The startling secret behind R&B GRAMMY nom heartthrob RYAN SHAW’s “real loves”.
New singing sensation RYAN SHAW earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance” for his single “I Am Your Man” from his 2008 debut album.
Since then, Ellen DeGeneres has called him “the next Stevie Wonder” — and he’s earned similar heaping praise from celebs ranging from Martha Stewart to Carson Daly to Tyler Perry!
So with a national tour this summer and a new album titled “Real Love” just out, the Harlem, N.Y.-based musician certainly has earned the right to boast about his impressive talents.
But in a refreshing reversal of sorts for a young star today, Ryan is commenting about the respect and appreciation he has of the irreplaceable singing icons we have recently lost from the music world – namely the sad deaths of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and most recently Donna Summer.
Following a moving performance at NYC’s Webster Hall on May 18, Ryan told NationalENQUIRER.com: “To me, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Donna Summer were like the best friends you never met – but they meant so much to you!
“To me, along with so many others, they’ve laid the foundation of music. These were all great losses – and as a young singer, I’ve learned so much from each of them. I’m thankful that we still have Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack who both continue to inspire me.”
Ryan – who describes his sound as “a gumbo infused with soul, rock and two tablespoons of gospel” — said he was particularly rocked by Whitney’s recent passing because he came from similar roots.
Growing up in Decatur, Georgia, the only music he was allowed to hear in his strict churchgoing mother’s house was contemporary gospel – and he sang in a family-oriented Pentecostal church, where his uncle was the pastor.
Whitney, of course, in similar fashion, got her signing start in her Newark, N.J., church, led there by her mother Cissy Houston.
“Whitney’s loss was hard for all of us, but we’ll never let go of her music,” he said.
And Whitney would be happy to know that despite his busy career, Ryan remains very active in his local ministry, where he’s a vocal coach for the choirs.
