Diana King

Diana King (born on November 8, 1970 in Spanish Town, Jamaica) is a reggae\R&B singer who started her career in the ’90s.

In 1993, she was featured on the movie soundtrack to “Cool Runnings” with the song “Stir It Up” which peaked at #53 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 11 weeks.

After she appeared on the Notorious B.I.G’s song, “Respect” in 1994, Diana was signed to Sony Music.

In 1995, Diana released her debut album “Tougher Than Love” which peaked at #179 on the Billboard 200, #85 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart, #6 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart and #3 on Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums chart.
The first single from the album (and her biggest hit to date) “Shy Guy” peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, #15 on Billboard’s Top 40 Mainstream chart, #8 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart, #20 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart and #21 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 20 weeks.

It also peaked at #2 on the UK Singles chart and topped the Eurochart Hot 100, selling nearly 500 million copies worldwide. The song was featured on the movie soundtrack to “Bad Boys” and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
The second single “Love Triangle” failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but managed to peak at #85 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 5 weeks.
The last single from the album “Ain’t Nobody” peaked at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play chart, #44 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart, #36 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart and #63 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 9 weeks.
In 1997, Diana released her sophomore album “Think Like a Girl” which topped Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums chart, but didn’t chart on the Billboard 200.
The first single, a cover version of Dionne Warwick’s song “I Say a Little Prayer,” peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100, #8 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play chart, #5 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart, #29 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart and #68 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 16 weeks.

The song was featured on the movie soundtrack to “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”
The second single “L-L-Lies” peaked at #71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #67 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 18 weeks. The last single, “Find My Way Back” failed to chart at all on the Billboard charts.

In 1997, Diana was featured on the soundtrack to the documentary “When We Were Kings” with the title track featuring Brian McKnight. The song failed to chart at all on the Billboard charts.

In 1998, she joined Brownstone and Celine Dion on stage to perform Diana’s song from her debut album, “Treat Her Like a Lady” at the Essence Awards where they received a standing ovation.

During that same year, Diana appeared on Soul Train, the RuPaul Show, and Vibe to promote her sophomore album.

In 1999, she did a 5-city tour in India and in 2000, she signed a record deal with Madonna’s Maverick Records label.
In 2002, Diana released her third album, “Respect” which wasn’t released in the US until the summer of 2006 where it’s available on Amazon.com.

In 2007, she co-wrote & recorded the song “The Light Within” with German reggae artist Gentleman for his “Another Intensity” album. She also had female music duo Brick & Lace join her on one of her concerts as back-up singers.

In 2010, Diana’s music recording label ThinkLikeAgirL Music Inc. through a licensing deal with Warner Music Japan. On September 22, 2010, her fourth album “Warrior Gurl” was released in Japan.

An upgraded version of the album was later released digitally in the United States on iTunes and
other major online music stores (under the title “Agirlnameking”) on November 8, 2012.

On June 28, 2012, Diana declared that she was a lesbian on her official Facebook page. On December 16, 2012, she was presented with the prestigious Vanguard Award at the Out Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is one of the first Jamaican artists to ever publicly come out.

To see Diana’s official website, go to:
http://www.dianakingdom.com

To see Diana’s official Facebook page, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/DIANAKINGDOM

To see the music video for “Shy Guy,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyHkutiTYoQ

To see the music video for “I Say a Little Prayer,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm62Aa4ahs8

To see the music video for “Ain’t Nobody,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJSVh8fSwe8

To see the music video for “Love Triangle,” go to:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRhrSz3eY6k

[updated on 03\08\14]

Vanity

Vanity (born Denise Katrina Matthews on January 5, 1959 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada) was a pop-dance\R&B music singer, model and actress who was known for her affiliation with Prince.

Her mother, Helga was born in Germany and was of Polish-Jewish descent; her father, Levia was born in Wilmington, North Carolina and was of African-American descent. Growing up, her childhood was what she described as a “broken home”.

When her parents divorced, Vanity’s mother struggled with alcoholism and her father was abusive; her father’s physical and verbal abuse caused her to have a negative self-image. She spent most of her childhood moving back and forth between her parents & relatives.

She later entered local beauty pageants and modeled. In 1977, she won the title of “Miss Niagara Hospitality” and went on to compete for Miss Canada in 1978.

