Gospel-primed soul singer Sam Salter spent several years in the choir of the Faithful Church of God in Christ in his native Los Angeles, then crossed to the secular side of the tracks for his 1997 recording debut, It's On Tonight. In addition to his religious inspirations, Salter was influenced early on by the classic soul of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, winning several local talent shows as a teenager. He recorded a demo tape that was heard by super producer L.A. Reid, the co-head of LaFace Records, and he soon signed a contract with one of the most hyped urban R&B labels in the U.S. Salter worked with the other half of LaFace, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, to record his album debut, It's On Tonight. A second album, Little Black Book, was scheduled for release in mid-2000, and promotional copies were sent to the media before the label canceled the release, and the set never made it to retail. Salter cut ties with LaFace and began work on a third LP; however, while he posted tracks on social media, the promised album was never released. He focused on songwriting, penning tunes that were recorded by Tyrese, B2K, El DeBarge, Charlie Wilson, and Solé, as well as working as a recording engineer. Sam Salter died on August 27, 2021, at the age of 46. ~ John Bush