Born in Los Angeles on December 19, 1962, Eugene Allen Booker Jr. is better known as Chuckii Booker. Keyboardist and composer, the son of arranger Fred Booker began recording under the protection of his uncle Barry White and joined the funk group Tease, before going solo. After a brief interlude with the group Chill, his career began in earnest under the banner of New Jack Swing with the album Chuckii (1989), charting at No. 18 on the R&B charts and including the hits "Touch" (No. 13 R&B), "(Don't U Know) I Love You" (No. 4) and above all the No. 1 "Turned Away " (No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100). His groove-laden, funk-driven style and meticulous production put him on the map of contemporary R&B, a status confirmed by his second album for Atlantic, Nice 'n Wild (1992), driven by the hit "Games", his second No. 1 on the R&B charts, while "I Should Have Love You" reached No. 38. Booker withdrew from the spotlight on this success to devote himself to producing the group Troop and other artists including Barry White, Kool & the Gang, Vanessa Williams and Janet Jackson, whom he accompanied as musical director and keyboardist on the Rhythm Nation World Tour, also performing as an opening act. He has continued to work at the studio console for Lalah Hathaway, En Vogue, Angela Winbush, Diana Ross, Anastacia, Commisioned, Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and Bette Midler.
