Baker shared an exciting new poster promoting her ongoing tour, which includes an upcoming performance on June 30 at the United Center in Chicago. The incident also left Babyface, another renowned musician, feeling disheartened, and he took to Instagram to express his sentiments about the situation.
Why did Anita Baker Remove Babyface?
Anita Baker has made the decision to exclude Babyface, the singer, from her ongoing tour due to cyberbullying inflicted by his fan base. Anita Baker, who is currently on her "The Songstress" tour, announced via Twitter that she will continue the tour without Babyface. She stated, "After silently enduring cyberbullying, verbal abuse, and threats of violence from the fan base of our special guest/support act, I have decided to prioritize personal safety and continue 'The Songstress' tour alone."
This decision comes after an unfortunate episode of cyberbullying that Baker experienced. Anita Baker, a renowned artist with eight Grammy wins and popular songs like "Sweet Love" and "Caught Up in the Rapture," has two remaining tour dates scheduled for this summer. The tour will resume in November. Babyface, whose real name is Kenneth Brian Edmonds, expressed his sadness and disappointment regarding Baker's decision to remove him from the tour.
In a statement posted on Twitter, he conveyed his love and respect for Anita while expressing his anticipation for the rest of the tour. Babyface's statement also reflected his disappointment with how the situation unfolded on social media. Back in May, Babyface took to Twitter to reveal that Baker had requested him not to perform during a show at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. She made this request to ensure she had ample space and time to present her complete show.
Babyface and his band expressed their profound sadness at not being able to perform for their fans on that particular night. Babyface, known for hit songs such as "Every Time I Close My Eyes" and "When Can I See You," is recognized for his musical achievements. Anita Baker tweeted another message on Thursday, addressing her fans who might be facing harassment from individuals claiming to be Babyface fans.
She advised her followers to block and report these harassers, emphasizing the importance of not engaging with them on her behalf. CBS News has reached out to representatives of both Anita Baker and Babyface and is currently awaiting a response.
Who is Babyface?
Kenneth Brain Edmonds who is popularly known as Babyface is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He boasts an impressive track record of crafting and creating more than 26 chart-topping R&B hits during his illustrious career, coupled with a remarkable collection of 12 Grammy Awards.
Standing as a testament to his exceptional talent, he secured the 20th spot on NME's esteemed compilation of The Greatest Producers Ever. Born on April 10, 1959, in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kenneth Brian Edmonds entered the world to parents Marvin and Barbara Edmonds, setting the stage for his future musical prowess.
Babyface Anita Baker Concert
Anita Baker has taken the decision to remove Babyface from her ongoing tour following a series of critical remarks directed at him on Twitter. The acclaimed singer-songwriter, aged 64 and a recipient of multiple Grammy Awards, confirmed the news of Baker's choice to exclude him from her Songstress Tour through a statement provided to USA TODAY on Tuesday. In response, Babyface expressed his sadness regarding the development.
He stated, "It's unfortunate and disheartening to witness the unfolding events on social media. Although I was eagerly looking forward to the upcoming tour dates, I hold nothing but love and respect for Anita, and I genuinely wish her the very best for the remainder of her tour. The decision to remove Babyface from the tour follows a public exchange between the two musicians that unfolded on social media platforms.
On Monday, Baker took to Twitter to request that Babyface, whose real name is Kenneth Brian Edmonds, intervene and address the fans who were engaging in bullying and issuing threats toward her. These actions were reportedly in response to Babyface's absence during a touring show in May.
What Happened Between Anita Baker and Babyface - FAQs
Anita Baker is an American singer and songwriter known for her soulful ballads during the quiet storm period in the 1980s. She gained fame with her second album, "Rapture," and has won eight Grammy Awards throughout her career.
Anita Baker removed Babyface from their joint concert tour, called the 15 City Songstree Tour, due to cyberbullying inflicted by Babyface's fan base. Baker expressed her disappointment on Twitter, while Babyface expressed his sadness and respect for Anita's decision on Instagram.
Anita Baker made the decision to exclude Babyface from her tour after experiencing cyberbullying, verbal abuse, and threats of violence from Babyface's fan base. She prioritized personal safety and decided to continue the tour alone.
Babyface, whose real name is Kenneth Brian Edmonds, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has produced numerous chart-topping R&B hits and has won 12 Grammy Awards throughout his career.
Anita Baker removed Babyface from her ongoing tour following critical remarks directed at him on Twitter. Babyface expressed his sadness about the situation, stating his love and respect for Anita. The decision was made after a public exchange on social media and Baker's request for Babyface to address fans engaging in bullying and threats.