Jennifer Rush

 

Jennifer Rush (born Heidi Stern on September 28, 1960 in Queens, New York) is a pop singer-songwriter who achieved success during the mid-’80s, especially in Europe. She developed her artist name “Jennifer” at the insistance of her first publishing/recording company.

She grew up in a musical family; her mother, Barbara was a pianist and her father, Maurice was a successful opera singer, voice teacher and sculptor. Her brothers, Bobby and Stephen were also musicians as well.

After her parents’ divorce, she and her brothers lived with her mother until she was a toddler, and then lived with her father and his second wife in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York.  She studied the violin while attending the Julliard School and learned how to play the piano, but didn’t enjoy these instruments and took to playing the guitar in private. 

When Jennifer was nine years old, she and her family moved to Germany. After returning to the United States as a teenager, she lived in Seattle, Washington when her father was a professor of voice at the University of Washington.

In 1979, she released her debut album, “Heidi” (under her birth name, Heidi Stern) on the Music Is Medicine record label which was released locally in Seattle; it’s unknown how successful the album was. After meeting singer/songwriter/producer Gene McDaniels, Jennifer moved to Los Angeles, California to record demo songs with him.

In 1982, Jennifer moved to Wiesbaden, Germany at the persistence of Gene McDaniels where her father was engaged as an opera singer. As musicians, both Gene and Jennifer’s father were aware that Germany had been very welcoming to female singers.

During that same year, she released the single, “Tonight” which didn’t make the charts; her follow-up singles “Into My Dreams” and “Come Give Me Your Hand” also didn’t chart at all.

In 1984, Jennifer released her self-titled debut album which peaked at #7 on the UK Albums chart. It also made the album charts in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria and Norway (where it peaked at #1). It was also certified Platinum in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and Norway.

She scored her first charting single with the lead single from the album, “25 Lovers” which peaked at #25 on the music charts in Germany.

The second single from the album, “Ring of Fire” peaked at #14 on the UK Singles chart. It also topped the charts in South Africa and peaked at #22 on the music charts in Germany.

The third single, “The Power of Love” became Jennifer’s biggest hit song to date, topping the music charts in the UK, Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and Spain. It was later covered by artists such as Air Supply, Laura Branigan and Celine Dion, who also made a number-one hit song on the music charts between 1993 to 1994.

Jennifer’s record label held off on releasing the song in North America, feeling that it was too European. It wasn’t until 1986 that it was finally released in the United States and Canada. The song peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, and she performed the song on “American Bandstand” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”

Another track from the album, “Madonna’s Eyes” peaked at #84 on the UK Singles chart and topped the charts in South Africa.

In 1985, Jennifer released her sophomore album, “Movin’ ” which peaked at #32 on the UK Albums chart, and topped the charts in Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Norway.

The lead single, “Destiny” peaked at #96 on the UK Singles chart, but fared better in Germany where it peaked at #4 on the music charts.

The follow-up single from the album, “If You’re Ever Gonna Lose My Love” was moderately successful in Germany and in Austria. Success in the United States still eluded Jennifer, so she decided to relocate to the United States from Germany in order to secure a wider fanbase for her next sudio album.

In 1987, she released her third album, “Heart over Mind” which peaked at #48 on the UK Singles chart and #118 on the Billboard 200. It also topped the album charts in Germany and Switzerland. She worked with Michael Bolton and producer Harold Faltermeyer on the album.

The lead single from the album, “I Come Undone” peaked at #94 on the UK Singles chart. It was also moderately successful on the music charts in Germany and Switzerland.

The second single, “Flames of Paradise” (with Elton John) peaked at #59 on the UK Singles chart and #7 on the music charts in Germany. It also became Jennifer’s highest charting single in the United States, peaking at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The third single from the album, the title song was moderately successful in Germany and Austria. In the United States, it peaked at #42 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Club Play singles chart (staying on the chart for 4 weeks).

In 1988, Jennifer released a non-album single, “Another Way” in Japan which failed to make any impact on the charts at all.

During that same year, Jennifer released her fourth studio album, “Passion” which didn’t chart in the United Kingdom or the United States, but managed to make the album charts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.

The lead single from the album, “You’re My One and Only” peaked at #90 on the UK Singles chart; it also peaked at #21 on the music charts in Switzerland (where it was certified Gold) and #27 on the music charts in Germany (where it was certified Platinum).

The follow-up singles from the album, “Keep All the Fires Burning Bright” and “Love Get Ready” failed to make the charts at all.

In 1989, Jennifer was featured on the European/UK version of Placido Domingo’s album, “Goya: A Life in Song” with the track, “Til I Loved You” which peaked at #24 on the UK Singles chart.

