The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist side of R&B icon Brian McKnight was enough to make him a household name thanks to the mega-hits “Back At One,” “Anytime,” “One Last Cry, “Love Is” with Vanessa Williams and the now classic Boyz II Men collaboration “Let It Snow.”

But the man with more than 25 million album sales is just as visible in many other areas of the arts, from hosting numerous self-titled talk shows, to landing in Broadway’s “Chicago,” guest starring on TV’s “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Martin,” “Sister, Sister” and many others, alongside appearances on “The Celebrity Apprentice” and “The Masked Dancer.”

Of course, concerts are the core of McKnight’s career and he’s finally getting back in game with a Ravinia debut on Friday, July 30, which follows 2020’s studio album, “Exodus,” and the brand new offshoot EP, “Remixed.”

The artist/actor/entertainer rang Chicago Concert Reviews after a season of recharging to preview the socially distanced outdoor show, getting his arm twisted towards the dance floor, potentially leaving full-length recordings behind and even a few athletic aspirations.

How are you doing after more than a year of closures? Was it your longest break to date?

Brian McKnight: Yeah, it was absolutely the longest break I’d ever had. I’m sure that after almost 30 years of doing this, taking a break was probably something I never would’ve done and I think it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. We just had our first show in a year-and-a-half and there was a renewed enthusiasm… It was really amazing to get back on stage for the first time in a while with my guys that I hadn’t seen for so long. The fans seem to have missed it just as much as we did!

What’s in store for your show at Ravinia?

McKnight: We didn’t know what to except after being gone so long. After the last show, myself and my band have been on the phone trying to figure out how we can even refine that show. Obviously, I’m going to play all the hits that I’ve ever had. [We’ve been talking] about how to entertain the folks that are coming, beyond just the songs that we’re gonna sing. It’s great to have these conversations again after so long, so I’m just excited. It’s funny because when I stepped out on stage [at my first show back], I absorbed the energy just for a minute to see and feel what they were feeling and it was just amazing. I can’t really remember how that show went or what we did. I just remember the anticipation before I got out there and then the elation of the audience once we were, so I’m looking forward to having that again at Ravinia.

How would you describe your relationship with the Chicago area in general?

McKnight: Oh wow, I can remember going all the way back to the beginning where I did three shows in one night just because the demand was so huge. I’ve always had a fantastic relationship with the city of Chicago from the very beginning of my career and it’s never seemed to wane at all in any way. Obviously, your career goes through ebbs and flows, but starting off at the very beginning, getting to the highest of heights and even now at the latter part of two-plus decades in. I feel like Chicago is a great music town, a great sports town and a great place to live outside of the winter [laughs].

You also just released the “Remixed” EP. What made you want to branch out beyond R&B into the world of dance?

McKnight: It was really just the label, [SoNo Recording Group], and the DJ, [Terry Hunter], who asked me if I would be into it because I’d never done anything like that. Ten years ago, I was so close to the music that I create, I would’ve never wanted it to be the case, but I said, “why not?” I think we’re at a time now in our existence where trying new things is probably a good thing.

Prior to that project, you released “Exodus” in 2020, which was said to be your final new album. Is that still the case, and if so, how did you arrive at that decision?

McKnight: I thought 20 was a really round number and I still feel that way. I’m not saying I’ll never have that thirst again. I just feel like right now, I can’t really see releasing an entire record. That doesn’t mean I won’t release singles. That doesn’t mean that I won’t create music. I just [think] an entire project full of songs may not ever happen again.

Going back much further, what do you recall about really breaking out during the “Anytime” and “Back At One” eras?

McKnight: It’s difficult to put it into context, because as the artist, it was such a gradual situation, from the time I began having some success, and then all of a sudden between “Anytime” and “Back At One,” having such incredible success. I’m not sure that I enjoyed it or even looked at it at the time. I was so busy and I was working so hard. I really was just glad that these songs that I had written were getting the recognition that I believed that they deserved, not really understanding how the music business really worked.

I can look back on it now, but it’s a little fuzzy [laughs] cause so much time has passed. I’m just grateful that I had the opportunities. It’s because of that [period] that I still have a career and I can still come to places to play for folks because they still love this music so much, and hopefully, me as an artist…I have yet to really take a look at my career retrospectively because I’m still in the middle of it. I guess at some point if I retire and I write a book or put down something on paper, it would sort of denote this whole thing. It’s just hard for me cause I’m still in the middle of it, at least in my brain, to make sense of it all.

Even though it sounds like such a blur, was there a moment that felt like you finally arrived or had your vision fully realized?

