Asher Monroe Book (born September 18, 1988), known professionally as Asher Monroe, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor. In 2006, after starring in an extensive run of national tours including The Sound of Music, Oliver!, and The Prince and the Pauper, Monroe signed to Warner Bros. Records, under which he released his first top 40 single "Love Struck" as lead singer for the boy band V Factory.[1] From 2006 to 2009, he starred in multiple prime time TV & film roles including Parenthood on NBC[2][3] the MGM remake of Fame[4][5][6] and The Mentalist[7][8][9] on CBS, after which he signed on as the flagship solo artist to the music label D Empire Entertainment.[10][11][12] In 2011, under new label and management, he was named one of MTV's Top Ten Artists, alongside other artists such as Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey, and Avicii.[13] In December 2012, he appeared on the sponsored cover of Billboard magazine,[14] after he which he released his two latest singles: Here With You (co-written by Monroe and produced by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder)[15] and Hush Hush (co-produced by Monroe). Monroe began recording collaborations in late 2013 with Chris Brown and Sean Kingston in Los Angeles, CA for his forthcoming solo album.[16]
Asher Monroe | |
|---|---|
 Monroe in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Asher Monroe Book |
| Born | September 18, 1988 Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, R&B, soul, reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Recording artist, actor, dancer |
| Instrument | piano |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | D Empire Entertainment, Warner Bros. Records |
| Website | www |
Early life
editAt the age of seven, he landed the role of “Chip” in the first national tour of the Broadway Production of Beauty and The Beast.[17]
At the age of 16, he made his film debut in the role of Liam in the ABC Family TV movie Pop Rocks. He played the son of an 80s rockstar, who is unknowingly following in his father’s footsteps.
Career
editV Factory
editMonroe became lead singer of V Factory shortly after high school. On April 29, 2008, their These Are The Days EP was released on iTunes, including "Round and Round", "She Bad" (featuring E-40), and the namesake, "These Are the Days" produced by Bryan Todd. In May 2008, V Factory performed on Johnny Wright's Bandemonium Tour alongside Menudo and NLT.[18] V Factory's first single, "Love Struck", was released to iTunes on February 3, 2009. The single broke top 40 on mainstream radio peaking at No. 37 and No. 70 on the Pop 100.[4] The song was produced by Swedish production team Twin. V Factory shared the stage with other notable artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull, M.C. Hammer, and Flo Rida before ultimately disbanding in 2009.[19][20][21]
Solo Recording career
editIn 2011, under the shortened name 'Asher Monroe', he began co-writing and producing new songs with various Los Angeles based talent.[16][22] When Monroe's first solo music video for "Like I Do" was released on YouTube, it garnered up more than 1.6 million views, half of them within the first 24 hours.[23] His second music video "Hello Baby" was featured on the Huffington Post[24] and Forbes.[25] "Every Night" (released in late February 2012) garnered over 2.5 million views[26] just prior to a 20 city co-headlining national tour.[27] After the tour, Monroe founded independent music label D Empire Entertainment with global activist and entrepreneur Diana Jenkins.[11] In August 2012, Monroe collaborated with frontman for OneRepublic, Ryan Tedder on "Here With You".[28] The song was added to full rotation on nationally broadcast radio station Sirius XM, and entered the top ten on Billboard charts.[29] In Feb 2013, Monroe released a remix EP for "Here With You" featuring remixes by Grammy nominated DJ, Dave Aude and Sick Individuals.[30][31] Monroe co-wrote and produced his next July 2013 release "Hush Hush" alongside Alon Levitan in Hollywood Hills, CA.[32] Monroe filmed the music video for "Hush Hush" in Bosnia Herzegovina with Academy Award winner Danis Tanovic.[33] "Hush Hush" became a top 10 Billboard song[34] and was featured on MTV and Perez Hilton.[35] "Hush Hush" was Monroe's first D Empire Entertainment release with new distribution partner Ingrooves/Fontana.
In December 2012, D Empire Entertainment secured a joint venture/album collaboration between Monroe, Chris Brown and Senior VP of A&R for Def Jam, Bu Thiam.[36]
In late 2013, Monroe wrote and recorded new material with Chris Brown and recording artist Sean Kingston at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, CA.[37]
In December 2013, Monroe released his "Christmas Is Here To Stay" EP on iTunes, featuring the title track as well as the ballad "Warm Winter Night". Both songs included music videos directed by Giuliano Bekor.[38]
In February 2014, Monroe released the music video "Memory" featuring Chris Brown (co-written by Monroe, Justin Tarin, and Chris Brown)
Discography
editAlbums
editExtended Plays
editSingles
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2011 | "Back For More" (feat. Hot For Words)
|
"Love Away"
| |
"So High"
| |
"Like I Do"
| |
| 2012 | "Hello Baby"
|
"Every Night"
| |
"Here With You"
| |
| 2013 | "Hush Hush"
|
| 2014 | "Memory" (featuring Chris Brown)[37]
|
Theater
edit| Year | Production | Role | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Beauty and the Beast (musical)[43] | Chip | November 7, 1995 – March 7, 1999 |
Filmography
editMovies
edit| Year | Title | Role | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Pop Rocks | Liam | Patricia Clifford |
| 2005 | Come Away Home | Chris | Doug McKeon |
| 2009 | Fame[44][45] | Marco Ramone | Kevin Tancharoen |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Season(s) | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Dora the Explorer | Prince of Cloud Castle | 3 | 2 |
| 2005 | Zoey 101[45] | Glen Davis | 1 | 12 |
| 2006 | Close to Home | Alex Towers | 1 | 11 |
| 2007 | Eight One Eight[46] | Chris | ||
| Medium[45] | Wyatt Forrester | 3 | 7 | |
| 2009 | Xpose | Himself | ||
| The Wendy Williams Show | Himself | |||
| Entertainment Tonight | Himself | |||
| 2010 | Parenthood[47] | Steve Williams | 1 | 04,05,07,09,10,11,12,13 |
| The Mentalist[48] | Jackson Winter | 3 | 4 | |
| 2022 | The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills | Himself | 12 | Appearing as Diana Jenkins' fiancé (guest) |
References
edit- ^ "Spotlight on Asher Monroe". Billboard.