During that same year, she released her fifth studio album, “Wings of Desire” which was moderately successful on the album charts in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.

The only charting single from the album, “Higher Ground” peaked at #98 on the UK Singles chart, and managed to make the music charts in Germany and Austria. The title song was released as a single, but failed to make the charts at all.

In 1990, Jennifer released the non-album single, “We are the Strong” which failed to make any music charts at all.

In 1991, her compliation album, “The Power of Jennifer Rush” peaked at #40 on the album charts in Germany and was certified Gold; however, the single, “Ave Maria (Survivors of a Different Kind)” failed to chart at all.

In 1992, Jennifer released her sixth self-titled album which made the album charts in Germany and Switzerland, but didn’t chart in the United Kingdom or any other countries.

The lead single from the album, “Never Say Never” was moderately successful in Germany, peaking at #46 on the music charts, but not in any other countries.

The follow-up singles: “Vision of You” and “A Broken Heart” also charted in Germany, but due to the non-charting performance of the singles released from the album, the album was unreleased in the U.K. and the U.S. After that, Jennifer took some time off in New York to dedicate time to her daughter, who was born in 1993.

In 1995 (three years after the release of her previous album), Jennifer released her seventh album, “Out of My Hands” which made the album charts in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

The only charting single from the album, “Tears in the Rain” was moderately successful in Germany and Switzerland; the title song failed to make the charts at all.

During that same year, she released a German version of the song, “Colors of the Wind” titled “Das Farbenspiel Des Winds” which was featured on the German version of the soundtrack to the 1995 Disney film, “Pocohontas.”

In 1997, Jennifer released her eighth studio album, “Credo” made the album charts in Austria and Germany. On the album, she worked with gospel and African choirs, who backed her on three of the tracks on the album.

The title song peaked at #75 on the music charts in Germany and #32 on the music charts in Austria; however, the follow-up single, “Sweet Thing” didn’t make the charts at all.

In 1998, she released her ninth album, “Classics” which peaked at #34 on the album charts in Germany. On the album, Jennifer returned to her roots (where her father was a tenor) and recorded a selection of her past hit songs with the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra.

The two singles from the album, “The End of a Journey” and a new version of “Ring of Ice” failed to make the charts at all. Jennifer later went on tour with the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra to promote the album which proved to be popular and she appeared on several TV shows with them.

After the release of her ninth album, Jennifer spent the next few decades away from the music business apart from occasional recordings on various soundtrack albums.

 In 2007, she released a compliation album, “Stronghold: The Collector’s Hit Box” which consists of previously unreleased and rare material. She later announced a return to the recording studio for her first album in ten years.

In March of 2009, Jennifer announced on her official website that she signed a worldwide recording contract with Sony Music/Ariola for one album. In 2010, she released her tenth studio album, “Now Is the Hour” which became moderately successful in countries such as Austria, Germany, Greece and Switzerland.

The two singles released from the album: “Before the Dawn” and “Echoes Love” didn’t appear to make any music charts at all.

During the 2010s, Jennifer toured and performed live in Europe and South Africa. According to research, from 2016 to 2019, she was busy writing new material for other artists and an upcoming new album (which has yet to be released). 

To see a video for “The Power of Love,” go to:

To see a video for “Ring of Ice,” go to:

To see a video for “Destiny,” go to:

To see a video for “Madonna’s Eyes,” go to:

To see a video for “If You’re Ever Gonna Lose My Love,” go to:

To see a video for “Flames of Paradise” (with Elton John), go to:

To see a video for “I Come Undone,” go to:

To see a video for “Heart Over Mind,” go to:

To see a video for “You’re My One and Only,” go to:

To see a video for “Til I Loved You” (with Placido Domingo), go to:

To see a video for “Higher Ground,” go to:

To see a video for “We Are the Strong,” go to:

To see a video for “Never Say Never,” go to:

To see a video for “A Broken Heart,” go to:

To see a video for “Tears in the Rain,” go to:

To see a video for “Das Farbenspiel des Winds,” go to:

To see a video for “Credo,” go to:

To see a video for “The End of a Journey,” go to:

To see a video for “Before the Dawn,” go to:

To see a video for “Echoes Love,” go to:

Keith Stegall

 

Keith Stegall (born Robert Keith Stegall on November 1, 1955 in Wichita Falls, Texas) is a country music singer and record producer who recorded two major-label albums, but he is mainly known for his production work. His father, Bob Stegall was an artist on the Abbott Records label in the 1950s and also played steel guitar for legendary country single, Johnny Horton.

