What happened to Montell Jordan is a story about lies, betrayal, and horrible financial decisions.
In July 2012, a rumor floated around on Twitter, declaring Montell Jordan had passed away in his Atlanta condo. Thankfully, it was nothing more than a hoax, but it left people wondering: what happened to Montell Jordan?
The rumor came at a time when he was adjusting from life away from the spotlight. He experienced fame with his hit song “This Is How We Do It,” but a greater calling pulled him away from the music industry. Here’s what happened to Montell Jordan.
How he became Montell Jordan
He was given the name Montell Du’Sean Barnett and was born four days before his mom Deloris’ 18th birthday. He never met his biological father and had only seen a few photos of him his entire life. When he was a few years old, his mom married a bookkeeper named Elijah Jordan. Montell referred to Elijah as his dad. He eventually dropped the last name Barnett to become Montell Jordan.
He was raised in the baptist church. His parents were deacons and Montell played the piano in the choir. He told the Los Angeles Times that he grew up in a lower-middle-class household, and they always had financial troubles.
How Montell Jordan escaped the gang life
Despite growing up in the gritty part of South Central Los Angeles, Montell never got involved with the street life out of fear that he would be punished by his dad. That didn’t mean he wasn’t targeted by the kids who chose to live the street life, though.
Thankfully, the grandmother of a local Crips leader was a part of Montell’s church congregation, and that gave Montell some immunity on the streets.
His love for music
He got into rap music when he was 11-years-old, but he never wanted to be a rapper. His heart always belonged to traditional R&B. He grew up listening to some of his parents’ favorite artists, including The Spinners, Isaac Hayes, and Teddy Pendergrass. He would write down rap lyrics, but instead of rapping them, he sang them.
He was developing his own unique style, but it would take some time for the world to experience his greatness.
Montell Jordan’s education came first
He attended Serra High School in Gardena, Calif., and during his time there, he tried to get signed to a record label. No one was interested, so he put his focus on his education. His parents always wanted him to go to college so he could be better off than they were. So they put their last penny into his schooling.
Montell got accepted into Pepperdine University in Malibu. And he told the Los Angeles Times his parents went bankrupt trying to help him through school.
At Pepperdine, his roommate was former NBA player Doug Christie (yes, Jackie Christie’s husband/prisoner). Montell told NBA.com that although he’s six-feet-eight-inches tall, he didn’t play on the basketball team. Instead, Montell was one of the equipment managers who was in charge of washing the team’s uniforms.
When he wasn’t helping out the team, Montell was back in his room focusing on his music career. Doug remembered walking into their dorm and finding bedsheets hanging up on the walls to act as a sound barrier. Montell would be in there recording music and “doing his thing.”
He put more effort into trying to get signed by a record label, but he still didn’t have any offers.
How Montell Jordan met his wife, Kristin Hudson
He became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and while in college, he met a girl named Kristin Hudson at a fraternity event. When Montell asked her to dance, she turned him down. He kept asking her over and over again until she finally gave in. He didn’t impress her by busting out with the running man on the dance floor, but by their second date, they knew they were perfect for each other.
In 1991, he graduated from Pepperdine with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in business. He worked at an ad agency, and he was doing well for himself. But the company experienced some financial problems and Montell was laid off.
How Montell Jordan caught his big break
While figuring out his next move, he married Kristin in 1994. She began to manage his career, and they had no idea he was about to catch his big break.
One of Montell’s fraternity brothers — who was also a business associate of the late John Singleton — encouraged Def Jam executives to listen to one of Montell’s tapes.
Lyor Cohen, the former president and CEO of Def Jam Records, told the Los Angeles Times he was already on a mission to find someone who could infuse hip-hop elements into traditional R&B tunes. And Montell was exactly what he was looking for.
Lying led to infidelity
There was just one little problem. Executives pressured Montell into telling the public that Kristen was nothing more than his manager. The idea was that if Montell could be marketed as a single man, it would make him more popular with his female fanbase. He and his wife thought it was a great idea for him to abandon his Christian principles, so they went along with it.
In 1995, he became the second R&B singer signed to Def Jam’s Def Soul label. That same year, he released his first album, which went platinum.
Thanks to his smooth vocals on “This Is How We Do It,” the party anthem spent seven weeks at the number one spot on the Billboard Top 100. The track was blasted at every nightclub and every backyard cookout. Montell was even nominated for a Grammy.
His career was going better than expected, and with his newfound fame came the attention from his fans. He told Religion Magazine that everywhere he went, women were throwing themselves at him. Plus, there was free alcohol flowing all over the place, and this led to many infidelities.
A close call while on tour with Boyz II Men
In 1996, he headed out on tour with Boyz II Men. During a stop in Vancouver, Canada, the group introduced Montell. As he approached the stage, he noticed red lights flashing in the distance. He glanced to the side and saw a few men plugging their ears. Montell knew then that something was about to explode.
In an instant, flares shot across the stage. He covered his ears and backed up against the backstage wall, only to realize it was actually a black curtain that hung from the 7-foot stage. Montell fell through it and landed directly on the back of his head.
He told Religion Magazine it took some time for everyone to rush back to where he had fallen. So he had some time to connect with God. Boyz II Men had the lights cut back on, and instructed their 13,000 fans to join them in prayer to ask God to save Montell’s life.
Paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital. And doctors discovered he had no concussion and no broken bones. Aside from feeling a bit sore, he was perfectly fine. He called it a modern-day miracle and to this day, Montell credits Boyz II Men for saving his life through prayer.
That accident, plus the guilt from his infidelities, made him reconsider his life, his decisions, and his career. But he put his feelings aside and continued to release some hits.
Back to music
His second studio album More… dropped in 1996, and in December of that year, his song “Falling” reached number 18 on the Billboard chart.
1998 brought the release of his album Let’s Ride, followed by 1999’s Get It On…Tonite. His self-titled album hit stores in 2002, and by that time, Montell had made so many accomplishments.
Aside from releasing his own hits, including “Somethin’ 4 Da Honeyz” and “Let’s Ride” featuring Master P and Silkk the Shocker, he also wrote and produced Sisqo’s “Incomplete,” and Deborah Cox’s (pictured, right) single, “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here.”
Coming clean about his affair
Everything was going just as planned, but it all came crashing down. Montell and his family were making the transition to start a new life in Atlanta. A mutual friend who was aware of Montell’s infidelity gave the singer an ultimatum: either they would tell Kristen the truth or Montell could come clean about cheating on her. So Montell decided to take matters into his own hands.
On September 20, 2000, the day before Kristin’s birthday, Montell told her he had been unfaithful. Kristen packed her bags and flew to Los Angeles. Upon her return to Atlanta, she wanted to leave Montell completely, but she said God told her to stand by her husband’s side.
The couple knew it was the music industry that had caused the issues in their marriage. And they both realized they had let fame, money, and success drive a wedge between them. In the end, Montell chose his marriage over his career, but he still had some hurdles to cross.
Kristin was pregnant with their third child, but she suffered a miscarriage in 2002. In 2003, he left Def Soul after creative differences and signed with Koch Records. That same year, he released the album Life After Def. And then, things quickly spiraled out of control.
Financial & personal losses
They were hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt due to money mismanagement, and they were forced to file for bankruptcy in 2004.
In 2005, their dream home in Atlanta caught on fire, leaving behind just the walls of their garage. A car was repossessed, and Montell’s fluctuations in his weight caused him to undergo not one, but two liposuction procedures, according to his autobiography, Becoming Unfamous.
In addition to all of that, Kristin admitted to having an affair with a family friend. Just like she had forgiven him for cheating, Montell found it in his heart to forgive her too.
Joining the church
He signed with Fontana Records in 2008 and released the album Let It Rain. His fame began to fade by that point. But in 2010, things were looking up for him.
He had a comeback album on deck and a reality show in production. But those projects were eventually put on hold. Montell told LA Weekly it was at that time he and his family joined Victory World Church in Atlanta.
After a 21-day fasting ritual in July of 2010, Montell recalled the Lord speaking to him and telling him to officially retire. He grappled with the idea of walking away from his R&B career, but he knew it was something he had to do.
At the time, he was changing diapers in children’s ministry of the church. A worship minister walked in and asked him to be a part of the service. Montell sang “Moving Forward” by Israel Houghton. Soon thereafter, he was offered the position of worship pastor and assembled a collective of church musicians, called Victory World Music.
As of this article, they’ve released two Christian albums.
The IRS came knocking
And then, his past came back to haunt him. In 2012, the IRS hit Montell with a past-due tax bill from the years 1999 through 2001, totaling a little over six hundred and seventeen thousand dollars.
Once the news hit the media, Montell told TMZ he paid the debt years ago by selling his entire music catalog. But the funds were still tied up in his 2004 bankruptcy case.
A brand new Montell
Four kids and one grandkid later, Montell spends his time, speaking, teaching, and mentoring others. And he and Kristin also minister married couples. He now holds the title of Executive Pastor, and his church bio only briefly mentions his past career as one of the most influential R&B superstars.
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