Babyface says that at home, he’s not the R&B icon behind countless hits—he’s just Dad.
In a new interview with PEOPLE, which dropped on Friday, August 1, the 67-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer shared that his three children are “still discovering” his catalog through other people and moments outside the house.
He explained that sons Brandon and Dylan, along with his 16-year-old daughter Peyton, don’t necessarily think of him as “Babyface,” noting, “I’m just Dad, not so much Babyface…I don’t know how much they really listen.” He added that Brandon has been tuning in more lately and offering feedback about what he should do musically.
While Babyface has written about fatherhood before—pointing to the title track of his 1996 album The Day—he said it’s not a theme he visits often in his music. “I’m just the love guy,” he said, emphasizing the romantic lane that’s defined much of his career.
Fans will get a fresh reminder of that legacy later this month when Babyface hits the road for Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout Tour alongside Charlie Wilson, El DeBarge, and K-Ci Hailey. The run kicks off on August 27 in Los Angeles and is scheduled to wrap up in early October in Memphis.
He called an extended tour with Wilson something he’s long wanted to do, and he’s looking forward to “squeezing” four-plus decades of work into a single show.
One highlight he teased is a high-energy medley of songs he wrote and produced for other artists—crowd-pleasers that often surprise attendees when they realize how many hits carry his fingerprints. Depending on the night, that section can include Boyz II Men’s “Water Runs Dry” or Brandy’s “Sittin’ Up in My Room.”
Even with a deep résumé that spans work with Beyoncé, SZA, and more, he said curating the set is “always a task” because everything has to flow. Some heavy hitters get left out if they don’t fit the show’s pacing: “It’s all got to feel right. In order to make it feel right on the stage, it’s got to make sense.”
