Michael Watford

Artist

Michael Watford

12

Releases

About

House music vocalist renowned for his gospel-influenced releases.
Born in Suffolk, Virginia, on July 20, 1959, Watford grew up largely in Newark, New Jersey. His mother, the Rev. Betty Brower of the Clinton Memorial AME Zion Church, was a gospel singer who performed in the 1970s with The Alvin Darling Ensemble. His stepfather, George Brower, was also a gospel singer.
As a boy, Watford sang in the choir at Greater Bethel Baptist Church on Morris Avenue in Newark. After high school, he joined a gospel quartet, the Mack Zion Rens, where he sang with his stepfather.
Watford's first record, Baby Love, a collaboration with New Jersey house collective Smack, featured on This Is Garage in 1989.
A follow up, Holdin' On, produced by Smack and reworked by Roger Sanchez, came in 1991 and was championed by Timmy Regisford and Merlin Bobb at The Shelter and Tony Humphries on his weekly radio show on WRKS (Kiss FM) and in his marathon sets at Club Zanzibar in Newark.
The track featured on Underground Dance Music Vol. 1 in 1992 and propelled Watford to a major label deal with Bobb's EastWest Records America.
The album’s first single, Luv 4-2, was released in the summer of 1993, but it was the follow up, So Into You, remixed by Bobby D'Ambrosio, that proved to be Watford's biggest song, which he promoted with a video shot at Zanzibar and club PAs on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1995, Bobb left EastWest and moved to Elektra. Watford was left behind, then dropped by the label.
Watford continued to collaborate with new and established producers well into the late 2000s, in the US (including Smack again), the UK, Italy, Switzerland and Japan; occasional releases continued into the late 2010s.
In recent years, he managed a string of karaoke bars in New Jersey before taking an administrative job at a welfare office in Essex County.
Watford died in Newark, Jersey on January 26, 2024, aged 64.

Data provided by Discogs

Top Tracks

Most popular songs on Last.fm

1

Luv 4-2

Michael Watford

2

First Mistake

Michael Watford

3

Holdin' On

Michael Watford

4

So Into You

Michael Watford

5

Love Me Tonight

Michael Watford

6

Love to the World

Michael Watford

7

Happy Man

Michael Watford

8

Holdin' On (original shelter mix)

Michael Watford

9

So into You - Inner City Club Mix or Classic Club Mix

Michael Watford

10

Return Your Love To Me

Michael Watford

Community Feed

Posts from fans about this artist

🎟️ Upcoming Shows

No upcoming shows. Follow to get notified when new dates are announced.

Concert Tickets available at StubHub!

People Also Ask

Michael Watford has released 12+ albums. Some of their notable releases include Reach On Up, As, Heaven Is Calling You. Explore their complete discography on this page.

Some of Michael Watford's most popular tracks include Luv 4-2, First Mistake, Holdin' On, So Into You, Love Me Tonight. Listen to these songs and discover more from their extensive catalog.

House music vocalist renowned for his gospel-influenced releases.Born in Suffolk, Virginia, on July 20, 1959, Watford grew up largely in Newark, New Jersey. His mother, the Rev. Betty Brower of the Cl... Read the full biography on this page.

You can find Michael Watford vinyl records and merchandise on eBay. We feature a curated selection of vinyl releases and collectibles available for purchase.

Join the community

Follow Michael Watford

Get notified about new tour dates, releases, and updates. Join thousands of fans tracking their favorite bands.

Free forever · No credit card required

Follow Michael Watford