- ^ "'Parenthood' Finale: Asher Monroe Recalls Season One Guest Appearance". PopCrush. January 29, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "'Parenthood': Is it wrong to want Amber with Steve?". EW.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "J-14 Exclusive Q&A with Fame's Asher Book and Kay Panabaker". J-14. September 2, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Asher Book Opens Up About His Character in 'Fame' (Video Clip) | MTV". MTV. Retrieved April 17, 2018.[dead link]
- ^ "Exclusive On Set Video Interviews with the Cast of FAME – Paul Iacono, Kay Panabaker, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Naturi Naughton, Asher Book and Collins Pennie". Collider. September 2, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Fun Facts on Asher Monroe". News24. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "From Boy Band To Solo Artist: Meet Asher Monroe". November 8, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Asher Book". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "D Empire Entertainment Releases & Artists on Beatport". www.beatport.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "An Interview With Musician ASHER MONROE About His Newest Album 'Inner Warrior,' Biggest Inspirations and More! | All Access Music". music.allaccess.com. September 22, 2017. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Scott Warns Asher Monroe About A Crazy Woman Named 'Taylor'". January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Check Out Buzzworthy's Favorite Breakthrough Artists Of 2012!". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Soundcheck: Billboard's Cover Boy Asher Monroe | TheInsider.com". Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- ^ "Asher Monroe Collaborates with Chris Brown & Ryan Tedder on New Album « Chicago's B96 – 96.3 FM". Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- ^ a b "Is Chris Brown as bad as we think? Asher Monroe talks working with the rapper". SheKnows. February 3, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2018."Asher Monroe and Chris Brown Want to Share the "Memory" of Product Placement In New Music Video". Complex. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- "Watch Asher Monroe + Chris Brown Croon Their Way Through The 'Memory' Video's Laser Rave". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- "Asher Monroe Collaborates with Chris Brown on new EP On My Way". lifeminute.tv. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- "Asher Monroe Releases 'On My Way: Part 1' EP with More New Music to Come". Celebuzz. December 2, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ League, The Broadway. "Asher Book – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "V Factory Joins Nationwide Bandemonium Tour".
- ^ "V Factory looks to make 'boy band' a label of success". Lehigh Valley Music. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "V Factory steps it up at Beatstock at Jones Beach". Newsday. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "VIDEOS: No Generation Gap at the Then and Now Musicfest". SPOT.PH. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Asher Monroe and Chris Brown Want to Share the "Memory" of Product Placement In New Music Video". Complex. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "ASHER MONROE BECOMES OVERNIGHT POP SENSATION WITH THE RELEASE OF "LIKE I DO" MUSIC VIDEO WITH OVER 1 MILLION HITS WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RELEASE - Clizbeats.com". Clizbeats.com. November 1, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Asher Monroe, New Teen Singer Releases Music Video". Huffington Post. January 2, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ Knapp, Alex. "Asher Monroe On The Future Of Indie Music". Forbes. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Asher Monroe Debuts New Video "Here With You" – QUEER ME UP". QUEER ME UP. August 3, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "The DigiTour Returns: YouTube's Biggest Musicians Back On Tour In Spring 2012". Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Spotlight on Asher Monroe". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Dance Songs: Top Dance Music Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Hush Hush (Dave Aude Vegas Radio Remix) by Asher Monroe on Beatport". www.beatport.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ Here With You (Sick Individuals Vocal Remix), retrieved April 17, 2018
- ^ "Check Out Singer Asher Monroe!". Seventeen. July 1, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Asher Monroe 'Hush Hush' Video | popdirt.com". popdirt.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Dance Songs: Top Dance Music Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "asher monore News and Photos | Perez Hilton". perezhilton.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Asher Monroe reinvents himself with solo career". AXS. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "Asher Monroe Premieres New Song with Sean Kingston". Us Weekly. December 8, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ "Asher Monroe | popdirt.com". popdirt.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ Inner Warrior by Asher Monroe, September 1, 2017, retrieved April 18, 2018
- ^ Major, Michael. "Asher Monroe Announces New Album 'Windows of Time'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ On My Way, Pt. 1 – EP by Asher Monroe, December 1, 2014, retrieved April 18, 2018
- ^ On My Way, Pt. 2 – EP by Asher Monroe, January 2, 2015, retrieved April 18, 2018
- ^ "Beauty and the Beast – Broadway Musical – IDBD". www.idbd.com. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ "Asher Book in Premiere Of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' "Fame" – Arrivals". Zimbio. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^ a b c Perry, Byron (December 1, 2008). "Asher Book". Variety. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^ "168 Film > Festival > Nominations/Awards > 2007". www.168film.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^ "'Parenthood' Finale: Asher Monroe Recalls Season One Guest Appearance". PopCrush. January 29, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^ "Picture of Asher Book in The Mentalist, episode: Red Carpet Treatment - asher-book-1423267755.jpg | Teen Idols 4 You". www.teenidols4you.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018.