Bernard Wright

Who is Bernard Wright?

Bernard Wright is an American funk and jazz keyboardist and singer who began his career as a session musician and later released several solo albums in the 1980s.

Wright was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York. He attended the Fiorello Laguardia High School of Music & the Performing Arts in New York. Classmates included writer Carl Hancock Rux, gospel recording artist Desiree Coleman Jackson, and rappers Slick Rick and Dana Dane. He was offered a slot touring with Lenny White when he was 13, and he played with Tom Browne at age 16. GRP Records signed him in 1981 and released his debut album, 'Nard, tracks from which were prominently sampled in hits by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Skee-Lo, and LL Cool J among countless others. He followed with Funky Beat on Arista and Mr. Wright on Manhattan Records. The latter of these albums included his biggest R&B hit, "Who Do You Love" for which a video was made and is featured in the famous title sequence of Video Music Box. Wright has also appeared on recordings by musicians such as Cameo, Bobby Brown, Pieces of a Dream, Charles Earland, Marcus Miller, and Miles Davis.

Since his recording days, Wright has continued playing keyboards regularly in the Dallas area.