Keith began playing the piano when he was four years old. At the age of twelve, he later learned how to play the guitar and formed a country music band called the Pacesetters. During his early teen years, he learned how to play the drums, started listening to R&B music and joined a rock music band. When he was fifteen years old, he played the guitar for folk music group called the Cheerful Givers.

After completing school, he moved to Shreveport, Louisiana where he sang in a local lounge and also worked as the musical director of a Methodist church. He also practiced his songwriting skills and was encouraged by Kris Kristofferson to try his luck in the music business in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1978, he moved to Nashville and released his debut single, “The Fool Who Fooled Around” in 1980 where it peaked at #58 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart, staying on the chart for six weeks.

Keith’s two follow-up singles: “Anything That Hurts You (Hurts Me)” (which peaked at #58) and “Won’t You Be My Baby” (which peaked at #65) were moderately successful on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in 1981.

In 1982, he released the single, “In Love with Loving You” which peaked at #64 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, staying on the chart for only 5 weeks. During the late ’70s and early ’80s, Keith wrote songs for artists such as Mickey Gilley, Juice Newton, Al Jarreau, Dr. Hook, Eddy Raven, Charley Pride, Stevie Woods, Helen Reddy and Conway Twitty.

In 1984, Keith released the single, “I Want to Go Somewhere” which peaked at #25 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart, staying on the chart for 16 weeks. During that same year, his single, “Whatever Turns You On” peaked at #19 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart, staying on the chart for 21 weeks.

In April of 1985, Keith released his self-titled debut album on Epic Records which peaked at #45 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

He scored his only Top 10 hit song with “Pretty Lady” which peaked at #10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart, staying on the chart for 22 weeks.

Two more tracks from the album: “California” (which peaked at #13) and “Feed the Fire” (which peaked at #45) were moderately successful on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart.

In 1986, Keith released two singles: “I Think I’m In Love” (which peaked at #36) and “Ole Rock and Roller (With a Country Heart)” (which peaked at #52) that were also moderately successful on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart.

In the late ’80s and ’90s, he continued to write & produce songs for Randy Travis, Johnny Mathis, Linda Clifford, Kenny Rogers, The Commodores, Steve Wariner, Barbara Mandrell, T.G. Sheppard, George Jones, Lorrie Morgan and Ronnie Milsap,  He also became Alan Jackson’s producer of choice right from the beginning.

In 1996, Keith released his second studio album, “Passages” on the Mercury Nashville record label; however, the album failed to make any impact on the album charts at all.

He scored a minor hit with the single, “1969” which peaked at #43 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. The follow-up single, “Fifty-Fifty” flopped, peaking at #75 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for only a week.

Although his recording career came to a halt, Keith continued to stay active as as a songwriter & producer, working with artists such as Mark Wills, 98 Degrees, Terri Clark, Sammy Kershaw, Reba McEntire, Jamie O’Neal, Meredith Edwards, Craig Morgan, George Strait and the Zac Brown Band.

In 2008, Keith co-founded an independent record label called Bigger Picture Music Group, signing artists such Chris Cagle, Rachel Bradshaw, Craig Campbell, Chris Janson & Ryan Kinder; however, the label closed in 2014.

In 2016, he launched a production, management and publishing firm called Dreamlined Entertainment Group along with Scott Miller of Miller Investment Management. The firm specializes in artist development, publishing and record label services with distribution through Caroline/UMG. 

In October of 2017, Fangate Music (a record label run by Australian country music promoter, Rob Potts in conjunction with Sony Music Australia) announced their partnership with Dreamlined Entertainment Group.

To see the website for Dreamlined Entertainment Group, go to:
http://www.dreamlinedentertainment.com/

To see a video for “The Fool Who Fooled Around,” go to:

To see a video for “Anything That Hurts You (Hurts Me),” go to:

To see a video for “In Love with Loving You,” go to:

To see a video for “Whatever Turns You On,” go to:

To see a video for “I Want to Go Somewhere,” go to:

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

To see a video for “California,” go to:

To see a video for “I Think I’m in Love,” go to:

To see a video for “1969,” go to:

The Sylvers

 

The Sylvers are an R&B family vocal group from Watts, Los Angeles, California who achieved success during the 1970s. 

The members consisted of siblings Olympia (born Olympia Ann Sylvers on October 13, 1951), Leon (born Leon Frank Sylvers III on March 7, 1953), Charmaine (born Charmaine Elaine Sylvers on March 9, 1954), James (born James Jonathan Sylvers on June 8, 1955), Edmund (born Edmund Theodore Sylvers on January 25, 1957), Ricky (born Joseph Richard Sylvers on October 13, 1958), Angie (born Angelia Marie Sylvers on April 11, 1960), Pat (born Patricia Lynn Sylvers on March 25, 1961) and Foster (born Foster Emerson Sylvers on February 25, 1962). Their youngest sibling, Christopher (born in 1966) never performed with the group.

