Jerome Woods (born March 5, 1970, in Benton Harbor, Michigan), better known by his stage name Rome, is an American R&B singer. He is best known for his 1997 single "I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)", which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. The song led his eponymous debut studio album (1997), which moderately entered the Billboard 200.
Career Woods performed in a cover band called Fire & Ice in high school, and toured regionally both as a solo artist and with the band. He briefly attended Oakwood University before dropping out in 1989; he moved to California in hopes of making a career as a singer.[ Rome] at Allmusic He toured with Vesta but had little success until he met with Gerald Baillergeau and Victor Merrit, the producers who heard his demo and sent it to RCA Records. RCA signed him and released his eponymous debut album in 1997, which went on to sell over half a million copies in the U.S., mainly on the strength of its lead single "I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up single, "Do You Like This", peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where "I Belong to You" had previously reached number two.
Having achieved success with his RCA Records debut, a projected second album was rejected. Instead, his second album, Rome2000: Thank You, was released independently, although the material recorded while under his contract with RCA remains unreleased. In 2001, he returned with two albums: To The Highest and To Infinity (Thank You); the last one is just an alternative edition of Rome2000: Thank You. Do It followed in 2003, and three years later Sony issued Rome's Best Of, which contains ten songs from his 1997 debut.
Discography Albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsU.S. 200U.S. R&B[ Billboard], Allmusic.comRome Released: Label: RCA307To Infinity (Thank You) Released: Label: JTJ / Big Whale—48To The Highest Released: Label: JTJ——Do It Released: Label: JTJ——The Best Of Rome Released: Label: Sony——My Time Again (EP) Released: Label: Twenty Two / Fontana——
Singles YearSongPeak chart positionsAlbumU.S.Hot 100U.S.R&B[ Billboard Singles], Allmusic.com1993"My World"——Non-Album Single1997"I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)"62Rome"Do You Like This"3110"Crazy Love"——1999"Never Let You Go Away"——Non-Album Single2001"Ride & Roll"——To The Highest2003"Do It"——Do It2009"Back On The Scene"——Non-Album Single
Guest appearances and compilations SWV It's All About U cd2 1996 RCA records cds Song: "Use Your Heart" SoulTrain Christmas StarFest 1997 Sony records Song: "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" Danesha Starr featuring ROME Interscope 1998 cds Song "As Long As I Live" Sylk-E. Fyne Raw Sylk 1998 RCA records Song: "I Missed My Loved Ones" Blade Original Soundtrack 1998 TVT records Song: "Fightin' A War" Held Up Original Soundtrack 2000 Song: "Ride Baby" Bobby Brown Forever 1997 MCA records Song: "Heart and Soul", "Give It Up"
Music videos Year Video Director 1997 "I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)" Christopher Erskin 1997 "Do You Like This" Brian Luvar 1997 "Crazy Love" Brian Luvar
References
External links Rome at MySpace