Huey Dunbar: 1974—: Singer Biography

Huey Dunbar: 1974—: Singer.

Hailed by many critics as the future of salsa music, Huey Dunbar helped to revitalize the genre and introduce it to a new generation during his stint as the lead singer of Dark Latin Groove (DLG). The group's three albums gained DLG a large following not only among salsa music fans but listeners across the musical spectrum as well. After winning two Billboard Latin Music Awards, DLG amicably split up in 2000 and Dunbar began a promising solo career. His first album, Yo Si Me Enamore, was released in 2001 and earned a gold record for selling over a half-million copies. With an English-language album in the works in 2003, Dunbar looked forward to branching out into new musical styles. As he told an interviewer with the Salsa Wild website, "I always planned on going in different directions. I always think it's necessary for me to not stay on doing the same thing over because I don't want to get pigeonholed. I don't want anyone to think that Huey's only good for one kind of music."

Huey Dunbar was born on May 15, 1974, and grew up in New York City, although he also spent time in Puerto Rico. His mother, an immigrant from Puerto Rico, was an aspiring opera singer who passed on her love of music to her son. His father, a native of Jamaica who enjoyed playing the conga drums, died during Dunbar's youth. Dunbar's unlikely introduction to a career in music occurred while he was a student at Bayside High School in the borough of Queens in New York City. After seeing a flyer posted for a talent contest, Dunbar decided to enter by singing the song "Lately," a hit by the R & B group Jodeci. Dunbar's rendition of the song impressed one of the judges, Latin music producer Sergio George. When George asked Dunbar whether he sang in Spanish, however, Dunbar encountered his first setback. Not having spoken much Spanish while he was growing up, Dunbar decided to throw himself into learning the language so that he could pursue his contact with George. He also began a lengthy romantic relationship with a high-school classmate that produced two children before the couple broke up several years later.