The Sylvers’ father, Leon Jr. (who had aspirations of becoming a successful musician himself) put his musical attention to Olympia, Leon and Charmaine, self-teaching them music & vocal harmony. He later formed a band featuring his children called The Little Angels, who performed mainly Carribean Calypso styled soul music and appeared in various variety shows, charity shows, community events & other public venues. Soon after, James joined the group and the four of them continued to perform, gaining slight success.

In the mid-’60s, The Little Angels released recordings on Capitol Records along with appearing in several TV shows and media appearances; however, In the late ’60s for undisclosed reasons, the popularity of the group vanished.

During that time, Leon & his wife, Shirley would also separate, leaving Shirley to raise the kids as a single mother in South Los Angeles & she struggled to make ends meet. With the help of oldest son, Leon, Shirley turned to music to turn the family unit around, heavily studying music theory & soul music; she was also talented in the bass guitar. 

Leon reformed “The Little Angels”, adding Edmund and Ricky to the group. With the support of their mother, Shirley, Leon and his siblings would perform original songs in their home and later performed in public which attracted the interest of record & music executives. 

After receiving a record contract with MGM Records, The Little Angels changed their name to The Sylvers. In 1971, they released the singles: “I’m Just a Lonely Soul” and “Time to Ride” which didn’t make the charts.

In 1972, The Sylvers released their self-titled debut album which peaked at #180 on the Billboard 200 and #15 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart.

The lead single, “Fool’s Paradise” peaked at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #14 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 12 weeks.

The follow-up single, “Wish I Could Talk To You” peaked at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 13 weeks (becoming the group’s first top 10 hit on the chart). Another track from the album, “I’ll Never Be Ashamed” was released as a single, but didn’t chart.

In 1973, the group released their sophomore album, “The Sylvers II” which peaked at #164 on the Billboard 200 and #37 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart.

The first single, “Stay Away From Me” peaked at #89 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #33 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 8 weeks.

The follow-up single, “Through the Love in My Heart” missed the Hot 100, but managed to peak at #50 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 9 weeks. 

In early 1973, Leon wrote an uptempo disco song called “Misdemeanor” for the group’s second album; however, the lead vocal (which was sung by Edmund) was later passed on to Foster (who wasn’t an official member of The Sylvers at this time) due to Edmund’s voice change. 

Foster recorded the song for his self-titled debut album which peaked at #7 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart. The popularity of the song (along with his cover version of Dee Clark’s 1959 song, “Hey Little Girl”) led to Foster appearing on television shows such as “American Bandstand” and “Soul Train.”

In 1974, The Sylvers released their third album, “The Sylvers III” which didn’t make the album charts along with the single, “I Aim to Please.” 

Due to the unforseen success of “Misdemeanor,” Foster, Angie & Pat quickly joined their older siblings to the official group and signed an exclusive contract with Capitol Records (the same record label they recorded for as The Little Angels). With nine members strong, the group’s record label teamed the family up with legendary R&B producer Freddie Perren (who worked with The Jackson 5).

In 1975, The Sylvers released their fourth album, “Showcase” which peaked at #58 on the Billboard 200 and #23 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart.

The lead single from the album, “Boogie Fever” became a hit, topping Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart for a week in March of 1975 (staying on the chart for 25 weeks) and became their only biggest pop hit to date, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for a week in May of 1975; it was certified Gold and even topped the charts in Canada.

The follow-up single, “Cotton Candy” was a modest hit, peaking at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #19 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 15 weeks.

In 1976, The Sylvers released their fifth album, “Something Special” which peaked at #80 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart. Following the recording of the album, Charmaine left the group.

The lead single, “Hot Line” peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 21 weeks; it also topped the charts in Canada, was certified Gold and was ranked by Billboard as the 25th biggest hit song of 1977.

The follow-up single, “High School Dance” peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 11 weeks.

In 1977, in an effort to reach a wider, more mature R&B audience, the Sylvers (which was down to seven members after Olympia retired to have children) decided not to re-team with Freddie Perren and began writing & producing their own music.

During that same year, the group released their sixth album, “New Horizons” which peaked at #134 on the Billboard 200 and #43 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart. Despite receiving positive reviews, the album was considered a commercial disappointment.

The lead single, “Any Way You Want Me” peaked at #72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 14 weeks. The title song peaked at #45 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 10 weeks.