When she was 17 years old, she moved to New York City to further her modeling career and signed with the Zoli Model Agency; however, due to her short stature, her modeling career was limited to commercials and photo shoots. She also appeared in advertisements for Pearl Drops toothpaste before completing a modeling stint in Japan.

In the early ’80s, Vanity had roles in a few B-movies such as “Terror Train” and “Tanya’s Island”; at the time of both film roles, she was billed as D.D. Winters. She first met Prince when she was Rick James’ date at the American Music Awards. Prince renamed her Vanity because he considered her to be the female version of himself.

After discovering that she could sing, Prince asked Vanity to become the lead singer of girl group, Vanity 6. The group recorded one album and gained some success internationally with the song, “Nasty Girl”; however, in late 1983, she decided to leave the group and Prince.
In 1984, she signed a record deal with Motown Records as a solo artist and released her debut studio album, “Wild Animal” in November of that same year. The album peaked at #72 on the Billboard 200 and #14 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart (where it remained for 25 weeks).
The lead single from the album, “Pretty Mess” peaked at #75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Disco chart, staying on the chart for 18 weeks. It also peaked at #15 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 14 weeks.
The follow-up single from the album, “Mechanical Emotion” peaked at #7 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart (staying on the chart for 3 weeks) and #23 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. The song featured backing vocals from R&B singer Morris Day.
In 1985, Vanity was featured on the soundtrack to the film, “The Last Dragon” (which she also starred in) with the song “7th Heaven”. She also provided vocals on El DeBarge’s 1986 self-titled debut solo album on the track, “Secrets of the Night”.
During that same year, she released her sophomore and final studio album, “Skin on Skin” which peaked at #66 on the Billboard 200 and #18 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart.
The lead single, “Under the Influence” peaked at #56 on the Billboard Hot 100, (making it her only highest chart appearance to date) and #6 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play chart, staying on chart for 8 weeks. The song also peaked at #9 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 14 weeks.
The follow-up single from the album, “Animals” failed to make the charts at all. Vanity was later dropped from Motown Records, so she signed a record deal with A&M Records and later moved on to Geffen Records.
In 1988, Vanity recorded a few songs for the soundtrack to the film, “Action Jackson” (that she also starred in) with Jesse Johnson, including the single, “Undress” which didn’t chart at all.

She was also working on a third studio album with producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis; however, the album was never released and her music career came to an end. During that same year, she appeared nude in “Playboy” magazine.

In the mid-’80s and early-’90s, Vanity went on to appear in a few television shows and films. In early 1992, she became a born-again Christian and explained in interviews that she wouldn’t take on any more sexualized roles.

During that same year, she renounced her stage name and returned to her birth name, Denise. She traveled extensively throughout the South with her friend and agent, Benjamin Jimerson-Phillips giving her testimony of her conversion to Jesus Christ.

In 1994, Vanity was hospitalized for three months due to near-fatal kidney failure caused by a drug overdose which placed her on life support. After recovering, she ended her performing career and devoted herself to being a born-again Christian; however, due to kidney problems caused by her 10-year addiction to crack cocaine, she had to undergo peritoneal dialysis five times a day.

In 1995, she married Oakland Raiders football player, Anthony Smith, but the marriage ended a year later. After receving a kidney transplant in 1997, she decided to dedicate the rest of her life full-time to Christ, making speaking engagements at churches across the United States and worldwide.

In 2010, Vanity released her autobiography, “Blame It On Vanity: Hollywood, Hell and Heaven”. By 2015, she was diagnosed with an inflammatory condition called sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis.

On February 15, 2016, she died from kidney failure at the age of 57. She left much of her estate to her church, and a dying wish of hers was to have her ashes scattered over the coast of Hawaii and for her loved ones to celebrate her life with festivities and “no tears”.

To see a video for “Pretty Mess,” go to:

To see a video for “Mechanical Emotion,” go to:

To see a video for “7th Heaven” (from “The Last Dragon” soundtrack), go to:

To see a video for “Under the Influence,” go to:

To see a video for “Animals,” go to:

To see a video for “Undress” (from the “Action Jackson” soundtrack), go to:

Vanity 6\Apollonia 6

Vanity 6 (later Apollonia 6) was a pop-dance\R&B music trio from the ’80s that was created by Prince who suggested that his three female friends formed a girl group that would be called “The Hookers”.

The trio originally consisted of Prince’s girlfriend, Susan Moonsie (born Susan V. Moonsie on January 21, 1964 in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago), Brenda Bennett (born on January 24, 1962 in Boston, Massachusetts) and Jamie Shoop.

