Chew grew up in the
Grant Houses in
Morningside Heights, and moved to
Teaneck, New Jersey, in 2000. He was given a scholarship to study in the children's program at the
Juilliard School on the
Upper West Side at six years old, and later studied at
Harlem School of the Arts. He also studied at
Third Street Music School Settlement in the early 1970s for four years. Chew landed his first professional gig with Tony award winner
Melba Moore. At 19,
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson chose him as their music director. He is credited as arranger and or pianist in recordings for artists including
Diana Ross,
Luther Vandross,
Roberta Flack, and
Donny Hathaway. Chew was a member of the
Saturday Night Live Band from 1980 to 1983. During the 1990s and 2000s, he was music director for the syndicated television series
Showtime at the Apollo and the bandleader on
The Singing Bee. He was the bandleader during the
2008 Democratic National Convention, and the
Barack Obama Neighborhood Ball on the night after the
first inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009. Chew was music director for Fox's
American Idol from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, he musically directed the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He has also served as music director for the
Miss Universe and
Miss USA pageants since 2010. ==References==