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'Boyz II Men' is an American R&B/soul singing group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1988 as a quintet which originally included Marc Nelson, Boyz II Men found fame as a quartet, with members Nathan Morris, Michael McCary, Shawn Stockman, and Wanya Morris, on Motown Records during the early 1990s. Nelson left the group before their first recording to pursue a solo career.
Based on sales, Boyz II Men is the most successful R&B male vocal group of all time. It has recorded five #1 R&B hits between 1992 and 1997 and has since sold more than 60 million records ^[1]. Three of its #1 hits, "End of the Road", "I'll Make Love to You", and "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey), set and broke records for the longest period of time a single remained at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although On Bended Knee did not break any records it was still an immensely popular song that reached #1 and made Boyz II Men the third artists (behind Elvis and The Beatles) to replace themselves at the number one spot of the Billboard Hot 100.
Boyz II Men was originally signed to Motown Records from 1990 to 2000, at which point it was moved to parent label Universal Records. After the 2000 album ''Nathan Shawn Michael Wanya'', Boyz II Men moved to Arista Records. In 2003, Michael McCary left the group due to chronic back problems resulting from scoliosis. As of 2005, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Nathan Morris continue to tour and record as a trio.

Contents

History

Beginnings

''Cooleyhighharmony''

"End of the Road"

''II''

1995: Collaborations

Inspirations, influence, and impact

''Evolution'' and label conflicts

''Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya''

''Full Circle'' and "The Color of Love"

Later albums

Discography

Albums

See also

References

External links

History

Beginnings

The group that later became Boyz II Men was founded in 1988 at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA)[1] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, friends Nathan Morris and Marc Nelson had put together several various R&B singing groups, all of which fell through. Eventually, they recruited tenors Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman and bass Michael McCary.
The members of Unique Attraction idolized New Edition, one of the most popular R&B groups of the 1980s. They found inspiration in New Edition's harmonies and routines, and eventually renamed the group "Boyz II Men" after one of New Edition's songs. Sneaking backstage after a 1989 concert performed by Bell Biv DeVoe (a New Edition spin-off group), Boyz II Men performed an ''a cappella'' rendition of New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain" for New Edition/BBD member Michael Bivins. Bivins was impressed by the group, and began plans to sign them to Motown Records through a production deal with his Biv Ten Records company. But before the group began recording, Marc Nelson left because of personality conflicts, reducing the quintet to a quartet.
A year before releasing their debut album, they made an appearance on a solo album by Robbie Mychals. They are listed in the credits as singing background vocals on the song "One Mile From Paradise" as "Boy's To Men".

''Cooleyhighharmony''

Boyz II Men's first album, ''Cooleyhighharmony'', was released on Motown in 1991, executive produced by Michael Bivins. ''Cooleyhighharmony's'' drum-heavy new jack swing sound and multi-layered sampled backdrops were similar to that of Bell Biv DeVoe's own work, but featured smooth classic-soul styled vocals in place of BBD's rapping and brassier singing. This style was dubbed "hip hop doo wop" by the group and Bivins, who presented Boyz II Men and adolescent R&B group Another Bad Creation to the public as BBD's protégés.
Boyz II Men's first single, the Dallas Austin-produced "Motownphilly" featured BBD as guest performers, and was accompanied with a music video that presented the group in hip hop style. (The video also included cameos from fellow CAPA alumni Black Thought and ?uestlove of ''

See also

★ Best selling music artists

★ List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

References

1. Boyz II Men Official website - Biography: 60 million recors sold worldwide


★ Huey, Steve. "Boyz II Men". All Music Guide. Retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fyeb97i7krst~T00 on August 17, 2005.

External links

★ Official Boyz II Men website

★ Official Myspace Site

★ The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts