| Eric Benet is a contemporary RB singer with mild hip-hop and strong adult contemporary influences. As a teenager, Benet was in a vocal group called Benet with his sister and cousin. The group signed with Capitol and released an eponymous album in 1992 that went ignored. Eric went out as a solo artist shortly afterward, signing to Warner Bros. and releasing his debut album, True to Myself, in the fall of 1996. A Day in the Life followed in 1999; its first single, a cover of Toto's "Georgy Porgy", was a moderate radio hit, but the album's second single "Spend My Life With You" (featuring Tamia) was a chart smash. "Spend My Life With You" went to number one on the RB charts, was certified gold, was nominated for a 2000 Grammy Award for "Best RB Performance by a Duo or Group." Benet's popularity was on the rise; A Day In the Life went on to earn a Soul Train Music Award for "Best RB/Soul Album Male." During this time, Benet headed into the studio to work on Earth, Wind and Fire's 30th anniversary CD. He and actress Halle Berry also became an item (the couple married in January 2001). Aside from music, Benet caught the acting bug. He had a recurring role on WB's For Your Love and made his feature film debut in Mariah Carey's flashy showbiz drama,Glitter, in 2001. Berry and Benet separated in 2004, a year before the singer released his third album, Hurricane. Stephen Thomas Erlewine.
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