- published: 10 Sep 2012
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Glenn Lewis (born Glenn Ricketts on March 13, 1975) is a Canadian R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. His father was a member of the musical group Crack of Dawn. Lewis has cited Stevie Wonder as his biggest inspiration, and Lewis has often been compared to him because of the similarities in their tones.
Lewis was born in Toronto to a Trinidadian mother, and a Jamaican father. From the ages of 8 to 14, he also lived in Trinidad before moving back to Toronto. After moving back to the city, he attended high school at Eastern Commerce Collegiate, where he won a talent contest by covering Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You". After high school, Lewis began recording demos and performing at nightclubs, eventually becoming a respected act in the city. He parlayed this success into the release of his first single, "The Thing to Do" in 1997 on Beat Factory/BMG Music Canada. The song earned him a Juno Award nomination for Best R&B/Soul Recording. His second single, "Bout Your Love", was released in 1998 and garnered a second consecutive Juno nomination. Lewis was also featured in "Whatever it Takes," a track which appeared on fellow Canadian R&B singer Jazmin's 1999 debut album Better Be Good.