By Craig Horleman

Brian McKnight is ready to slow down.

The R&B singer with a string of hits dating back to the mid-90s is glad to be out on the road performing again after the pandemic. But he said he liked the time off as well.

“I am happy to be back on the road. But I’ve got to tell you, I didn’t mind the break. Considering I’ve been going nonstop pretty much for almost 30 years, I probably would have never taken this break,” said Mr. McKnight by phone from his home in Atlanta this week.

“We’ve actually been back now for 10 months. We came back last year. So being back is great. I think that the audience really appreciates this. I’m not sure they ever thought that it would be taken away. I think they appreciate it even more than they did before.”

But that being said, the thought of semi-retirement doesn’t sound too bad either.

“I think the goal was always to get to a point to where you’re going and doing over 100 shows a year, which is a lot and what I’ve been doing for so many years. But it was my goal to kind of be off of the road or to be retired by 50. Now I’m turning 53 in June so the pandemic sort of interrupted my plan,” he said.

“I think it’s admirable that some of the older folks can still be on the road when you love it that much. I’m not saying that I’ll always feel that way. But right now, I’m really picking and choosing what I do and trying to have the quality of life that we had during the pandemic, which seems crazy to say, not the part where you’re locked down, just the part where you’re home and you’re sharing your life with the people that you love the most.”

That’s why local music fans may be in for a rare treat March 19 when he plays Harrington Raceway and Casino’s Exhibit Hall with his Brian McKnight Four.

Mr. McKnight has released 16 albums, with several going two and three times platinum, selling over 25 million albums worldwide. In addition to being a singer, songwriter and producer, he is also a multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet.

Born in Buffalo, New York, Mr. McKnight’s musical career began in childhood when he became a member of his church choir and a bandleader for his high school.

By the age of 19, he signed his first recording deal with Mercury Records. In 1992, his self-titled album was released followed by “I Remember You” (1995) and “Anytime” (1997). “Anytime” sold over two million copies and was nominated for a Grammy. In 1999, he released “Back at One” on Motown Records, which sold over three million copies.

Hit after hit would follow, including songs like “One Last Cry”, “Find Myself In You,” “Home” and “Still.”

But these days, he only does select dates in a variety of different settings. In Harrington, it will be him and four of his bandmates.

“I do a couple of different shows. I do one show where it’s just a singer-songwriter show, me, my piano and a guitar and I sort of tell stories very unplugged. I do a full production show with screen, the full band and then I do this show, which is in between,” he said of the upcoming Delaware date.

“It still gives you the intimate feel but there is a band and there’s less production, but it does feel more like an intimate show over the bigger shows that we do. So the promoters have three different sort of choices between the kind of show that they want to put on and it gives us an opportunity to sort of change it up so it’s not always the same thing.”

One song audiences will hear is his latest single “Faithfully.” He has hesitated singing in it in concert for the first few months of it release but now has found a nice spot for it in his show, he said.

“It’s hard to play brand new songs when they’re just out because I have to figure out a way to sort of sandwich it between two things that people know. It’s a little difficult to play brand new music but we found the place to put it in the show. I think for the flow of the show it fits really well,” he said.

Aside from his music career, Mr. McKnight has also acted in TV shows and movies, been a radio show host and was even on Broadway as Billy Flynn in “Chicago.” It’s been a 30-year career in entertainment that really wasn’t even supposed to happen at all.

“I thought that I was going to go play in the NBA. But that didn’t happen. That dream didn’t materialize. And then I wrote some pretty big hits earlier in my career so it sort of solidified that this is going to be my career. But I still wake up every day and I’m so thankful that of all the dreams I had, at least one of them came true,” he said.

As it turns out, Mr. McKnight had a tryout with the Minnesota Timberwolves around 1997 but injured his ankle two weeks before.

“I wrote that off but the rest is history,” he said.

Although he may not tour as much as back in the old days, Mr. McKnight says he is always writing new songs as “Faithfully” proves. His last album was in 2020 called “Exodus” but he says that albums aren’t necessarily the way to go anymore. Many music veterans blame that on a lack of attention span from the listener.

“I don’t necessarily think that’s a new thing. Your hardcore fan may listen to the whole album. I think that definitely computers and smartphones have made people’s attention spans that were already short, even shorter. And I think we’re all a part of that — myself included. I’ve always had a very short attention span and it’s even shorter now. But yeah, it is the way of the present and probably the future from here on out,” he said.

Of everything that he is known for, Mr. McKnight’s smooth falsetto is chief among them. He said he has never had anyone tell him to sing any differently.

“One of the reasons why I decided to pursue an artistic career was because I was given that total autonomy from the very beginning. If I didn’t have that, I probably wouldn’t have done it,” he said.

“I took a very hard line about that and I was 19 years old when I was given that. I’ve never had people in the studio with me. I never had someone trying to tell me what I was supposed to do. I have no problem with you telling me that this song isn’t good enough at that time. That just makes me go back and try harder. But I never believed in the idea of people that can’t do what I do in a studio telling me what to do. That kind of bothered me.

“Very early in my career, I had a publicist who sort of tried to do that and I got rid of him very quickly. Having a singular vision was a huge sort of thing to take on because if I’m wrong, I don’t make it. If I’m right, I’m talking to you 30 years later.”

Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $75 and can be purchased online or by stopping by the Casino Gift Shop. All ages are welcome.

Osbourne in Dover

Speaking of R&B hitmakers, Jeffrey Osbourne will perform at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort, formerly Dover Downs, Rollins Center tonight at 9. Tickets range from $60 to $100.

Mr. Osbourne joined his brother Billy Osbourne in 1970 as drummer and shared vocals with the band Love Men LTD. By 1975, he was the lead vocalist for the band and was the lead on the band’s three No. 1 songs on the U.S R&B Chart and for the band’s three gold and platinum albums.

After nearly 10 years with the band, Mr. Osbourne left to pursue a solo career. His solo career has since spanned over 36 years and earned him four Grammy nominations and five gold and platinum albums as well as many Top 40 hits including “Really Don’t Need No Light,” “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song),” “On the Wings of Love” and “Stay With Me Tonight.”

For tickets, visit here.

Havrilla at Old State House

Tonight, Delaware Friends of Folk will present the next event in their 2021-22 Old State House concert series, inside the Old State House on The Green in Dover.

This month’s show features a solo performance by Milton-based singer-songwriter Christine Havrilla. The award-winning Philadelphia native brings her “well-built, catchy, smart tunes” to audiences everywhere, touring solo and with the support of her band, Gypsy Fuzz.

She is self-taught, with 13 albums, two EPs, and over 20 years of touring under her belt. Her music is described as “a blend of 70s, 80s and 90s rock delivered by the modern singer/songwriter.”

After an inspirational time being based in Portland, Oregon, Christine is once again back in the Northeast and frequenting such venues as World Café Live, Steel City, Godfrey Daniels, Jammin’ Java, Avalon Theatre and the Milton Theatre.

The one-hour performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Call 302-992-8080 to reserve your seat.

Sean Reilly brings Sinatra

Sean Reilly and his musical director David Zipse come to The Clayton Theater in Dagsboro Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m.

Mr. Reilly performs a production called “Sinatra 101,” singing and telling the stories behind the recordings.

Tickets are $25 general admission for all seats.

For tickets, visit here or call 302-732-3744.