Whatever Happened to Tevin Campbell?

Tevin Campbell's debut single, "Tomorrow (A Better You, A Better Me)," topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart in June 1990 and was featured on Quincy Jones' Grammy Award-winning album "Back on the Block." Campbell was just 13 years old but he did not have to wait long for his next hit: "Round and Round," written and produced by Prince, reached number two on the Billboard R&B chart and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Round and Round" was the first single from Campbell's 1991 debut album "T.E.V.I.N." and it was also featured on the soundtrack for Graffiti Bridge, the sequel to Purple Rain. The lyrics are playful, yet confident--quintessential Prince:

I say, nothing comes from dreamers but dreams
I say, sitting idle in our boat while everyone else is down the stream
Nothing comes from talkers but sound
We can talk all we want 2, but the world still goes around and round
Round and round
We go round and round and round
And what we're looking 4 still isn't found

Can u tell me when we gonna get 2 it
I'm tired of fooling around I said I wanna do it (go 4 it, get 2 it)
I learned my lesson young, I said if u want to have fun (go 4 it)
And when u win say, "I go 4 it" (go 4 it, get 2 it).

Campbell hit just the right notes with his delivery and showed off some smooth dance moves as well:

"T.E.V.I.N." contained two number one R&B singles: "Alone With You" and "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do":

Campbell's second album, "I'm Ready," came out in 1993 and achieved double platinum status, peaking at number five on the R&B chart. It included the title track "I'm Ready" (which peaked at number two on the R&B chart), "Always in My Heart" (which peaked at number three on the R&B chart), "Don't Say Goodbye Girl" and "Can We Talk" (which topped the R&B chart and is still Campbell's biggest hit):


Campbell released his third album, "Back to the World," in 1996. It did not crack the top 10 on the R&B chart and only yielded one top 20 R&B single--the title track, which peaked at number 16 and is Campbell's last top 20 appearance on the R&B chart.


Campbell's self-titled fourth album came out in 1999; he has not produced any albums since that time and he has largely been out of the public eye except for a few guest appearances on TV shows and some theater performances (first on Broadway and then in Australia) as Seawood J. Stubbs in the musical "Hairspray."