In 1978, The Sylvers returned to the studio to record their seventh album, “Forever Yours” with Leon as the producer; however, Capitol Records did not like the new sound and rejected the album, so the group shopped the material elsewhere. 

By mid-1978, they signed a new record deal with Casablanca Records who released the album in August of that same year. The album peaked at #132 on the Billboard 200 and #40 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart. The only track to make the charts was “Don’t Stop, Get Off” which peaked at #15 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, staying on the chart for 14 weeks.

Although the title track and a cover version of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ song, “Swept For You Baby” got significant airplay in 1978, they were never released as singles due to management shake-ups at Casablanca Records (although “Forever Yours” was sent to pop and R&B radio stations).

Around that same time, Leon was recruited by record executive Dick Griffey to become the in-house producer for a new record label that he started with “Soul Train” impresario, Don Cornelius called SOLAR Records. With the group’s album already compete and his siblings now signed with Casablanca Records, Leon left The Sylvers to write & produce music for artists signed to SOLAR Records such as The Whispers, Carrie Lucas, Lakeside and Dynasty (of which he was a member of).

With Leon now under contract at Solar Records and the six remaining members of The Sylvers still under contract with Casablanca Records, the label teamed the group up with Oscar-winning disco composer Giorgio Moroder (who worked with artists such as Donna Summer & Midnight Express).

In 1979, the group released their eighth album, “Disco Fever” which failed to make the Billboard album charts at all. 

The lead single, a cover version of Diana Ross’ song, “Mahogany (Do You Know)” received positive reception in dance clubs and was a favorite on disco radio even though it didn’t make any music charts; however, the follow-up singles “Dance Right Now” and “Hoochie Coochie Dance” flopped. During that same year, the group appeared in the film, “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.”

In 1980, Edmond released a solo album, “Have You Heard” which produced a minor hit with the track “That Burning Love.” During that same year, Charmaine provided the vocals for Gene Page’s song, “Love Starts After Dark.”

By the early ’80s, The Sylvers’ popularity began to fade. In 1981, the group (minus Edmund) released their ninth studio album, “Concept” which didn’t chart at all.

The lead single, “Come Back Lover, Come Back” peaked at #63 on Billboard’s Disco Top 80 chart (along with the track, “Take It To the Top”), staying on the chart for 4 weeks.

After a three-year hiatus, The Sylvers returned in 1984 with six members (after Charmaine returned to the group), reforming with new management and signed a new record deal with Geffen Records. During that same year, they released their last album to date, “Bizarre” which failed to make the charts at all.

The lead single, “In One Love and Out the Other” peaked at #42 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 10 weeks. The follow-up, “Falling for Your Love” peaked at #76 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 6 weeks.

In 1985, The Sylvers officially disbanded. During that same year, their youngest sibling, Christopher died of hepatitis at the age of 18. The siblings would continue to do studio work, playing and singing background vocals for artists including Janet Jackson. Also in that same year, Edmund recorded a solo album for Arista Records, but it was never released in the United States (although a single from the set, “I Love the Sex” was a minor hit in Japan).

In 1989, Foster started his own music group called Hy-Tech where they released two albums in 1987 and 1990 to little success. He also released a solo MP3 CD in 1998 called “Foster Vs. Foster.” According to research, he was convicted of a sex offense in 1994, ended up incarcerated and remains on the list of sex offenders on the State of California Department of Justice Sex Offenders Profile.

In later years, The Sylvers experienced various tragedies including substance & alcohol abuse, incarceration, parole violations, homelessness, mental & physical health challenges, family infighting and financial hardship. On March 11, 2004, Edmund died of lung cancer in Richmond, Virginia at the age of 47, leaving behind 11 chidren (one of whom, actor Jeremy Sylvers, who appeared in the 1991 film, “Child’s Play 3”).

In 2007, Pat Sylvers shared lead vocals on singer Larry O’Williams’ song, “Thank You.” In December of that same year, the group was featured in an issue of Jet magazine in a “Where Are They Now?” segment. In 2008, a few siblings did an interview with radio host Damien Maurice on his show, “Just Chillin’ ” with KPOO-FM in San Francisco, California.

In the summer of 2011, The Sylvers were featured in the TV One network series, “Unsung” where Leon, James, Charmaine, Angie and Pat (along with their mother, Shirley) appeared to talk about their career successes & aftermath.

At the time of the episode’s taping, it was mentioned that Foster & Ricky were incarcerated for parole violations; however, after Foster’s release from prison, he, Angie and Pat made a TV appearance on “The Cindy Davis Show” to discuss the politics of the music industry and more. 

