R&B Singer Tevin Campbell Joins the Cast of B'way's Hairspray
by Cara Joy David


Tevin Campbell
R&B singer Tevin Campbell will be Hairspray's next Seaweed J.
Stubbs. Current star Chester Gregory II will leave the hit musical
on December 11. Campbell is expected to begin performances two days
later, according to a production spokesperson.
Campbell has very little acting experience. His television credits
include one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and a guest
appearance on Moesha. He rose to prominence in the music world when
he was just eleven, appearing on Quincy Jones' 1989 recording Back
on the Block. Prince wrote the song "Round and Round" for Campbell
shortly after that. The single went gold, with Campbell singing it
in the Prince film Graffiti Bridge. His next single, "Just Ask Me
To," from the Boyz in the Hood soundtrack, was also a hit on the R&B
charts. His debut album T.E.V.I.N. was released in 1991 and became a
big hit, spawning the successful singles "Tell Me What You Want Me
to Do" and "Alone with You." His follow-up album I'm Ready went
double platinum and featured the hits "Can We Talk," "I'm Ready,"
and "Always in My Heart." I'm Ready proved to be his recording peak--
his subsequent albums Back to the World and Tevin Campbell were less
successful. Among his other credits is the benefit album A Very
Special Christmas 2, which also featured a tune by Darlene Love, who
will play his mother in Hairspray. In 2001 Qwest released The Best
of Tevin Campbell.