Case (singer)

Case Woodard (born October 4, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known as a mononymous R&B artist who rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s on the Def Jam and Def Soul record labels.

Background

Case Woodard was born in New York City, New York, and was raised in several areas including Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Mount Vernon. His father was an aspiring singer. Case began performing for family at age five, but his aspirations were discouraged by his family, leading him to leave home as a teenager. He eventually reconciled, returned home, and worked for the New York City Housing Authority while pursuing music.

Music Career

Case began his career singing backup and co-writing for artists including Usher, Christopher Williams, and Al B. Sure!. He was discovered by Russell Simmons, who signed him to Def Jam Records.

1996–1999: Case and Personal Conversation

His debut single, "Touch Me, Tease Me" (featuring Foxy Brown and Mary J. Blige), was released on the soundtrack to The Nutty Professor (1996) and became a major hit, reaching No. 4 on the US R&B chart and No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. His self-titled debut album, Case (1996), peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard 200.

His second album, Personal Conversation (1999), achieved gold certification and produced the hits "Happily Ever After" (No. 3 R&B, No. 15 Hot 100) and "Faded Pictures" featuring Joe (No. 3 R&B, No. 10 Hot 100). The music video for "Happily Ever After" featured a then-17-year-old Beyoncé.

2001: Open Letter and Grammy Nominations

In 2001, Case became the first artist signed to Def Jam's new Def Soul imprint. His third album, Open Letter, went gold and produced his only No. 1 single on the R&B chart, "Missing You" (No. 4 Hot 100). He also appeared on Ja Rule's hit "Livin' It Up." At the 44th Grammy Awards (2002), Case received two nominations: Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Missing You" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Livin' It Up."

Later Career (2004–present)

Case left Def Jam in 2004 to launch his own label, Indigo Blue. He released several subsequent studio albums: The Rose Experience (2009), Here, My Love (2010), Heaven's Door (2015), and Therapy (2018). He was profiled on the TV One series Unsung in 2017.

Discography

Studio Albums:

• Case (1996)
• Personal Conversation (1999) – US: Gold
• Open Letter (2001) – US: Gold
• The Rose Experience (2009)
• Here, My Love (2010)
• Heaven's Door (2015)
• Therapy (2018)

Notable Singles:

• "Touch Me, Tease Me" (1996) – US Hot 100 No. 14, US R&B No. 4
• "Faded Pictures" (1998) – US Hot 100 No. 10, US R&B No. 3
• "Happily Ever After" (1999) – US Hot 100 No. 15, US R&B No. 3
• "The Best Man I Can Be" (with Ginuwine, R.L., and Tyrese) (1999) – US Hot 100 No. 67
• "Missing You" (2001) – US Hot 100 No. 4, US R&B No. 1
• "Livin' It Up" (with Ja Rule) (2001)

Awards and Nominations