A self-described "country boy" born in South Georgia and raised in Alabama, Joe often accompanied his traveling evangelist father on the road. Growing up, he also learned to play the guitar and piano while developing his vocal skills in church. Joe's dream of attending Dillard University in New Orleans to study business and law took a backseat when he opted to relocate to New Jersey in pursuit of a musical career. After notching his first R&B top 10 for Mercury Records in 1993 with "I'm in Luv," Joe began hitting his stride in the mid-'90s with the R&B and pop crossover smash "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)."