My music interest started with guitar lessons at age eleven. I started playing mostly instrumental original music in various bands with my friends for about the next seven years. During all that time I always practiced singing to Stevie Wonder and Earth Wind & Fire records and now, 18 years old and just out of high school, I had finished a demo tape of my original songs.
I met with Rick Shoemaker at ABC Music Publishing who acted as my first mentor and taught me about getting my songs recorded by other artists, as well as going for my own artist recording contract.
Soon my days were spent writing songs and doing guitar recording sessions and my nights playing in Top 40 cover bands. In 1983 I eventually got a song to producer Richard Perry who wanted to record it with the Pointer Sisters. At that time Rick Shoemaker, who had now become VP of MCA Music Publishing, offered me my first publishing deal. Upon signing the publishing deal, I played a new unfinished song I was co-writing called "C'est La Vie."
Over the next two years I started getting a lot of my songs covered by artists like The Pointer Sisters, El DeBarge, Earth, Wind and Fire and many others. In 1985 Bobby Colomby, then A&R at Capitol Records, heard some of my songs and wanted to meet with me about an artist deal. A few months later he introduced me to Bruce Lundvall who was starting a new label called EMI-Manhattan Records. Bruce wanted me to be his very first signing.
Next Bobby Colomby introduced me to my first manager, Ron Weisner. Ron already managed Michael Jackson, Madonna, Steve Winwood and others. I recorded my first album in England with producers Alex Sadkin and Phil Thornalley and in 1986, "C'est La Vie" was released as my first single. It quickly became a top five single around the world. From 1986 to 1991, I recorded three albums: "Robbie Nevil", "A Place Like This" and "Day One".
Since those days I've been writing for and/or producing acts like Ashlee Simpson, Destiny's Child, Smash Mouth and many others.
Currently I'm developing and recording acts for my own company.
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