| Major | |
| Birth Name: | Major R. Johnson Finley |
| Birth Date: | 10 March 1984 |
| Birth Place: | Denton, Texas, U.S. |
| Instrument: | Vocals |
| Years Active: | 1995–present |
| Label: | BOE Music Group, EMPIRE |
Major R. Johnson Finley (born March 10, 1984), professionally known by his stage name Major (stylized as MAJOR.) is an American pop soul musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and stage performance coach. He is known for his 2016 single "Why I Love You". At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, he received nomination for a Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Honest".[1]
Born in Denton, Texas and raised in Houston, Texas, in a blended-family household of 10 siblings (13 total), MAJOR. began making music at a young age and performed in various musical venues in his hometown and abroad throughout his childhood. He graduated from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts,[2] received intensive classical training from Professor Steve Smith of The Juilliard School and Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio. He then attended the Berklee College of Music,[3] serving as student body president, and after graduating, moved to Los Angeles to pursue an entertainment career.
After parting ways with Malibu-based Star Club Entertainment where he generated viral success via YouTube, MAJOR. then entered a production/recording relationship with B.O.E. Music Group in partnership with UK producer Harmony Samuels in early 2014. MAJOR. attributes finding his truest sound to his musical partnership with Samuels.[4]
MAJOR. is highly regarded for his powerful live show experiences including 2 sold-out shows at the historic Troubadour (Santa Monica), World Arts (Culver City), Hotel Cafe (Hollywood), Barclays Center (Brooklyn).[5]
MAJOR. has released an EP (i am MAJOR.) which features 2 singles and 2 music videos: "Why I Love You"[6] and "Keep On", with over 126 million combined views on YouTube.[7] Stevie Wonder described "Why I Love You" as "the wedding song of the year".[8] The song has also reached Top 5 on the Adult R&B Billboard charts[9] and certified Platinum by RIAA.[10] Freelance journalist, Billy Johnson Jr., credited MAJOR. as being the "Hope-Dealer" of mainstream music in a Yahoo! Music article feature published in 2015.
Major's debut album, Even More, was released on September 7, 2018.[11]
In 2019, Major had the recurring role on Fox musical drama series, Star.[12] In 2021, he appeared as Curtis Mayfield in two episodes of Genius: Aretha.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Masters of Sex | Singer | Episode: "Asterion" | |
| 2015 | Legend | Singer | ||
| 2019 | Star | Cousin Rashad | 4 episodes, season 3 Nominated NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy or Drama Series | |
| 2019 | Dear Santa, I Need a Date | Mark | TV film | |
| 2021 | Genius | 2 episodes, season 3 | ||
| 2022 | Deitrick Haddon's the Fallen | Dallas Love |