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Quindon Tarver

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Quindon Tarver
Born(1982-08-04)August 4, 1982
Plano, Texas, U.S.
DiedApril 1, 2021(2021-04-01) (aged 38)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
GenresR&B, pop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, actor
InstrumentVocals
Years active1996–2021

Quindon Dan Tarver[1] (August 4, 1982 – April 1, 2021) was an American singer. He was best known for his covers of Prince's "When Doves Cry" and Rozalla's "Everybody's Free" for the 1996 film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet.

Life and career

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Tarver was born in Plano, Texas on August 4, 1982.[2][3] He started out singing in a church choir. In 1996, he appeared as a choir boy in the Baz Luhrmann movie Romeo + Juliet, singing at the titular couple Romeo Montague (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Juliet Capulet (Claire Danes)'s secret wedding. Tarver's covers of "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" and Prince's "When Doves Cry" were included on Romeo + Juliet's soundtrack, which sold two million copies, earning double-platinum status.

His album, Quindon, was released in 1996 by Virgin Records and included the single "It's You That's on My Mind", which charted in Australia and New Zealand. Under the same management as then teen sensations Immature (later known as IMx), Smooth, Gyrl, and B2K, Tarver began to appeal to a large market of teens and subsequently toured the world with the likes of Immature, Brandy, and Monica.

Tarver contributed to the soundtracks of feature films Kazaam (A&M Records) and Down in the Delta (Virgin Records). He made appearances on Good Morning America, Soul Train and American Idol (during seasons two and seven, in which he finished in the show's top fifty). He worked with artists, including Faith Evans, Playa, Tiny (of Xscape and VH1's The Family Hustle) and Nokio (of R&B group Dru Hill). He worked with record producers Johntá Austin and Troy Taylor.

In 2016, Tarver was invited to perform "When Doves Cry" as part of a Los Angeles tribute to the late musician Prince. In a later interview, Tarver stated that the performance and the audience response to it was a turning point in his life, motivating him to enter rehab and resume a singing career.[4]

In 2017, Tarver released a new version of "Everybody's Free". He recorded the new version as a statement of innate freedom, regardless of past or present circumstances.[5] He also started a Kickstarter campaign for an EP titled Everybody's Free (The Movement), which ended up not getting funded.[6]

He released a single titled "Stand Our Ground" in October 2020.[7]

Personal life

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In 2008, Tarver and De'Mario Thornton, a former member of B2K, spoke publicly in an interview with Vibe magazine about abuse they suffered as children at the hands of their manager and producer Chris Stokes. In 2010, Thornton covertly recorded a conversation with Tarver, where both men discussed details of their abuse, of which Tarver had disclosed details of sexual encounters with famous R&B singer Marques Houston from the 90's R&B group Immature also known as IMx. The tape's online release prompted Tarver to make a statement that he had not consented to the conversation being made public.[8]

In a 2017 interview, Tarver said that he had not been able to enjoy the initial success of his career due to his abuse as a child in the music industry.[9]

In 2019, Tarver publicly identified himself as gay.[10]

Tarver was killed in an auto accident in Dallas, Texas, on April 1, 2021, at the age of 38.[11] The crash occurred on the President George Bush Turnpike.[12] According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a 2003 Lexus struck the center barrier and struck another guardrail. Tarver later died at a nearby hospital.[13]

Discography

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Albums

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Singles

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List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US R&B
[15] 		AUS
[16] 		NZ
[17]
"It's You That's on My Mind" 1996 35 64 41 Quindon
"Dream About You" 69 — —
"Everybody's Free" 1997 — — — Romeo + Juliet
"When Doves Cry" — 3 34
"Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)"
(with Baz Luhrmann) 		1998 — 65 — Something for Everybody
"It's My Turn"[18] 2014 — — — Non-album singles
"Everybody's Free"[19] 2017 — — —
"Stand Our Ground" 2020 — — —
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released.

References

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  1. ^ "Quindon Dan Tarver". Legacy. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Quindon Tarver". The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory. Archived from the original on 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  3. ^ Pedersen, Erik (8 April 2021). "Quindon Tarver Dies: Wedding Soloist In Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo + Juliet' Was 38". Deadline. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Quindon Tarver was the child star of Romeo + Juliet: what happened next?". Double J. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  5. ^ Tang, Estelle (27 April 2017). "Listen to Quindon Tarver's Updated Version of "Everybody's Free"". ELLE. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Quindon Tarver Of 'Romeo and Juliet' Fame Releases New Version of 'Everybody's Free' - R&B Music". Singersroom.com. April 28, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  7. ^ Quindon Tarver (30 October 2020). "Stand Our Ground". Amazon Music.
  8. ^ Carroll, Shirea L. (3 November 2010). "Sound Off: Marques Houston Molestation Allegations". Essence. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  9. ^ Condon, Dan (26 June 2017). "Quindon Tarver was the child star of Romeo + Juliet: what happened next?". Abc.net.au. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  10. ^ "QUINDON TARVER on Instagram: "Never stand in the shadows when you belong in the light!!! * * * #quindontarver #singer #model #dapper #gay #live #strength #unstoppable..."". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Rohrlich, Justin (4 April 2021). "'Romeo + Juliet' Choir Boy Quindon Tarver Killed in Crash, Family Says". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  12. ^ "Quindon Tarver: 'Romeo + Juliet' singer who toured with Brandy dies at 38 in car crash in Dallas". Meaww.com. 5 April 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  13. ^ "Romeo + Juliet's Quindon Tarver Dead at 38 - E! Online". 8 April 2021.
  14. ^ "Quindon CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  15. ^ "Quindon • Album • Quindon ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Peaks in Australia:
    • Top 50 peaks: "Discography Quindon Tarver". australian-charts.com. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
    • Top 100 peaks to December 2010 & certification: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 275.
  17. ^ "Discography Quindon Tarver". charts.nz. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  18. ^ "iTunes - Music - It's My Turn - Single by Quindon Tarver". Apple Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  19. ^ Tang, Estelle (27 April 2017). "Listen to Quindon Tarver's Updated Version of "Everybody's Free"". Elle.com. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
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