Prince’s vision was that the three women would perform in lingerie and sing sensual songs with lyrics about sex & fantasy.

The original trio recorded a few demos before Prince met model\actress Denise Matthews in 1981 where she was Rick James’ date at the American Music Awards and persuaded her to join his girl group. He was so taken by Denise’s charisma that he decided that she would be the perfect frontwoman for his music project.

Prince gave the stage name “Vanity” because he said that looking at her was like looking in a mirror at the female version of himself; around that time, the two of them began a romantic relationship.

With the arrival of Vanity, Jamie Shoop was dropped from the trio. With the new trio (which consisted of Vanity, Susan and Brenda) finalized, Prince changed their name from “The Hookers” to “Vanity 6”.
In August of 1982, they released their self-titled debut and only album on Warner Bros. Records which peaked at #45 on the Billboard 200 and #6 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA a year after its released due in large part to Prince’s success with his album, “1999”.
The lead single from the album, “He’s So Dull” was a minor hit on the music charts in Australia and the Netherlands, but didn’t make the charts in the United States. It was also featured in the film, “National Lampoon’s Vacation”.
The second single, “Nasty Girl” became a hit, topping Billboard’s Dance\Disco Top 80 chart for four weeks, staying on the chart for 18 weeks. It also peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart (staying on the chart for 15 weeks) and #7 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 18 weeks.

The song was a top 10 hit in the Netherlands and a top 20 hit in the Flanders region of Belgium. It was also featured in the films, “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Private School”.
The third single, “Drive Me Wild” failed to make the charts at all. Vanity 6 opened up on Prince’s “1999” tour between 1982 and 1983, which also featured Prince and The Time as the headliner; the fact that The Time performed behind a curtain during the Vanity 6 performance caused a rift between the bands and also caused friction within those friendships.

Prince chose Vanity to pose with him for a Richard Avedon photograph that was used on the cover of an issue of “Rolling Stone” magazine much to the dismay of the other members of Vanity 6. The issue of “Rolling Stone” also contained a two-page photograph by Avedon of the trio.

In 1983, Vanity recorded a demo for a new song called “Sex Shooter” and began reading for her lead role in the film, “Purple Rain” (opposite Prince); however, prior to shooting the film, she suddenly decided to leave the trio, leave the Prince camp and gave up her role in the film.

Various reasons for Vanity leaving the trio included money, the end of the romantic relationship between her & Prince and most importantly, she was offered a lucrative solo deal from Motown Records.

Vanity was replaced in “Purple Rain” by Patricia Kotero (born Patricia Apollonia Kotero on August 2, 1959 in Santa Monica, California), who adopted the stage name, Apollonia and became the new lead singer in the trio which was renamed Apollonia 6.
In October of 1984, Apollonia 6 released their only self-titled album on Warner Bros. Records which didn’t appear to make the charts at all.
The first single, “Sex Shooter” peaked at #85 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #32 on Billboard’s Dance\Disco chart, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. It also peaked at #19 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 14 weeks.
However, the follow-up single, “Blue Limousine” didn’t generate a lot of success. A four-track video based on the Apollonia 6 album was filmed and shot in a film studio in Los Angeles, California; however the video never went beyond rough cut although footage from the project has appeared on various social networking sites including YouTube.

Prince originally intended for his classic tracks including “Manic Monday” (later recorded by The Bangles in 1986), “17 Days” (which was later used as the B-side to “When Doves Cry”), “Take Me with U” (which was released on the film soundtrack to “Purple Rain”) and “The Glamorous Life” (which was recorded by Sheila E. in 1984) for Apollonia 6’s album; however, he lost interest in the project knowing that Apollonia’s voice wasn’t up to par.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Prince and Apollonia were never involved romantically or sexually; at the time, Apollonia was married and her relationship was kept secret in order to create a mystique of romance between Prince and herself. Prince became aware that she wouldn’t be continuing with the trio after her contractual obligations to complete “Purple Rain” and the album were fulfilled.

Apollonia 6 were supposed to open the “Purple Rain” tour with Prince and Sheila E., but the idea was scrapped after they returned from a promotional tour of Europe; however, they did appear on a few select dates on the tour, usually during the encore of “Baby I’m a Star.” By 1985, the trio had disbanded.
Afterwards, Apollonia continued to appear in films and television shows for the next decade. In 1988, she released a self-titled solo album on Warner Bros. Records which was moderately successful.

