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Raised in a very musical family, contemporary gospel singer/actor Eric Benet seemed destined for a career in song from his early youth. Born in Milwaukee, WI, in October of 1970, Benet's father was a police detective with a fondness for classical music. The youngest of five children, Benet shared his father's affection and formed the vocal group Benet while in his teens. Though the group would release an album in 1992, it went largely ignored and the young singer pressed on. In 1992, Benet's girlfriend, Tami, gave birth to a daughter named India, though the couple's happiness was short-lived when Tami was killed in a car accident 15 months later. Releasing his solo debut album, True to Myself, in 1996, the soulful singer followed strongly three years later with A Day in the Life. Earning three Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards the following year, the rising star next set his sights on the big screen. With his feature debut in the Mariah Carey film Glitter, Benet appeared appropriately enough as the producer working with Carey. Engaged to actress Halle Berry in 1999, the couple married in January of 2001, but had a very public break-up just a few years later.