Gregory Abbott hit us with one hot single, “Shake You Down,” and then exited the music game. Remember when everybody was singing “You read my mind/girl I want to shake you down/ I can give you all the loving you need…“? That was the SONG back in the day! It turns out that whole one-hit thing was a part of his bigger plan to stack up some major money.

A little known fact about Abbott is that he was a professor of English at Berkeley University before the world knew him as a singer. Word on the Old School curb is that it was during his time as a professor that he came up with his master plan to make a big come up that would have set him on a profitable financial path at that time.

Gregory Abbott’s Plan

It was reported that Abbott always had a passion for music and was even a music minor in college. So he combined his musical passion with a get-rich plan, by attempting to create only one for-sure-shot R&B hit to get paid for a long time off of his music royalties. He allegedly never intended on staying in the music industry. In order to pull that off, he did research on music publishing and knew that two things had to take place:

(1) He must maintain ALL rights to his one-hit.
(2) It MUST actually become a hit.

It sounds like a shot in the dark for that era, but Gregory figured it was worth a shot.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gregory Abbott (@gregoryabbottmusic)

The Results

Anyways, he recorded “Shake You Down,” in1986. It was an instant smash hit and broke a record for becoming the most played song ever in 1986, being played over 1 million times throughout the world on various radio stations that same year.

As a result, Abbott was saying “cha-ching” each time his song was played. After the success of the single, Abbott’s record label pressured him to record a second album, but it didn’t sell like the first one. He didn’t care though, because he’d recorded a classic with “Shake You Down.”

The song is still played on old school radio stations across the country and for many years after it’s release. At one point in time, Abbott allegedly received between $1.5 – $2 million per year in publishing and songwriting royalties from the song. His plan worked.

Needless to say he took a long hiatus from the music industry, but his passion for music never died, so he has been back on the music scene for several years now, touring with several legendary old school artists like Cece Peniston, Atlantic Starr, and more.

Abbott Was Married To Who?!!

Gregory has a son with the Old School sex symbol singer, Freda Payne, best known for her 1970 hit, “Band Of Gold.” She and Abbott were married prior to him becoming a college professor, or professional singer. Their son’s name is Gregory Abbott Jr.

Embed from Getty Images

Like we said, Gregory Abbott hasn’t lost his musical passion. Check out one of his more recent music videos below and tell us what you think about it.

[Source: PR]

The post “Shake You Down” Singer, Gregory Abbott’s, Million Dollar Plan Actually Worked For Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

For most of us, Old Schoolers, when we think of Robert De Niro (78), we think of him as a true OG actor legend. For decades, we’ve watched the him transform into an array of characters, but there’s one role that requires no rehearsal lines, nor costumes for De Niro: his real life role as the father of 6 children. He’s very proud of his kids and his son, Raphael De Niro (45), has now managed to step outside of his Pop’s enormous shadow and create his own lane- a very lucrative one at that. Raphael also has a famous R&B singer cousin. Scroll down for details…

African American Actress Is The Mother Of De Niro’s Son

Embed from Getty Images

In case y’all didn’t already know, Robert De Niro has always dated and/or married African-American women, including Raphael De Niro’s mother, actress Diahnne Abbott (76). Diahnne’s most popular roles were in the 1986 film, “JoJo Dancer, Your Life is Calling,” and in the 1976 film, “Taxi Driver,” alongside De Niro. FYI: Diahnne is Robert’s first wife, he’s recently divorced his 2nd wife, Grace Hightower, who is also Black.

Robert and Diahnne were married from 1976 to 1988 and although their union didn’t last, their unconditional love for their two children (including Diahnne’s biological daughter, Drena, who Robert adopted back in the day) remained constant.

Who Is De Niro’s Successful Son?

Below isa throwback photo of Raphael De Niro chillin’ with his parents, Diahnne and Robert…

Fast forward to today and Raphel De Niro has made a name for himself on his own…

Raphael was once an actor like his parents, but now he’s is making CRAZY noise in the New York real estate game. He’s a real estate broker and founder of The De Niro Team at New York’s Douglas Elliman real estate firm and has built his name in the game as one of Manhattan’s top real estate agents. In 2016 Raphael initially gained media attention after selling $721.4 MILLION worth of high end New York properties in just one year. Also, of course his client list is jam-packed with a long list of celebs, including Renée Zellweger, Kelly Ripa, and countless others. He and his dad own several properties together, including New York’s infamous Greenwich Hotel.