In 2005, she formed a multimedia entertainment company called Kotero Entertainment. In 2009, her vocals appeared on The Twilight Singers’ cover version of Prince’s song, “When Doves Cry” for “Spin” magazine’s 25th anniversary tribute to the “Purple Rain” album called “Purplish Rain”.

These days (according to research), Apollonia is focused on singing, acting, dancing, producing and working as a songwriter. Susan Moonsie (now Susan Moonsie-Mohan) and her son, Aaron run the Hardy Park Bistro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Brenda Bennett left the music business after Apollonia 6 disbanded and dedicated herself to her family. She released two solo albums in 2011 and 2018. These days, she resides in Jamestown, Rhode Island and was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

Vanity went on to have a moderately successful solo career during the mid-’80s; however, by the ’90s, she renounced her “Vanity” title and became a Christian in 1994. In February of 2016, she passed away from renal failure at the age of 56.

(Vanity 6)

To see a video for “He’s So Dull,” go to:

To see a video for “Nasty Girl,” go to:

To see a video for “Drive Me Wild,” go to:

(Apollonia 6)
To see a video for “Sex Shooter,” go to:

To see a video for “Blue Limousine,” go to:

Rockwell

Rockwell (born Kennedy William Gordy on March 15, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan) was a R&B singer and the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy.

After being kicked out of the house by his father, Rockwell moved in with Berry Gordy’s ex-wife Ray Singleton where he began working on music. After seeing his potential, Ray successfully lobbied to get Rockwell a staff writing job at Jobete.
In 1984, Rockwell released his debut album “Somebody’s Watching Me” which peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 and #5 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart.

One night, Ray overheard Rockwell working on the track “Somebody’s Watching Me” and believed that it was a song worthy of recording.

When Motown staff producer Curtis Anthony Nolen took an interest in the song, he was hired as the producer on the project.

While working on the song in the studio, Rockwell got the idea to get his good childhood friend, the late Michael Jackson to sing on the song.

He picked up Michael and drove him to the studio without indicating his plans. Once Michael was at the studio, Rockwell asked him to record the chorus with him which he agreed to.

Once “Somebody’s Watching Me” was mixed, Ray couldn’t wait to play it for Berry Gordy, who though that one of the voices sounded familiar, but he couldn’t identify it. When he later found out it was Michael Jackson, he was pleased.
The title song became Rockwell’s only biggest hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play Singles chart and topped Billboard’s Black Singles chart for 5 weeks, staying on the chart for 17 weeks.

Internationally, the song was a success, peaking at #6 on the U.K. Singles chart and topped the charts in Belgium, France & Spain.

The song also featured Michael’s brother Jermaine Jackson on additional backing vocals. It was also one of the biggest singles of 1984 & both the single & album were certified Gold by the RIAA.
The follow-up single from Rockwell’s debut album “Obscene Phone Caller” peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100, #9 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 14 weeks and #79 on the U.K. Singles chart.

The last single from the album “Taxman” (which was a cover version of the Beatles’ 1966 song) peaked at #88 on the U.K. Singles chart.
In 1985, Rockwell released his sophomore album “Captured” which peaked at #120 on the Billboard 200 chart and #52 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart.
The first single from the album “He’s a Cobra” peaked at #108 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and #65 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 6 weeks.
The follow-up single from the album “Peeping Tom” peaked at #21 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play chart (along with the song “Tokyo”). The song was featured on the movie soundtrack to “The Last Dragon.”
In 1986, Rockwell released his last album to date “Genie” which failed to make the Billboard album charts at all.
The only single to chart was “Carmé” which managed to peak at #46 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 9 weeks.

After that, it seemed as if Rockwell faded into obscurity, but in 2010, he married Nicole Moore, but in 2013, he filed for divorce due to “irreconcilable differences” and asked not to pay spousal support.

To see the music video for “Somebody’s Watching Me,” go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY

To see the music video for “Obscene Phone Caller,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HdOqhjuph8

To see a fan-made video for “Taxman,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aMb-l1i-u0

To see a fan-made video for “He’s a Cobra,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXGiUPQEwws

To see a fan-made video for “Carme,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvMMky45eaY

[updated on 03\08\14]

Groove Theory

Groove Theory is an R&B\hip-hop duo consisting of singer Amel Larrieux and rapper\former Mantronix group member Bryce Wilson.

