Bernard Wright

Born on November 16, 1963, in Jamaica, Queens, New York, Bernard Wright was a funk, jazz, and gospel keyboardist. The godson of legendary vocalist Roberta Flack, he made his professional debut at the age of 13 with Lenny White, then performed alongside Tom Browne. Influenced by jazz fusion, he began as a session musician before turning to funk and pursuing a solo career. He released his debut album, ‘Nard, in 1981, which reached Number 7 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. The album featured the hit single “Just Chillin’ Out”, which hit the Billboard R&B Singles and Dance Singles charts. Bernard Wright’s second solo album, Funky Beat, was issued in 1983 and reached Number 58 on the R&B Albums chart. His third album, Mr. Right (1985), brought him his highest position on the R&B chart – Number 25 – and included the hit singles "Who Do You Love" (Number 6) and "After You" (Number 23). Between 1987 and 1990, Bernard Wright played with R&B / funk group the Jamaica Boys, which also featured drummer Lenny White and bassist Marcus Miller. Moving towards synthetic funk tinged with R&B and gospel, Bernard Wright resumed his solo career with the albums Fresh Hymns (1990), Fresh Hymns II (1992), and Brand New Gospel Format (1993). In 1997, after an absence from the studios, he returned with Japanese saxophonist Sadao Watanabe on the live album Go Straight Ahead 'n Make a Left. He then joined The RH Factor - the group formed by trumpeter Roy Hargrove - for the albums Hard Groove (2003) and Distractions (2006). Based in Dallas, Texas, Bernard Wright continued to perform and teach music until his death on May 19, 2022, at the age of 58.