On September 21, 2017, eight members of The Sylvers (including Olympia, Leon, James, Ricky, Angie, Pat and Foster) performed on stage for the first time in over 30 years at The Rose Theater in Pasadena, California. 

According to an article from L.A. Watts Times,  Charmaine (who now works as an accountant) wasn’t on stage for the show because she was recovering from injuries; it was also revealed that Pat Sylver is the co-founding minister of the Season of Omega Christian Center along with her husband, Lorne Deruso.

The article also mentioned that the group was working on a new album and new material such as a single called, “How Do You Say Goodbye”; however, nothing much has been heard on either project.

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

To see a video for “Hot Line,” go to:

To see a video for “High School Dance,” go to:

To see a video for “Fool’s Paradise,” go to:

To see a video for “Wish I Could Talk To You,” go to:

To see a video for “Stay Away from Me,” go to:

To see a video for “Through the Love in My Heart,” go to:

To see a video for “Any Way You Want Me,” go to:

To see a video for “New Horizons,” go to:

To see a video for “Forever Yours,” go to:

To see a video for “Come Back Lover, Come Back,” go to:

To see a video for “In One Love and Out the Other,” go to:

To see a video for “Falling for Your Love,” go to:

As a bonus, here is a video for Foster Sylvers’ song, “Misdemeanor”:

Paul Davis

 

Paul Davis (born Paul Lavon Davis on April 21, 1948 in Meridian, Mississippi) was an American pop rock/country singer-songwriter from the ’70s and ’80s.

As a teenager, he began playing in local bands such as the Six Soul Survivors and the Endless Chain. In 1968, he began working as a staff songwriter at Malaco Records in Jackson, Mississippi. A year later, he was discovered by Ilene Berns (the widow of producer/songwriter Bert Berns) who signed him to the Bang Records label.

In 1970, Paul released his debut album, “A Little Bit of Paul Davis” which didn’t make any album charts at all.

The lead single from the album, “A Little Bit of Soap” peaked at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #27 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. The follow-up single, “I Just Wanna Keep It Together” peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #34 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

During that same year, Paul released the single, “Can’t You” which missed the Hot 100, but managed to peak at #18 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

In 1972, he released his self-titled sophomore album; like his debut album, it didn’t make the charts at all; however, the track, “Boogie Woogie Man” managed to peak at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1974, Paul released his third album, “Ride ‘Em Cowboy” which peaked at #148 on the Billboard 200 and #19 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

The title song was a moderate hit, peaking at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and #47 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, staying on the chart for 8 weeks.

A year later in 1975, Paul released the single, “Keep Our Love Alive” which peaked at #90 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his lowest charting single on the Hot 100 to date.

In 1976, he released his fourth album, “Southern Tracks & Fantasies” which didn’t make the Billboard 200 at all.

The first single from the album, “Thinking of You” peaked at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #31 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. The follow-up single, “Superstar” peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #31 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

In 1977, Paul released his fifth album, “Singer of Songs: Teller of Tales” which peaked at #82 on the Billboard 200.

The lead single from the album, “I Go Crazy” became a hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #25 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. It also peaked at #7 on the Cash Box Top 100.

During an appearance on the “American Top 40” radio show, Casey Kasem said that Paul begged his studio to have “I Go Crazy” presented to singer Lou Rawls, whom he thought would make the song a huge success; however, when the studio saw how much faith Paul had in the chances of the song’s success, it decided to release a lightly edited version of Paul’s own studio demo version (although Lou Rawls released his cover version of the song two years later).

The song was also covered by artists such as Lee Greenwood in 1989, Will Downing in 1991, Barry Manilow in 1997 and DHT featuring Edmée in 2006 (which all managed to make the music charts respectively).

The follow-up single, a cover version of The Beach Boys’ 1967 song, “Darlin’ ” (featuring singer Susan Collins) peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The last single released from the album, “Sweet Life” peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and #85 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, staying on the chart for 4 weeks.

In 1978, Paul released the single, “Cry Just A Little” which peaked at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #36 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. (The song would be featured on his sixth studio album, which was released two years later).

In 1980, he released his sixth self-titled album which peaked at #173 on the Billboard 200. The follow-up single from the album, “Do Right” peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

In 1981, Paul released his last studio album to date, “Cool Night” on Arista Records which peaked at #52 on the Billboard 200.

The title song peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart (making it his highest charting single on the chart).