The duo started in 1993 when Bryce met Amel (who was working as a receptionist for Rondo Music in New York) through a friend.
The two signed a record deal with Epic Records and in 1995, Groove Theory released their self-titled debut album which peaked at #69 on the Billboard 200 and #14 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart.
The duo’s first single and biggest hit to date “Tell Me” which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, #2 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart, #21 on Billboard’s Top 40 Mainstream chart, #2 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart and #3 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 38 weeks.

The follow-up single released from the album “Keep Tryin'” peaked at #64 on the Billboard Hot 100, #29 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart, #36 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart and #24 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 18 weeks.

The last single from the album “Baby Luv” peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100, #14 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart, #18 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles chart and #23 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for 17 weeks.

In 1999, Amel left Groove Theory to start her solo career and was replaced by Makeda Davis. The
group left Epic Records and signed with Columbia Records.

The duo recorded a new album entitled “The Answer” which was supposed to be released in 2001, but Bryce asked to be released from the label due to Columbia Records’ track record with urban music projects at the time & the album was never released.

The only single released from the album was “4Shure” which managed to peak at #97 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for only a week.

Amel started her solo career by releasing her debut album “Infinite Possibilities” in 2000 and had a minor hit with the single “Get Up” which peaked at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #37 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for 20 weeks.
In 2003, Amel started her own independent record label, Blisslife Records where she released her next three albums “Bravebird” (2004), “Morning” (2006), and “Lovely Standards” (2007).

In February of 2010, Amel and Bryce reunited and were working on their second official album, but it’s unknown what the album’s release date will be.

In October of 2013, Amel released her fifth solo album “Ice Cream Everyday” on her own independent record label Blisslife.

To see Amel’s website for her record label, go to:
www.blisslife.com/

To see the Facebook page for Amel’s record label, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/amellarrieux

To follow Amel on Twitter, go to:
https://twitter.com/amellarrieux

To see the music video for “Tell Me,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THtqUDitQ4I

To see the music video for “Keep Tryin,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhL1lUzmjcs

To see a fan-made video for “Baby Luv,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSzhyyAXOgA

To see a fan-made video for “4Shure,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9mKFCHMP8w

[updated on 03\08\14]

Silk

Silk is an Atlanta-based R&B group whose members consisted of Tim Cameron, Jimmy Gates, Gary “Big G” Glenn, Jonathan “John-John” Rasboro, and Gary “Lil G” Jenkins.

Gary Jenkins started his singing career in church at a young age and during college, he was a member of the Tennessee State University Jazz Collegians. In 1992, Jenkins answered an audition call and became the lead singer for R&B singer Keith Sweat’s new R&B group, Silk.
During that same year, Silk released their self-titled debut album which peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200, #4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers albums chart, and #1 on Billboard’s Top R&B\Hip-Hop Albums chart.
The group’s first single, “Happy Days” peaked at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
It wasn’t until 1993 that Silk hit it big with their second single, “Freak Me” (which was co-written and produced by Keith Sweat himself) topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and R&B charts, making it their biggest hit song to date.

The song also topped Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart and managed to peak at #7 on Billboard’s Top 40 Mainstream chart.
Silk’s third single, “Girl U For Me” peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #25 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart. Their last singles from the album, “It Had to Be You” and “Lose Control” managed to become moderately successful on the R&B charts as well.
In 1995, Silk released their self-titled sophomore album which peaked at #46 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The first single from the album, “Hooked on You” peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, #25 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart, #12 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and #44 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

The second single, “I Can Go Deep” failed to appear on the Hot 100, but managed to peak at #9 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

The third single, “Don’t Rush” peaked at #91 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #39 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
In 1999, 4 years after their last album, Silk released their third album, “Tonight” which peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200 and #8 on Billboard’s Top R&B\Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The first single from the album, “If You” became another hit for the group, peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

The second single, “Meeting in My Bedroom” peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #15 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

The last single, “Let’s Make Love” peaked at #58 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Silk performed one of the songs from their album, “Please Don’t Go” on the UPN sitcom “Moesha.”
In 2001, Silk released their fourth album, “Love Session” which peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on Billboard’s Top R&B\Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The album wasn’t quite as successful as their previous ones and the only single to chart was “We’re Callin’ You” which peaked at #56 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

In 2002, Elektra Records dropped Silk and Keith Sweat from their label and during that same year, Gary Jenkins departed from the group to pursue other interests.
In 2003, Silk released their fifth album, “Silktime” which peaked at #30 on Billboard’s Top R&B\Hip-Hop Albums chart and #11 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart.