Son Does NOT Want To Be Compared To His Famous Relatives

Despite his famous relatives, Raphael revealed in an interview with The Real Deal, that he didn’t even realize his parents were famous until his pops started really blowin’ up in the late 80’s:

“Not until about 1988 [Raphael said of his revelation that his dad was famous], when my dad’s career started to take off in a commercial way. Prior to that, he was more of an actor’s actor. I kind of shunned the attention. Walking around with him was sort of difficult for me. At a certain point in my 20’s, I stopped caring.”

Even though he “stopped caring” about being in the shadows of his father, Raphael still admitted that for him, it has always been of the upmost importance that he does not allow himself, nor his work, to lean on his family’s name. He admitted, in that same interview, that he only wanted to be remembered as “somebody who didn’t try to cash in on the family name, who tried to make his own way and tried to be honest and forthright in his dealings with everyone.”

His Parents Fought To Keep Him Grounded

Raphael De Niro: “I always had some kind of summer job — folding rugs in this Persian rug store, working as a production assistant for my dad or working as a busboy at Nobu [his dad is a co-founder] when it opened in 1994. My parents felt it was good for me to get some responsibility. They were worried that I’d become a typical Hollywood kid. It’s part of why I think they moved me to New York. -via The Real Deal

Famous R&B Singer Cousin Of Raphael De Niro And His Mom

Another fun fact about Raphael Di Nero that caught our attention, is that his parents aren’t the only famous celebs in his family. Guess what ILOSM fam?’ Raphael’s cousin is none other than Gregory Abbot a.k.a. the cat who had us vibin’ to “Shake You Down” in the mid 80’s! Gregory is the cousin to Raphael’s mother, Diahnne Abbott and if his name still doesn’t ring a bell for you, check out his video up top…this one will definitely bring back classic memories for any old school R&B lover.

The post Robert De Niro’s Biracial Son’s A Wealthy Businessman…Whose Cousin Is An ’80s R&B Legend appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gregory Abbott hit us with one hot single, “Shake You Down,” and then exited the music game. Remember when everybody was singing “You read my mind/girl I want to shake you down/ I can give you all the loving you need…“? That was the JAM back in the day! It turns out that whole one-hit thing was a part of his bigger plan to stack up some major money.

A little known fact about Abbott is that he was a professor of English at Berkeley University before the world knew him as a singer. Word on the Old School curb is that it was during his time as a professor that he came up with his master plan to make a big come up that would have set him on a profitable financial path at that time.

Gregory Abbott’s Plan

It was reported that Abbott always had a passion for music and was even a music minor in college. So he combined his musical passion with a get-rich plan, by attempting to create only one for-sure-shot R&B hit to get paid for a long time off of his music royalties. He allegedly never intended on staying in the music industry. In order to pull that off, he did research on music publishing and knew that two things had to take place:

(1) He must maintain ALL rights to his one-hit.
(2) It MUST actually become a hit.

It sounds like a shot in the dark, but Gregory figured it was worth a shot. Now, of course this was when artists were actually able to make a lot of money off of record sales, back when people bought albums, tapes, and CDs. Can’t say this plan to “sell” records would work in today’s music climate though.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gregory Abbott (@gregoryabbottmusic)

The Results

Anyways, he recorded “Shake You Down,” in1986. It was an instant smash hit and broke a record for becoming the most played song ever in 1986, being played over 1 million times throughout the world on various radio stations that same year.

As a result, Abbott was saying “cha-ching” each time his song was played. After the success of the single, Abbott’s record label pressured him to record a second album, but it didn’t sell like the first one. He didn’t care though, because he’d recorded a classic with “Shake You Down.”

The song is still played on old school radio stations across the country and for many years after it’s release. At one point in time, Abbott allegedly received between $1.5 – $2 million per year in publishing and songwriting royalties from the song. His plan worked.

Needless to say he took a long hiatus from the music industry, but his passion for music never died, so he has been back on the music scene for a few years now, touring with several legendary old school artists like Cece Peniston, Atlantic Starr, and more.

Abbott Was Married To Who?!!

Gregory has a son with the Old School sex symbol singer, Freda Payne, best known for her 1970 hit, “Band Of Gold.” She and Abbott were married prior to him becoming a college professor, or professional singer. Their son’s name is Gregory Abbott Jr.

