A gifted musician, Grammy-nominated John Forté is a classically trained violinist and graduate of Philips Exeter Academy. Born in Brooklyn in 1975, he is renowned for his production work on The Fugees' 1996 platinum album The Score. In 1998, he released his solo debut, the Wyclef Jean produced Poly Sci, and returned four years later with I, John, which featured a surprising duet with Carly Simon. The artist's life took a drastic turn in 2001, after being sentenced to prison on drug charges, only to be released in 2008 with President George W. Bush's commutation. Armed with a positive and spiritual new outlook on life, he returned to tell his story through music and prose, with the release of an EP in 2009, StyleFree, a new album in 2010, the inspiring Water, Light, Sound, and an autobiography.