The follow-up single, ” ’65 Love Affair” became his highest charting pop single to date, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

Paul’s last charting solo single, “Love or Let Me Be Lonely” peaked at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. He was also featured on the soundtracks to the films, “The Karate Kid” and “About Last Night…”

In 1984, Paul moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he became a successful country music songwriter during the ’80s and ’90s, writing songs for artists such as Johnny Cash, Tanya Tucker and Marie Osmond (with her number-one country hit song, “Meet Me in Montana” with Dan Seals). In 1985, his song, “Bop” won a Country Music Association award for “Single of the Year” for Dan Seals. 

In July of 1986, Paul was shot in a robbery while leaving a hotel in Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, but he survived the incident.  Shortly afterward, he signed a recording contract, but he was chafed at being pigeonholed as a country music act and never released another solo album again.

Despite that, Paul stayed active on the country music charts. In 1986, his duet with Marie Osmond, “You’re Still New to Me” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart for a week, staying on the chart for 21 weeks.

In 1987, he was featured on Tanya Tucker’s song, “I Won’t Take Less Than Your Love” (along with singer Paul Overstreet) which topped Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart for a week, staying on the chart for 8 weeks.

In 1988, Paul was featured on Marie Osmond’s cover version of his 1977 song, “Sweet Life” which peaked at #47 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart, staying on the chart for 8 weeks.

Paul’s skillfull arrangements on his song demo tapes were frequently copied note for note by singers and their producers; for instance, Ronnie Milsap reportedly merely replaced Paul’s voice with his own on Paul’s demo recording of the song, “Turn That Radio On” (which peaked at #4 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart). 

In the late ’90s, Paul was also an avid golfer and a billiards enthusiast; he was a member of the Music City Amateur Billiard Tour in Nashville, Tennessee and competitive during the late ’90s.

On April 22, 2008 (the day after his 60th birthday and not long after being nominated to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame), Paul died of a heart attack at the Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi. He was survived by his wife, Pamela (who died in March of 2017) and son, Jonathan.

To see a video for “I Go Crazy,” go to:

To see a video for “Cool Night,” go to:

To see a video for ” ’65 Love Affair,” go to:

To see a video for “Ride ‘Em Cowboy,” go to:

To see a video for “A Little Bit of Soap,” go to:

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

To see a video for “Keep Our Love Alive,” go to:

To see a video for “Superstar,” go to:

To see a video for “Darlin’,” go to:

To see a video for “Sweet Life,” go to:

To see a video for “Cry Just A Little,” go to:

To see a video for “Do Right,” go to:

To see a video for “Love or Let Me Be Lonely,” go to:

To see a video for “You’re Still New to Me” (with Marie Osmond), go to:

To see a video for “I Won’t Take Less Than Your Love” (with Tanya Tucker and Paul Overstreet), go to:

Shannon Brown

 

Shannon Brown (born Shannon Leigh Brown on July 23, 1973 in Spirit Lake, Iowa) is a country music singer-songwriter from the late ’90s and 2000s.

In 1997, she signed her first recording contract with Arista Nashville and a year later, she began working on her debut album, “A Tour of My Heart.”

The lead single from the album, “I Won’t Lie” peaked at #58 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for 11 weeks; however, Shannon’s debut album was never released (although a promotional copy exists on Discogs.com).

In 1999, Shannon was featured on the soundtrack to the film, “Happy, Texas” with the track, “Half a Man” which was released as a single, but didn’t appear to make the charts at all. In late 2001, she left Arista Nashville and signed a new record deal with BNA Records where she began working on her second studio album.

The lead single from the album, a cover version of Deborah Allen’s song, “Baby I Lied” peaked at #40 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for 15 weeks.

The follow-up single, “Untangle My Heart” peaked at #58 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for only four weeks.  Just like her first album, Shannon’s second album, “Untangle My Heart” was never released and she left BNA Records not long afterward.

In late 2005, Shannon signed her third recording contract with Warner Bros. Records where she finally released an album, “Corn Fed” which peaked at #163 on the Billboard 200, #34 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and #6 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers Albums chart.

The title song peaked at #47 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, staying on the chart for 15 weeks; however, the follow-up single, “Pearls” failed to make the charts at all and she later parted ways with Warner Bros. Records.

These days, it’s currently unknown what Shannon Brown is up to these days and it appears as if she has faded into obscurity.

To see a video for “I Won’t Lie,” go to:

To see a video for “Half a Man,” go to:

To see a video for “Untangle My Heart,” go to:

To see a video for “Corn Fed,” go to:

Kristin Garner

 

Kristin Garner (born in Owego, New York) is a country music singer-songwriter from the 2000s. She signed a record deal with Atlantic Records in 2000 and the label contracted with producer Kyle Lehning to produce her debut album.

In 2001 (while on a promotional radio tour), her debut single, “Let’s Burn It Down” peaked at #59 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for only a week.