The only single to chart was “Side Show” which peaked at #66 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
After the flop of “Silktime,” nothing had been heard from Silk in quite sometime, but in 2006, Silk released their sixth album, “Always and Forever” which included cover versions from Shalamar, Prince, and the System.
Gary Jenkins became a member of the R&B group, Blayse, but the group has yet to release an album. In 2007, Gary released his solo album, “The Other Side.”

In 2007, Gary returned to his old group, Silk after appearing with them on Keith Sweat’s 2006″Sweat Hotel” tour. Silk is currently working on a new album.

To see Gary Jenkins’ MySpace page, go to:
http://www.myspace.com/garygjenkins

To see Silk’s MySpace page, go to:
http://www.myspace.com/silk

To see the music video for “Freak Me,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyFX1gt0GYE

To see the music video for “Girl U For Me,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=-x7yG2bUiWU

To see the music video for “I Can Go Deep,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=xnVN0d74luU

To see the music video for “Don’t Rush,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=xnVN0d74luU

Siedah Garrett

Siedah Garrett (born Deborah Christine Garrett on June 24, 1960 in Los Angeles, California) is an R&B music singer-songwriter who has written songs for various artists throughout her career and released music of her own.

As a teenager, Siedah was a member of a five-piece band called Black Velvet & Satin Soul, who performed top 40 hits around various clubs. Her mother was an interior designer who had singer D.J. Rogers as one of her clients.

After D.J. heard Siedah’s singing abilities and recruited her as a background vocalist for his 1977 album, “Love, Music and Life”. In 1980, she appeared as a contestant on the game show, “Password Plus” and joined a soul\funk music act called Plush.
In 1984, she teamed up with Dennis Edwards from The Temptations on his single, “Don’t Look Any Further” which became a hit on the R&B charts and a moderate hit on the pop charts.
In 1985, Siedah contributed the song, “Do You Want It Right Now?” to the soundtrack for the film, “Fast Forward”.

The song peaked at #63 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart (staying on the chart for 11 weeks) and #3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance\Disco chart, staying on the chart for 12 weeks.
In 1987, she was featured on Michael Jackson’s number-one single, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”. During that same year, she contributed the song, “Everchanging Times” for the film, “Baby Boom” which peaked at #30 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and #44 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 15 weeks.

The success of “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” gave Siedah the chance to appear on other Quincy Jones albums throughout the ’80s and ’90s, especially on Quincy Jones’ 1989 album, “Back on the Block” where she co-wrote three songs and provided vocals. She also co-wrote the song, “Man in the Mirror” which became another number-one song for Michael Jackson.
In 1988, Siedah released her debut studio album, “Kiss of Life” on Quincy Jones’ record label, Qwest Records which peaked at #41 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart.
The lead single from the album, “K.I.S.S.I.N.G.” topped Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play chart for a week, staying on the chart for 11 weeks. It also peaked at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 13 weeks.
The follow-up single, “Refuse to Be Loose” didn’t make the charts at all. In 1989, Siedah appeared in an television pilot for NBC called “Wally and the Valentines” which wasn’t picked up by the network to be a TV series. In 1990, she became the host of the show, “America’s Top 10”.

In 1995, Siedah worked with Maysa Leak on her debut solo album. She joined the Brand New Heavies in 1996 and collaborated on their 1997 album, “Shelter.” She left the group in 1998 to focus on her own songwriting.
In 2003, she released her sophomore album, “Siedah” on the OmTown Records label; it’s unknown how or if the album made any impact on the charts.

In later years, Siedah has continued to keep herself busy as a backing singer, dancer and songwriter; she supported Madonna on her 2004 tour, “The Re-Invention Tour” and wrote songs for the 2006 film adaptation of “Dreamgirls” (where one of the songs, “Love You I Do” earned her an Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Song” and a Grammy Award for “Best Song-Motion Picture TV, Visual Media” along with Henry Krieger).

In 2017, Siedah was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by The National R&B Music Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; during that same year, she announced that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while performing at the “Race to Erase MS” event.

These days, she continues to remain active as a songwriter for various films and television shows along with her singing career.
In 2020, Siedah released the single, “The New Frontier (Say Their Names)” as a tribute to George Floyd and all other African-American men, women and children who have been murdered by the police with all the proceeds being donated to the Black Lives Matter organization.

