KTLA

Brian McKnight’s concerts give fans what they want: ‘I understand what people are coming to hear’

When describing Brian McKnight’s marriage to wife Leilani, one would say it’s “like a dream come true,” to reference his popular song “Back at One.”

One look at the singer’s Instagram, you can see the happy couple are inseparable.


“The day I met her, I didn’t think she was real,” he gushed. “The idea that I had of the woman I wanted to be with, I thought, was just a figment of my imagination.”

However, when the pair first met, Leilani didn’t know who the “Anytime” singer was.

“She knows who Brian McKnight was, but she didn’t know that I was Brian McKnight,” he explained. “She loves what I do, but all the things that go along with my job are not things she loves that much.”

The pair have been married since 2017 and their relationship has been a source of inspiration for the crooner’s live shows and new music. He said every piece of music he’s written since they’ve met is about her.

However, for his concerts, McKnight does make sure he performs the fan favorites.

“I understand what people are coming to hear. I’m going to give them everything they’re expecting to hear and a little bit more, he said. “I love people leaving the show saying one: he’s still got it, and at two: he’s played all the songs I wanted to hear.'”

McKnight is performing at The Novo in Downtown L.A. on Friday, September 2 at 8 pm. Tickets available at www.axs.com

This segment aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on Aug. 30, 2022.

For tickets, head here.