Marion Meadows

Marion Meadows was born on July 24, 1962, in Beckley, West Virginia, and grew up predominantly in Stamford, Connecticut. His musical journey began at age nine with classical clarinet, transitioning to tenor saxophone in his teenage years, and ultimately specializing in soprano saxophone. He pursued formal training at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he focused on composition and arranging. During this period, he studied with notable jazz figures such as Sonny Fortune, Joe Henderson, Dave Liebman, and Eddie Daniels, while also gaining practical experience as a sideman in R&B and jazz ensembles.

Meadows’ professional career saw him evolve from studio work, where he arranged, composed, and performed as a session musician, to a prominent solo artist. An early significant interaction involved Norman Connors, who recorded Meadows’ composition “Invitation” and later recruited him for his Starship Orchestra. Meadows also co-produced Connors’ “Passion” album. A pivotal moment occurred in the late 1980s when his impromptu saxophone performance at Grand Central Station caught the attention of producer Jay Chattaway. This led to a collaboration with keyboardist/producer Bob James, an experience that encouraged Meadows to pursue a solo career. Prior to his solo success, he worked extensively as a sideman for a diverse array of artists including Brook Benton, Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Hyman, Ray Charles, and The Temptations. In 1988, he also briefly joined the avant-garde group Aboriginal Music Society, broadening his musical scope.

His solo recording career began in 1990 with “For Lovers Only” released by Novus/RCA, which established him as a fixture on smooth jazz radio. This was followed by “Keep It Right There” in 1992. Meadows continued to release commercially successful albums such as “Forbidden Fruit” (1994) and “Body Rhythm” (1995), with the former reaching the Top Ten on jazz and contemporary jazz charts. He secured a deal with the Discovery label for “Pleasure” (1997) and later with Heads Up, producing recordings like “Another Side of Midnight” (1999), “Next to You” (2000), and “In Deep” (2002), all of which charted. His 2004 album “Player’s Club” peaked at number 14 on the jazz albums chart. “Dressed to Chill” (2006) yielded six Top 20 singles, and “Secrets” (2009) reached number 11. Meadows later signed with Shanachie, releasing “Whisper” (2013) and the best-selling “Soul Traveler” (2015), which peaked at number five on the Jazz Albums chart. In 2016, Wilberforce University awarded him a doctorate. Recent works include “Soul City” (2018), which reached number two on the jazz albums chart, “Christmas With You” (2019), “Twice as Nice” (2021), and “Just Doing Me” (2024). Beyond music, Meadows is also recognized as an accomplished graphic artist designer and a semi-professional cyclist.