Ginuwine began his musical apprenticeship at the age of 12, performing at parties and (illegally) at bars with his friends in the neighbourhood group, Finesse. From this he graduated to a solo act, which was initially built around impersonations of his childhood idol, Michael Jackson. At the age of 21 he chose to sign with the New York-based Sony subsidiary 550 Records, despite interest from several other parties. He enjoyed immediate success with the release of 'Pony', an unusual, synthesizer-infused R&B effort, which reached number 4 on Billboard's Hot R&B Airplay chart. As a result, his debut album, which included a cover version of Prince 's 'When Doves Cry', was assured of mainstream media attention. To promote it, Ginuwine set out on a national tour in support of labelmate Aaliyah.






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