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American Morning

Jon B. Finds His Groove

Aired June 12, 2001 - 10:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, everyone. Anyone who digs "Tomb Raider," as I do, the wildly popular interactive game, won't have to wait much longer for the movie version. Angelina Jolie, who stars as the sexy and tough video game legend, Lara Croft, led the mission to the Los Angeles premiere of "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" last night. Jolie's husband, Billy Bob Thornton, wasn't there, but Daniel Craig, who plays Raider Alex Mars, turned out.

The Academy Award winning Jolie, brining a beloved video game hero to life at a high level of difficulty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELINA JOLIE, "LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER": It could have just gone completely wrong, so it means a lot to me. It's also -- it's so amazing to feel supported in your life, especially, I felt like people think I'm crazy sometimes and don't know what to think of me, and when people come out and they're loving and they're supportive and they want you to do well and they're rooting for you, that's what we all need to be OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKWU: Everything's more than OK for musician and record producer Jon B. After working behind-the-scenes with some of the biggest stars in the business, he is now fronting his own albums, and with a few hit songs, Jon B. is now on a first-name basis with his very own fans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(JON B., "DON'T TALK")

OKWU (voice-over): The artist is Jon B,; the single is "Don't Talk." But apparently, everybody is. Recording industry tongues are wagging about the singer/songwriter's third album, "Pleasures You Like," a soulful melange of contemporary dance tunes and old school ballots featuring collaboration with singers like Naz and Faith Evans.

(on camera): I read somewhere once that you described your music as retrofuturistic. Now where did that come from?

JON B., MUSICIAN: It's beautiful that you brought that up, because I really don't talk about that. That's what I really call my music. It's called retrofuturisto, and an element of hip-hop today being incorporated with the R&B and soul of yesterday.

(JON B., "PRETTY GIRL")

OKWU (voice-over): The sun of a music professor and a concert pianist, Jon B. fell in love with soul music when he was five, listening to artists like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye at his grandparent's record store.

JON B.: It hooks, the rhythms, the beats of the song, it just, as a kid, it just made me want to move, it made me want to dance, it made me want to beat on the table

(JON B. FEATURING BABYFACE, "SOMEONE TO LOVE")

OKWU: He added singer next to writer in his bio after Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds convinced him to front some his own songs. Their top single, "Someone to Love," gave a boost to B.'s gold-selling debut album. Still the transition from R&B writer to R&B performer was not always easy.

JON B.: Going into an executive at a label, and then getting the door open and getting in there and playing the music, it sounds too black. I mean, this don't sound like a white guy singing, man. So, how am I going to market this? It took that, though, for me to be able to go back to the lab and just grab the bull by its horns and say, this is me. Feel me. Do you know what I am saying? Feel me.

OKWU: OK, I got you bro.

JON B.: Feel me, bro.

OKWU (voice-over): B.'s currently producing a single for Luther Vandross, assuring fans that whether he is behind the scenes or in front, they'll have a chance to feel him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKWU: I'm still feeling you, Jon. That's the morning's entertainment news, but check in with us for our next "Showbiz Today Reports." We'll be talking to actress Cameron Diaz. She'll tell us what she's up to. That's at 11:35 a.m. Eastern. In New York, I'm Michael Okwu.

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