Kashif (musician)

For other people with similar names, see Kashif and Michael Jones.
Kashif
Kashif in 2011
Born
Michael Jones

(1956-12-26)December 26, 1956[1][2]
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died September 25, 2016(2016-09-25) (aged 59)[1][2]
Playa Del Rey, California, United States
Resting placeNew York City
Other namesKashif Saleem
Occupations
ChildrenTanya Jones (daughter)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
Years active1974–2016
Labels

Kashif Saleem (born Michael Jones; December 26, 1956 – September 25, 2016)[1][2] was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from New York City. As a teenager, Kashif joined the funk group B. T. Express.[3] He studied Islam and changed his name from Michael Jones to Kashif.[4] He later signed with Arista Records enjoying success as a solo artist.[5]

Together with Stevie Wonder, he was considered a pioneer in urban music thanks to his specific synthesizer technology approach and the introduction of MIDI in his production.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Caramanica, Jon (October 2, 2016). "Kashif, R&B Singer, Writer and Producer, Dies at 59". The New York Times. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Producer Kashif Dies at 59". Billboard. September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  3. ^ Kalia, Ammar (October 4, 2016). "Cult heroes: Kashif – inspirational pioneer of boogie and R&B". The Guardian. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference soul was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2014.