Embed from Getty Images

Like we said, Gregory Abbott hasn’t lost his musical passion. Check out one of his more recent music videos below and tell us what you think about it.

[Source: PR]

The post “Shake You Down” Singer, Gregory Abbott’s Million Dollar Plan Actually Worked For Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gregory Abbott hit us with one hot single, “Shake You Down,” and then exited the music game. Remember when everybody was singing “You read my mind/girl I want to shake you down/ I can give you all the loving you need…“? That was the JAM back in the day! It turns out that whole one-hit thing was a part of his bigger plan to stack up some major money.

A little known fact about Abbott is that he was a professor of English at Berkeley University before the world knew him as a singer. Word on the Old School curb is that it was during his time as a professor that he came up with his master plan to make a big come up that would have set him on a profitable financial path at that time.

Gregory Abbott’s Plan

It was reported that Abbott always had a passion for music and was even a music minor in college. So he combined his musical passion with a get-rich plan, by attempting to create only one for-sure-shot R&B hit to get paid for a long time off of his music royalties. He allegedly never intended on staying in the music industry. In order to pull that off, he did research on music publishing and knew that two things had to take place:

(1) He must maintain ALL rights to his one-hit.
(2) It MUST actually become a hit.

It sounds like a shot in the dark, but Gregory figured it was worth a shot. Now, of course this was when artists were actually able to make a lot of money off of record sales, back when people bought albums, tapes, and CDs. Can’t say this plan to “sell” records would work in today’s music climate though.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gregory Abbott (@gregoryabbottmusic)

The Results

Anyways, he recorded “Shake You Down,” in1986. It was an instant smash hit and broke a record for becoming the most played song ever in 1986, being played over 1 million times throughout the world on various radio stations that same year.

As a result, Abbott was saying “cha-ching” each time his song was played. After the success of the single, Abbott’s record label pressured him to record a second album, but it didn’t sell like the first one. He didn’t care though, because he’d recorded a classic with “Shake You Down.”

The song is still played on old school radio stations across the country and for many years after it’s release. At one point in time, Abbott allegedly received between $1.5 – $2 million per year in publishing and songwriting royalties from the song. His plan worked.

Needless to say he took a long hiatus from the music industry, but his passion for music never died, so he has been back on the music scene for a few years now, touring with several legendary old school artists like Cece Peniston, Atlantic Starr, and more.

Abbott Was Married To Who?!!

Gregory has a son with the Old School sex symbol singer, Freda Payne, best known for her 1970 hit, “Band Of Gold.” She and Abbott were married prior to him becoming a college professor, or professional singer. Their son’s name is Gregory Abbott Jr.

Embed from Getty Images

Like we said, Gregory Abbott hasn’t lost his musical passion. Check out one of his more recent music videos below and tell us what you think about it.

[Source: PR]

The post “Shake You Down” Singer, Gregory Abbott’s Million Dollar Plan Actually Worked For Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

African American Actress Is The Mother Of De Niro’s Son

In case y’all didn’t already know, Robert De Niro has always dated and/or married African American women, including Raphael De Niro’s mother/actress, Diahnne Abbott (73). Diahnne’s most popular roles were in the 1986 film, “JoJo Dancer, Your Life is Calling,” and in the 1976 film, “Taxi Driver,” alongside De Niro. FYI: Diahnne is Robert’s FIRST WIFE, he’s currently married to his 2nd wife, Grace Hightower, who is also Black.

Robert and Diahnne were married from 1976 to 1988 and although their union didn’t last, their unconditional love for their two children (including Diahnne’s biological daughter, Drena, who Robert adopted back in the day) remained constant.

Who Is De Niro’s Successful Son?

Fast forward to today and Robert and Diahnne’s son, Raphael, is making CRAZY noise in the New York real estate game. He’s a real estate broker and founder of The De Niro Team at New York’s Douglas Elliman real estate firm and has built his name in the game as one of Manhattan’s top real estate agents. In 2016 alone, Raphael sold $721.4 MILLION worth of high end New York properties. Also, of course his client list is jam-packed with a long list of celebs, including Renée Zellweger, Kelly Ripa, and countless others. He and his dad own several properties together, including New York’s infamous Greenwich Hotel.

