CECIL HOLDEN

His fans remember him as Cecil "Homeboy" Lyde, an artist whose musical talent has been unmistakable since he was three years old. At the age of ten, after winning a talent contest at the Club DeLisa, Chicago’s celebrated night spot, he was offered contracts by several major recording companies. Wisely turning them all down, his mother encouraged Cecil to finish his education instead.

Refining his skills during his teen years, Cecil began to work with many of Chicago's great musical talents of the time. Curis Mayfield, The Chi-Lites, Gene “Duke of Earl” Chandler, Major Lance and Barbara Aklin were among his early musical mentors. Otis Leavell, one of the leading figures of Chicago soul music, taught him how to produce and record. "Music has been in my soul all my life," he says. “I knew when I was very young that I was put on this earth to share the talent God gave me”.

The Capitol records release of his regional hit with Experience II, “‘Bout Time I Told You” convinced Cecil a move to the west coast was necessary to take the next step. Adopting his stepfather’s last name in tribute and liberated to pursue his own vision, he embarked upon a solo career, refining his studio know-how along with his ever- increasing musical output.

Utilizing the genius of many of L.A.’s finest session players, over the next twenty years Cecil produced and recorded five classic R&B albums. The rise of the internet has sparked worldwide airplay and overdue appreciation for his brilliance. Audiences and aficionados from Beijing to Great Britain have discovered his unique style and made him a favorite internet radio artist, his earlier albums now highly prized by collectors.

Cecil do go by several different names which includes the groups I have been in and recorded with. CECIL HOMEBOY LYDE, CECIL HOMEBOY HOLDEN, HOMEBOY & THE COL, NU EXPERIENCE II
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