Javier Colon

Early life

Javier Colon grew up in Stratford, Connecticut, with a Dominican father who worked at a radio station and a Puerto Rican mother. He started writing songs while attending Frank Scott Bunnell High School in Stratford. Later, he studied music education at the University of Hartford's Hartt School. During his college years, he sang and played percussion in EmcQ, a soul/funk band led by guitarist Ian McHugh that focused on the music of Stevie Wonder.

Music career

After EmcQ opened for Soulive, guitarist Eric Krasno recommended Colon to Derek Trucks, who was seeking a lead vocalist. Colon auditioned in July 2000 and joined The Derek Trucks Band that August. He left the band in April 2002 to pursue a solo career after signing with Capitol Records. He released two albums on Capitol: the self-titled Javier in 2003 and Left of Center in 2006.

After parting with Capitol, he performed with Joss Stone, Darius Rucker, the Indigo Girls, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, and Anthony Hamilton, and released an EP on his own label. His primary stage instruments are steel and nylon string acoustic guitars by Larrivée and Taylor Guitars. In 2009 he was featured as singer and songwriter on the song "October Sky" from Vanessa Williams's album The Real Thing.

Recordings

The first single "Crazy" reached No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 42 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart; the second single "Beautiful U R" had less commercial success. The album peaked at No. 91 on the Billboard 200 and No. 18 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It consisted mainly of R&B with jazz, funk, and Latin influences, drawing comparisons to Kenny Lattimore, Brian McKnight, and Babyface. Pianist Mulgrew Miller and trumpeter Roy Hargrove performed on the final track "October Sky", the only featured artists.

The title indicated Colon's departure from typical contemporary R&B; the album kept his R&B/neo-soul base but mixed in other styles. Three singles—"Indecent Proposal", "Dance for Me", and "The Answer is Yes"—had no major success, and the album reached No. 37 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It featured only Anthony Hamilton on "Count On Me". Though commercially unsuccessful, reviews praised Colon's unique style.

The six-song EP was described as part 1 of a larger project, with songs recorded acoustically for an upcoming album. Starting April 26, 2011, Colon appeared as a contestant on NBC's The Voice, competing for a $100,000 grand prize and a Universal Republic contract.

After The Voice

Colon released his third album Come Through For You on Universal Republic Records on November 21, 2011. The debut single "As Long As We Got Love" featured Natasha Bedingfield; the album also included "Stand Up" with his Voice mentor Adam Levine and "Raise Your Hand" co-written by American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen. On June 7, 2012, Colon announced his departure from Universal Republic via BuddyTV, citing lack of support for the album.

He stated that the label did not market or promote the album despite his high hopes. Colon continued singing and seeking a more mutually beneficial relationship. In 2013 he launched the weekly show Inside Voice with Javier Colon on Back9Network, co-hosted with Jenn Bosworth, discussing season 5 of The Voice.

Did You Know?

• Colon was the only contestant in the blind auditions of The Voice season 1 besides Jeff Jenkins to win all four judges.
• He played percussion and sang in EmcQ, a soul/funk band dedicated to Stevie Wonder's legacy.
• On The Voice, Colon performed an original song titled "Stitch by Stitch" produced by himself, Adam Levine, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins.