Beloved R&B singer Tevin Campbell, known for sultry '90s hits like "Can We Talk" and "I'm Ready," recently appeared on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast for an in-depth interview, discussing his life and career and revealing for the first time what his personal experience has been as a gay man in the music industry.
"I refer to myself as a former child star because that's just what I am," says Campbell, 45, of his musical past. Discovered by famed talent manager Benny Medina at age 12, the Waxahachie, Texas, native was thrust onto the music scene a year later by mentor Quincy Jones — and instantly dubbed "the next Michael Jackson" for his smooth, savant-like vocals and impressive range.
The comparison was a "big compliment" that came with a lot of pressure, says Campbell. "I just kind of wanted to be me, you know?" Instead, he was packaged as a young, heterosexual heartthrob.
