Award-winning singer/songwriter/music producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds received an honorary doctoral degree from Indiana University during an October visit to the IU Bloomington campus.
Born in Indianapolis, Edmonds has made an impact on the music business that spans decades. In 1989, he co-founded LaFace Records with L.A. Reid and nurtured the careers of megastars such as TLC, OutKast, Usher and Toni Braxton. The 11-time Grammy winner has produced and written or co-written hits for Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Madonna and countless others.
Edmonds has contributed to more than 600 million single and album sales worldwide, with more than 200 Top 10 R&B hits. He has more than 50 Top 10 pop hits to his name, including 16 No. 1s.
Edmonds has won numerous awards and honors, including a Soul Train Music Award, BMI Award, NAACP Image Award, American Music Award and BET Walk of Fame Award. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017.
Passionate about philanthropy, Edmonds has actively supported Carousel of Hope, which benefits the Children's Diabetes Foundation; the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes; Larry Ruvo's Keep Memory Alive organization; VH1 Save the Music Foundation; the David Foster Foundation; and many others.