Son Does NOT Want To Be Compared To His Famous Relatives

Despite his famous relatives, Raphael revealed in an interview with The Real Deal, that he didn’t even realize his parents were famous until his pops started really blowin’ up in the late 80’s:

“Not until about 1988 [Raphael said of his revelation that his dad was famous], when my dad’s career started to take off in a commercial way. Prior to that, he was more of an actor’s actor. I kind of shunned the attention. Walking around with him was sort of difficult for me. At a certain point in my 20s, I stopped caring.”

Even though he “stopped caring” about being in the shadows of his father, Raphael still admitted that for him, it has always been of the upmost importance that he does not allow himself, nor his work, to lean on his family’s name. He admitted, in that same interview, that he only wanted to be remembered as “somebody who didn’t try to cash in on the family name, who tried to make his own way and tried to be honest and forthright in his dealings with everyone.”

His Parents Fought To Keep Him Grounded

Raphael De Niro: “I always had some kind of summer job — folding rugs in this Persian rug store, working as a production assistant for my dad or working as a busboy at Nobu [his dad is a co-founder] when it opened in 1994. My parents felt it was good for me to get some responsibility. They were worried that I’d become a typical Hollywood kid. It’s part of why I think they moved me to New York. -via The Real Deal

His Famous R&B Singer Cousin

Another fun fact about Raphael Di Nero that caught our attention, is that his parents aren’t the only famous celebs in his family. Guess what ILOSM fam?’ Raphael’s cousin is none other than Gregory Abbot a.k.a. the cat who had us vibin’ to “Shake You Down” in the mid 80’s! Gregory is the cousin to Raphael’s mother, Diahnne Abbott and if his name still doesn’t ring a bell for you, check out his video up top…this one will definitely bring back classic memories for any old school R&B lover.

The post Robert DeNiro’s Half Black Son’s A Multimillionaire Businessman Who’s Cousin Is A 80s R&B Singer appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gregory Abbott hit us with one hot single, “Shake You Down,” and then exited the music game.

Remember when everybody was singing “You read my mind, girl I want to shake you down, I can give you all the loving you need…”? That was the JAM back in the day! It turns out that whole one-hit thing was a part of his bigger plan to stack up some major money.

A little known fact about Abbott is that he was a professor of English at Berkeley University before the world knew him as a singer. Word on the Old School curb is that it was during his time as a professor that he came up with his master plan to make a big come up that will have him financially set for many, many years to come.

He always had a passion for music and was even a music minor in college. So he combined his musical passion with a get-rich plan by attempting to…

create only one for-sure-shot R&B hit to get paid for a long time off of his music royalties…he allegedly never intended on staying in the music industry. He did research on music publishing and knew that two things had to take place:
(1) He must maintain ALL rights to that hit.
(2) It MUST become a hit.

It sounds like a shot in the dark, but Gregory figured it was worth a shot. Now of course this was when artists were actually able to make a lot of money off of record sales, back when people bought albums, tapes, and CDs…can’t say this plan to “sell” records would work in today’s music climate.

Anyways, he wrote “Shake You Down,” in 1985, he recorded it in 1986. It was an instant smash hit and broke a record for becoming the most played song ever in 1986; it was played over 1 million times throughout the world on various radio stations that year.

So Abbott was saying “cha-ching” each time his song was played. After the success of the single, Abbott’s record label pressured him to record a second album, but it didn’t sell like the first one. Abbott didn’t care though, he had recorded a classic with “Shake You Down.”

The song is still played on old school radio stations across the country and for many years after it’s release, Abbott allegedly received between $1.5-$2 million per year in publishing and songwriting royalties from the song. His plan worked.

Needless to say he took a long hiatus from the music industry, but his passion for music never died, so he has been back on the music scene for a few years now, touring with several old school artists like Cece Peniston, Atlantic Starr, and others.

Gregory has a son with the Old School sex symbol singer, Freda Payne, best known for her 1970 hit, “Band Of Gold.” She and Abbott were married prior to him becoming a college professor, or professional singer. Their son’s name is Gregory Abbott Jr.

Embed from Getty Images

According to Gregory Abbott’s website, “he majored in psychology and minored in music and dramatic arts. He holds a Masters degree and is working towards his Ph. D and was awarded a Wallace Stegner Fellowship to Stanford University’s Creative writing Masters program.” So it sounds like he’s a constant student of his craft.

Like we said, Gregory Abbott hasn’t lost his musical passion. Check out one of his more recent music videos below and tell us what you think about it.

[Source: PR]

The post This “Shake You Down” Singer’s Million Dollar Plan Actually Worked For Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.