Trey Songz biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Singer-songwriter Trey Songz was born Tremaine Aldon Neverson on November 28, 1984, in Petersburg, Virginia, a small town just south of Richmond. When Songz was 7 years old, his mother, April Tucker, married a member of the U.S. Army. The young Songz spent the next seven years traveling around the country, as his stepfather was stationed to different military bases. The family returned to Petersburg when Songz was 14 years old, and he began his freshman year at Petersburg High School soon after. "When I came back, that's when I really found out who I was," the singer once recalled. "Those were the years I basically found Trey Songz. I didn't really get into singing until I came back."

Although Songz's family did not have extra money to spend on music lessons, the radio was constantly playing at home and in the car. His mother once recalled, "He's familiar with the Temptations, Donny Hathaway, Otis Redding, Prince, Michael Jackson, because that's what we were listening to growing up." In his youth, Songz loved singing his favorite songs in the shower, but never imagined he could turn singing into a career.

At his friends' insistence, Songz signed up to sing at the Appomattox Regional Governor's School Talent Show in Petersburg in 1998. His mother showed her support by attending the event, bringing along a 20-person cheering section. She didn't have to worry, though; Songz's performance—his first before a large audience—was a success, a precursor to his future success in the music business.

A year later, at the age of 15, Songz met New Jersey-based music producer Troy Taylor. The pair agreed that Songz should finish high school, so the singer spent his summers in New Jersey working on music with Taylor. To maintain his musical interests during the school year, Songz and some of his friends formed a vocal group called All Night Productions that performed at local parties and events. When Songz graduated from high school, he moved in full-time with Taylor in New Jersey, hoping to make a career in music.

Music Career

In 2003, Songz signed a record deal with Atlantic Records, receiving a $100,000 advance. Two years later, he released his first album, I Gotta Make It. The album was a moderate success, selling 395,000 copies and peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard album charts. Always devoted to his family, Songz used his newfound wealth to fulfill a childhood promise to buy his mother a new home.