Mr Hudson

Mr Hudson
Mr Hudson performing at Lovebox Weekender in London, 2009
Mr Hudson performing at Lovebox Weekender in London, 2009
Background information
Birth nameBenjamin Hudson McIldowie
Born (1979-06-26) 26 June 1979 (age 45)
OriginBirmingham, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Years active2006–present
Labels
Member ofMr Hudson and the Library
Spinoff ofKanye West
Websitemrhudson.com

Benjamin Hudson McIldowie (born 26 June 1979), better known by his stage name Mr Hudson, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer from Birmingham, England. He formed the band Mr Hudson and the Library in 2006, for which he served as lead vocalist, and signed with American rapper Kanye West's record label, GOOD Music through a joint venture with Mercury Records as a solo act two years later. He is best known for his guest performance on West's 2009 single "Paranoid", as well as his songwriting contributions to "Say You Will" and "Street Lights"; all three appeared on West's fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008).

That same year, Hudson guest performed on Jay-Z's 2010 single "Young Forever," which peaked within the top ten of both the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart. His debut studio album, Straight No Chaser (2009) entered the UK Albums Chart at number 25; its single, "Supernova" (featuring Kanye West) peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.[1]

Hudson then began writing and producing for other acts including Paloma Faith,[2] Alex Clare,[3] Wretch 32, and worked extensively with Duran Duran on their 2014 album Paper Gods.[4] During the 2010s, he produced, co-wrote, and guest performed for artists including Future,[5] DJ Snake,[6] Vic Mensa and JP Cooper, among others.[7][8] He won a Grammy Award for his work on John Legend's 2020 album Bigger Love.[9]

  1. ^ O'Brien, Jon (4 August 2009). "Straight No Chaser – Mr. Hudson | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  2. ^ Ingrham, Tim. "Paloma Faith confirms new album, out March 10". Music Week. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  3. ^ Panteli, Portia. "ALEX CLARE INTERVIEW". Drafted Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  4. ^ Platon, Adelle. "Duran Duran Breaks Down Mr. Hudson, Nile Rodgers & Lindsay Lohan Collabos in Behind-The-Scenes Look at 'Paper Gods'". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  5. ^ RUBENSTEIN, JENNA HALLY. "MILEY CYRUS HELPS FUTURE AND MR. HUDSON SING THE MOST DEPRESSING LOVE SONG EVER IN 'REAL AND TRUE'". MTV News. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Here Comes The Night (ID Remix) (feat. Mr Hudson)". BBC Music. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  7. ^ Blais-Billie, Strauss, Braudie, Matthew (5 December 2017). "Vic Mensa and Mr Hudson Reflect on Coldplay in New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "JP Cooper releases new promotional single "She's on My Mind"". Hamada Mania Music Blog. Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Bigger Love by John Legend". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 June 2020.