Waynebo.com
Wayne Stephens a.k.a. Waynebo was born in Sept. of 1968 and raised in Inkster, Michigan. Very early in life he showed a passion for music. The constant meddling with his father's stereo and record collection as a toddler were early signs of things to come.
At the age of 9 he started playing the saxophone, quickly distinguishing himself as a prime talent by performing several solos at concerts around the city. His first teacher, Joseph Zyskowski stated, "In my 20 years of teaching Wayne is by far the most talented student I've had... however, he is a bit of a behavior problem." As Wayne's passion for music drove him to continue to develop as a musician, the firm hand (and belt) of his father helped him to correct the "behavior problem" so there is no tragic ending here. Wayne continued playing the sax through high school, also picking up the drums in marching band - even re-writing the school's drum cadence. This culminated in his receiving the John Phillip Sousa national band award in 1986.
At the age of 12 he began playing the bass guitar. After 6 lessons he boldly declared "every thing else I need to learn I can teach myself". This opened a new chapter in his life. He began scouring the radio and record stores, learning every bassline he heard. During these teenage years, inspired by the multi-instrumentalism of Prince and Stevie Wonder, he also began learning keyboards and guitar by hanging out in music stores until the words "excuse me sir, we're closing" became a familiar old friend. During this period he also began writing his own songs and learning basic production and arranging techniques.
During his years at Michigan State University, he began producing tracks for local rappers and singers and developing his production skills in talent shows and on various demo tapes. He also continued to play his sax around campus. During this time Waynebo began experimenting with jazz and electronic music as well as rapping. It is this experimentation that has given birth to the music you hear on this website today.
After many years away from the church, Waynebo restored his fellowship with Jesus Christ in 1996. This dramatically altered his motives and the course of his career. Today he lives for Christ and promotes his music for the purpose of connecting with people to lead them to Christ.
Waynebo the producer creates his own music as 3 distinct artists: KING MIDAS (dance, house, downtempo, etc.), CLYDE DEE (Jazz), and WAYNEBO (rap).
After several years of making music in isolation, this website serves as a long-overdue "coming-out party" for a very talented man.