Larry Ernest Blackmon (born May 29, 1956) is an American vocalist and musician, known as the lead singer, founder and frontman of the funk and R&B band Cameo.
Musical career
Starting the band "East Coast", Blackmon formed the "New York City Players" as a complement to the Ohio Players. Having to rename the group because of a conflict, Blackmon later called the group Cameo. Blackmon lived in Harlem and played drums on several hits for the band
Black Ivory. He is the son of Lee Black, a former boxer. Along with his unique vocal style, Blackmon's other personal touches included sporting an elaborate
hi-top fade haircut and a
codpiece over his pants. His signature "Ow!" was used as the intro for some of the band's songs. The group Cameo appeared at Adventureland Palace, sponsored by Black Pride Inc., on April 26, 1978. Blackmon founded Atlanta-based funk quartet CA$HFLOW, which had a hit with "Mine All Mine" in 1986.
Guest appearances
Blackmon appeared as a backing vocalist on
Ry Cooder's 1987 album
Get Rhythm and
Cyndi Lauper's 1989 album
A Night to Remember. He also had co-producer credits on
Eddie Murphy's 1989 album
So Happy. The
snare drum sound that Blackmon created for "Word Up!" and "Candy" was duplicated on releases by a wide range of artists.
Personal life
One of Blackmon's sons, Larry Scott Blackmon, is heavily involved in New York politics, becoming a social activist and once running for the New York City Council.
See also
