O'Bryan McCoy Burnette II, known by his stage name O’Bryan (born December 5, 1961), is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist.
O’Bryan was singing in the Second Baptist Church young adult choir when his friend Melanee Kersey approached him about considering a career in music.
[2] A former keyboardist for the Trammps and a veteran of the ’70s Philadelphia music scene, Kersey invited O’Bryan to join a group he was putting together.
The lead single, “The Gigolo,” was a slice of funk with new wave and rock elements that emphasized O’Bryan's falsetto.
[3] Album tracks also receiving notice and airplay were the romantic “Together Always”; the fluid instrumental “Soft Touch”; and the energetic “Soul Train’s A Comin’”, which became the theme song for Cornelius’ show from 1983 to 1987.
But it was O’Bryan's penchant for ballads — the quiet storm staple “Lady I Love You;” the lovelorn “You’re Always on My Mind;” and “Go on and Cry,” which was the third single — that shone as the album's highlights.
[1] O’Bryan collaborated with writers Jerry Knight and Aaron Zigman to create the synth drenched “Tenderoni” and “Driving Force.” But arguably the strongest cuts on the album were three ballads — “You Have Got to Come to Me”, “Maria” and “Is This for Real” — that displayed O’Bryan's musical genius.
The set derived its name from what O’Bryan called at the time “the first step of a new musical journey.” “F1RST” included the ballads highlighted by the songs “Just Like Doin’ It,” “Can I Kiss Your Lips”, “Man Overboard”, “Gotta Let You Go” and “Gratitude.