McKnight: I still think I’m the same guy. When we started, we were playing places with chicken wire. I don’t think I’ve ever in my mind [forgotten those early days]. Even shows that I know that are sold out, when I show up at the venue, I play this game with myself that nobody’s gonna show up so that I can give the kind of performance where I feel I have to prove to the folks that have paid to come and see me. I think that’s the way I’ve looked at my entire career, even when it was at its highest…

You’ve also had some pretty serious duet partners. Tell us about a few that come to mind.

McKnight: Working with Boyz II Men on “Let It Snow,” which is a perennial favorite at the holidays. We just did a reboot of that this last Christmas for Oprah. [Another favorite was] Celine Dion, [“Beauty And The Beast”], even though it was live, Mariah Carey, [“Whenever You Call”], and Justin Timberlake, [“My Kind Of Girl”]. I don’t do a lot of duets, but I really enjoyed doing them for sure.

Can you explain the connection to Take 6 and how the group rubbed off on you?

McKnight: Well, my oldest brother, [Claude McKnight III], formed the group way back in 1980, but my brothers and I started singing together as a four-part, a cappella, barbershop quartet when I was really little, probably six-years-old, so we’ve always had those similarities, as far as vocals, harmonies and things of that nature. When I saw my brother getting his first Grammy, as a little brother, it showed me what was possible and I said, “if he can do that, then maybe I can.”

What made you want to go on your own?

McKnight: It would be very difficult for me to be in a group. It’s just the way I’m built. I’ve always been sort of a solo act, looking at the dynamic of a group and how decisions are made. I kind of need to be in control, so I’m always going to be my favorite artist to work with [laughs].

Give us a glimpse into your time as an actor and then a talk-show host.

McKnight: …When you’re doing well, there are a lot of things that come your way, so there have been some acting roles that I didn’t necessarily go out and read for that were offered to me that I took. When it came to being a radio host and a talk show host on television, I decided it was better to try something, even if it didn’t work out, than not do it and always wonder what would’ve happened. It was just part of the educational process of being in the entertainment business.

Is Broadway something you’d want to get back to?

McKnight: I think if I could write and produce the show, and be more involved behind the scenes, that would take me back to Broadway at some point. That would be fun, but I did enjoy the time I was there for sure.

What was it like working with Donald Trump on “The Celebrity Apprentice”?

McKnight: [Laughs] What’s funny is when you’re on that show, you see him twice a day, in the morning when he gives you the task and then that night when he’s firing someone, so I didn’t really get to work with him. The time I filmed with him was very limited from an ensemble standpoint, so it’s not like we had a camaraderie or we had anything. Most things were set up, so I can’t really say. The show was fine I guess. It was more real than it seems most of these other reality shows are, but I didn’t really spend time with him.

Any takeaways from “The Masked Dancer”?

McKnight: That I’m not a dancer, which I knew from the beginning. It was interesting to do it during COVID too because there was just a lot going on during that period of time. I enjoyed my time on there. It’s an interesting concept to be on a stage where nobody knows who you are and they’re trying to figure out who you are. [I didn’t win], but at least I said that I did it and I wasn’t afraid to do it, so there you go [laughs].

Is there anything you’d like to pursue outside of entertainment?

McKnight: Every year after the end of the NBA season, coaches get fired, and I always call up my hoop friends and tell them how much I want to coach an NBA team. That would be the best job in the world for me, or to be on a sports talk show. I think that would be amazing…As much as I watch ESPN, I think I could do wonders on one of those shows. That’s a dream of mine for sure.

What’s something about Brian McKnight that most people wouldn’t know?

McKnight: With the advent of social media, I’m not sure there’s anything that anybody doesn’t know about me to be honest [laughs].

Your thoughts on how the music business has changed in the digital age?

McKnight: I think it’s expected in just about everything. Every industry we know, because of technology, has changed in one way or another…I think we all have to go along with whatever the industry, or at least the consumer, has decided is going to be the status quo. All we can do is adapt and try your best to add to whatever’s in front of you…An artist has to figure out how to navigate the waters whenever the paradigm changes.

Is there anything else on your mind as you get ready to visit Ravinia?

McKnight: I want folks to [know] they’re gonna be able to see me at my best because I try to give my best all the time. I’m just so thankful and so grateful to still be able to do what I do, because without the folks that are coming, I wouldn’t be able to!

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Brian McKnight performs at Ravinia on Jul. 30. For additional details, visit Facebook.com/BrianMcKnight and Ravinia.org.