To see Siedah’s official website, go to:
http://www.siedah.com/

To follow Siedah on Instagram, go to:
https://www.instagram.com/siedahgarrett/?hl=en

To follow Siedah on Twitter, go to:
https://twitter.com/SIEDAHGARRETT

To see a video for “Do You Want It Right Now” (from the “Fast Forward” soundtrack), go to:

To see a video for “Everchanging Times” (from the film, “Baby Boom”), go to:

To see a video for “K.I.S.S.I.N.G.,” go to:

To see a video for “Refuse to Be Loose,” go to:

To see a video for “The New Frontier (Say Their Names),” go to:

To see a video for “Don’t Look Any Further” (with Dennis Edwards), go to:

To see a video for “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (with Michael Jackson), go to:

Baltimora

Baltimora was an Italian pop\dance music project from Milan, Italy that was fronted by singer Jimmy McShane (born James Harry McShane on May 23, 1957 in Derry, North Ireland).

Jimmy learned how to play the bass and guitar at a young age. In the late ’70s, he left Northern Ireland to study at a stage school in London, England where he learned how to dance, sing and recite. After he was hired as a stage dancer and backing singer, he went around Europe with singer Dee D. Jackson and her band.

During a visit to Italy with the band, Jimmy became attracted to the country’s undeground dance scene which led to him settling in Milan, Italy in 1984. He made his debut performing in small clubs in his hometown to little success.

Jimmy later began working as an emergency medical technician for the Red Cross until he met Italian record producer\keyboardist, Maurizio Bassi, who was looking for a new music project and together, they formed Balitmora.
In 1985, Balitmora released their debut single, “Tarzan Boy” which became a big success in Europe, topping the music charts in Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland and France; it also peaked at #6 on the FIMI charts in Italy and #3 on the U.K. Singles chart.

In the United States, the song peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, #12 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart and #6 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Disco Club Play chart, staying on the chart for 11 weeks. It was also certified Gold in Canada, France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Baltimora performed “Tarzan Boy” on “Solid Gold” which furthered their success in America; however, Jimmy was overwhelmed by the success of the song. The music video for the song featured him as the front man, but he lip-synced the song instead of actually singing it himself.
In 1985, they released their debut album, “Living in the Background” which peaked at #49 on the Billboard 200 and #26 on the Italian Albums chart. It also made the album charts in Canada and Sweden.
The follow-up single from the album, “Woody Boogie” peaked at #23 on the FIMI charts in Italy. It was also moderately successful in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The third single, the title song peaked at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also peaked at #96 on the Canada Top Singles chart.
The final single from the album, “Juke Box Boy” peaked at #12 on the FIMI charts in Italy; it also peaked at #24 on the VRT Top 30 Flanders chart in Belgium.
In 1987, Baltimora released their sophomore and final album, “Survivor in Love” which failed to make any album charts at all.
The only single to make the charts, “Key Key Karimba” peaked at #37 on the FIMI charts in Italy, but failed to chart anywhere else. Afterwards, they lost their label support and Maurizio Bassi decided to disband the project.
In March of 1993, a remixed version of “Tarzan Boy” returned to the Billboard Hot 100 where it peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time of its appearance in a Listerine commercial; during that same year, the song was featured in the film, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III” and later in “Beverly Hills Ninja” in 1997.

In 1994, Jimmy was diagnosed with AIDS and returned a few months later to Northern Ireland where he spent his final year there. On March 29, 1995, he died from the disease at the age of 37.

Although Maurizio Bassi hasn’t released any new music in the years since disbanding Baltimora, both of his sons are both active in the music business.

To see a video for “Tarzan Boy,” go to:

To see a video for “Woody Boogie,” go to:

To see a video for “Living in the Background,” go to:

To see a video for “Juke Box Boy,” go to:

To see a video for “Key Key Karimba,” go to:

To see a video for the 1993 remixed version of “Tarzan Boy,” go to:

II D Extreme

II D Extreme was an R&B\new-jack swing group from the early 90’s whose members consisted of Randy Gill (brother of New Edition member, Johnny Gill), Jermaine Mickey and D’Extra Wiley from Washington, DC.

The group came onto the music scene as an unsigned group that made their first demo song, “Cry No More.” A DJ at WPGC-FM played the demo on the air which lead to major demand for nationwide airplay even though II D Extreme wasn’t signed to a record label yet.
Several months after the “Cry No More” demo was released, the group released their self-titled debut album which peaked at #115 on the Billboard 200 and #22 on Billboard’s Top R&B\Hip-Hop Albums chart.
“Cry No More” became II D Extreme’s biggest hit to date, peaking at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and #34 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart.

The song was certified Gold by the RIAA, spent 4 weeks at the top of BET’s “Video Soul” countdown, 7 weeks at Jet Magazine’s top charts, earned the group a Soul Train Music Award nomination and also a ASCAP award for “Best Urban Debut Song.”

In their hometown of DC, the group received a Wammie award. The group has appeared on Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Soul Train, MTV, and BET.
The group’s second single, “Up on the Roof” peaked at #33 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The last single, “Let Me Love You” peaked at #70 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
In 1996, the group released their sophomore album, “From I Extreme II Another” which failed to chart at all on the Billboard albums chart. In 1997, the group introduced a new member, Sage Lee.
The two singles released, “If I Knew Then (What I Know Now)” and “You Got Me Goin” weren’t also very successful. When their record label, Gasoline Alley shut down, the group went their separate ways.

Today, D’Extra Wiley is a producer, artist, and songwriter. He worked with artists such as Queen Latifah and K-Ci and JoJo. He wrote the theme song for the show, “The Hughleys.”

Currently, D’Extra is now producing a gospel project with his siblings called “The Wileys” and continues to do radio consulting and writing scripts & screenplays.

Randy Gill continues to work as an R&B singer. He and his brother, Johnny have entertained American troops in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia with the USO Tour. Today, Randy is working on a solo album. Jermaine Mickey is a gospel singer and released his first gospel album, “Testimonies” in 2008.

Sage Lee is part of the production team, “5th Lnmnt” and works with a stable of artists. The group is still together, creating new music. It’s unknown when they’ll release a new album, but hopefully soon.

To see the group’s MySpace page, go to:
www.myspace.com/iidxtreme

To see D’Extra Wiley’s MySpace page, go to:
www.myspace.com/dxtra

To see Randy Gill’s MySpace page, go to:
www.myspace.com/gilltime

To see Jermaine Mickey’s MySpace page, go to:
www.myspace.com/jermainemickey

To see the music video for “Cry No More,” go to:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8fvud_ii-d-extreme-cry-no-more_music

To see the music video for “Up on the Roof,” go to:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1gxib_up-on-the-roof_music

To see the music video for “You Got Me Goin,” go to:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x73kxf_music

To see the music video for “If I Knew Then,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCX1EHRi7pM

To see the music video for “Let Me Love You,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdkFoqRaOSM

Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I.

Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I. were a hip-hop\new-jack swing group consisting of members David “Redhead” Guppy, Wildstyle, Bo Roc, Lt. Squeak, Buzz and Poochie.

In 1989, the group released their debut album, “A Shade of Red” which peaked at #47 on Billboard’s Top R&B\Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Their first single, “Do the Right Thing” became one of the group’s most well-known songs, peaking at #13 on the UK Singles Chart.

In the US, the song peaked at #8 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart, #12 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play Singles chart, and #21 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

The group’s second single, “Pump it Hottie” became another hit for them, peaking at #2 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart, #37 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play chart, and #22 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

The last single from the album, “We Rock the Mic Right” peaked at #86 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

In 1991, the group released their second and final album, “The Album with No Name” which peaked at #182 on the Billboard 200 and #51 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The group’s only appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 was with the single, “3-2-1 Pump” which peaked at #52 on the chart. The follow-up singles, “All About Red,” “It’s a Love Thang,” “Nice and Slow,” and “Nice” were moderately successful on the rap & R&B charts.

The group was featured on the “New Jack City” movie soundtrack in 1991 and during that same year, David Guppy made his acting debut in the movie, “Strictly Business” featuring Halle Berry.

In 1993, Guppy formed a new group “Private Investigators” which released an album, “React Like Ya Knew” and during that time, Guppy changed his name to “Dawud Nurrid Diyn.”

After that, it seemed that Guppy and his first group faded into obscurity. In 2006, Redhead Kingpin was featured on Nas’ single, “Where Are They Now.”

To see the music video for “Do the Right Thing,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUv3iZ4PafM

To see the music video for “Pump it Hottie,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=kHNpDvB1-hQ

To see the music video for “We Rock the Mic,” go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=fLEUyukz-Cg