Bryan O’Quinn

BIO: Bryan O’Quinn was one of the few underground dance music artists to enjoy negligible mainstream exposure during the late ’80s and early ’90s heyday of hip-hop soul. O’Quinn’s smooth seductive crooning style and erotic dance moves earned him a substantial female following and made him a presence on the up and coming R&B scene. Even after the futuristic productions he favored were eclipsed by the more organic, retro-leaning neo-soul movement.

Notable as an American native of Nigerian heritage; Bryan O’Quinn comes from an upper middle working-class North Carolinian family . His father a hard-working managerial businessman and his mother a creative homemaker turned entrepreneur, exposed their child to the arts through academics at a very early age. He began singing and dancing when he was just two years old and, when he was three and a half, he performed song, dance and very clever storytelling, before a lively audience of third graders. Enchanted by the talented tyke, Students and Teacher asked O’Quinn’s Grandmother, who at one time co-hosted a praise and worship radio show, to bring him back weekly, and that she did. By the time he was in junior high school, he had begun to participate in music competitions, workshops, and The Children’s Theatre that’s when he began to write songs. After high school completion, He sought secondary education through certificate course programs at both North Carolina and Philadelphia Schools the Performing of Arts O’Quinn took private voice lessons at the Community School of the Arts in his hometown. Already a working model, singing with several original music and cover bands, Bryan O’Quinn is specialized in various forms of music, dance and photography. Furthermore Bryan is not only a singer, but also a writer and producer.

After signing with a New York City Independent Record label in the late ’80s, Bryan O’Quinn’s debut LP Working All the Time, included the singles “Yes we can” and “The Feeling of Love (you’ve got to move)” both of which received a good response in a number of R&B and dance circles. Bottom Line and Experience the Jazz & Groove (recorded live) followed in 1990 and 1992, both of which established a high-quality reaction in black college (HBCU) radio. After release from his contract, the record label folded. Shortly after that his single release “Keep on (Holding On)” (remixed and recycled by Chuck Walker and Hit Sounds Entertainment NYC) still did well on the club scene and gained some radio rotation. A buzz had been created with little or no support from a record label.

In 1996, Bryan O’Quinn founded BSM Entertainment & Records where he began to collaborate with other upcoming artists and produce his own projects independently. O’Quinn spent that spring performing live engagements with his band at spring festivals, biker rallies, and many of the historic colleges; Davidson College, Johnson C. Smith University, and Morehouse College just to name a few. By the following summer, Mr. O’Quinn was playing many limited engagements for 1,000-2,000 fans a night as the opening act for other artists the most rife was Grammy-winning rap group Arrested Development.

In 2004, Bryan O’Quinn signed an exposure agreement with the Alpha Model Group (a division of On track Modeling Inc.) The Contract representation directs his modeling, promotional work, and television, print, and motion picture endeavors. The new millennium found Bryan O’Quinn in yet another inspirational and motivating place, championing many causes, especially those concerned with families and children. He was spokesperson for the Men of Valor Responsible fatherhood association partnering with Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. An organization adhering to the great importance of the non-custodial parents or as O’Quinn was quoted as saying the uplifting and preservation of the father parent child connection.

In early 2006, Mr. O’Quinn began to serve as a board member for a very exclusive Performing Arts Advisory Board which was formed by the Dilworth Visual and Performing Arts Elementary School. The purpose of the board is to strengthen the connection between the school and one of Charlotte NC’s most esteemed neighborhoods.

In 2006 and 2007, O’Quinn found newer success selling his original music catalogs, recordings and downloads online. Singer, songwriter and music business man Bryan O’Quinn worked and contracted with Music Sales Companies who partnered and affiliated with major retail stores doing special music product and merchandising promotions for top popular recording artist like Beyoncé, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Jill Scott, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross and Prince all who had new hit music releases for various record companies during this year. Mr. O’Quinn also participated in radio and venue promotions with gospel artist like Troy Sneed and other various secular artists.

Bryan O’Quinn nicknamed “Bo Quinn” by some continues to balance a happy life of single parent fatherhood and his current career demands with elevated goals for the future in music, fashion, television and beyond.

ZODIAC SIGN: Leo the Lion

FAVORITE COLOR: Red

FAVORITE CURSE WORD: NONE

FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOWS: Adult Swim, Family Guy, American Dad, The Office, Classic TV Land

FAVORITE FILMS: The Breakfast Club, Malcolm X, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Lady Sings the Blues

FAVORITE MUSIC ARTISTS: The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, Micheal Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince

FAVORITE FOODS: Greens leafy vegetables, lemons, mangoes, nectarines, plums, grapes, sunflower seeds, blueberries, oatmeal and salmon… to name a few.