Her follow-up singles, “Lightly” and “Singing to the Scarecrow” failed to make any impact on the charts at all and it appears as if her debut album was shelved due to the poor performance of the singles (although a promotional copy is available on Discogs.com).

In 2002, Atlantic Records (Nashville) shut down, releasing all 11 of their signed artists and Kristin was one of a few artists on the label that were offered deals with other major recording labels. She accepted a second record deal with Warner Bros. Records, but after a few unproductive years, she asked to be released from the label.

In 2005, Kristin married guitarist Shayne Hill (who is the lead guitarist for country music band Sawyer Brown) and they have two children, Jesse & Harper. According to research, she is on the staff as the worship director of the mega-church Bethel World Outreach in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Kristin and Shayne are also active in writing & producing Contemporary Christian and Worship songs for EveryNation (which is a network of approximately 400 member churchs in Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania and the Americas). They have also performed as guest worship leaders for the Trinity Broadcasting Network as part of their “Praise the Lord” series.

[There are no videos available for this blog post.]

Roxie Dean

Roxie Dean (born Roxie Lea Dean on March 23, 1974 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a country music songwriter and singer from the 2000s.

She attended Graceland College in Iowa on a softball scholarship and received a degree in broadcast journalism from Louisiana State University. After graduating from college, Roxie tried to establish herself as a country music singer in Nashville, Tennessee, but it was unsuccessful. 

Roxie later left for California where she worked for Toyota coordinating events in Huntington Beach, however, a screening of George Strait’s “Pure Country” motivated her to return to Nashville. She began socializing with a friend from Louisiana, Rivers Rutherford (who worked with artists such as Brooks & Dunn, Chely Wright and Montgomery Gentry) who was connected to music industry insiders in the city that helped Roxie find her direction.

Country music producer Chips Moman offered to let Roxie run his farm; while tending the farm, she focused on her songwriting and worked with Moman on one of her projects. She co-wrote Jamie O’Neal’s song, “When I Think About Angels” which became a number-one hit on the country music charts. She also wrote songs for artists such as Lee Ann Womack and Tracy Lawrence.

Roxie also worked with producer Harold Shedd and publisher Lionel Conway, who were with Maverick Music at the time. When the company went out of business, Ginny Johnson of Hamstein Productions called her and she began working with producer Buddy Cannon.

In 2001, Roxie signed a record deal with DreamWorks Records where she released her debut single, “Everyday Girl” which peaked at #60 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for a week, making it her only chart appearance to date. By 2003, she left DreamWorks Records.

In 2005, she released her debut album, “Ms. America” on Vahalla Records which didn’t appear to make the charts at all.

The lead single from the album, “A Soldier’s Wife” didn’t chart, but a portion of all of the proceeds were donated to the Armed Forces Relief Trust/Operating Helping Hand. Another track from the album, “Women Know Women” was released as a single, but failed to make the charts at all.

Roxie continued with her songwriting, writing songs for Reba McEntire and Sara Evans. In 2008, she signed an exclusive publishing contract with HoriPro Entertainment group. In 2013, she signed an exclusive publishing deal with Judy Harris Music and hosted her own country music variety show called “The Roxie Show.”

These days (according to research), Roxie resides outside of Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, who works as a firefighter and daughter. She has served on the boards of NARAS (Grammy’s) and the NSAI (the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International) and is still writing songs.

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

To see a video for “A Soldier’s Wife,” go to:

Penelope Jones

 

Penelope Jones (born Juarita Shante Jones in St. Louis, Missouri) is a female rapper from the 2000s. Born and raised in St. Louis, she grew up around family members who were convicted felons, and later had two sons.

In October of 2000, she landed a record deal with rapper Nelly’s Fo Reel Entertainment (which also featured Nelly and the St. Lunatics). She recorded a verse on the St. Lunatics’ song, “Jang-A-Ling” and appeared in their music video for “Midwest Swing.”

In December of 2000, Penelope was indicted on federal drug charges when a cousin of hers who had been behind bars for years called her to relay a message of interest to drug enforcement agents. 

When she refused to snitch to authorities, she was sentenced to a year and a half in a federal prison in Bryan, Texas and lost her record deal. While incarcerated, she earned a certificate in business communication from Blinn College and studied to become a personal trainer. 

A few months before her release from prison, Penelope’s brother, Antonio Jones was murdered in Edwardsville, Illinois and she was unable to attend his funeral due to her incarceration. The story about Antonio’s murder was featured on “America’s Most Wanted” although it’s unknown if the person who committed the crime was ever identified.

After her release from prison in 2004, Penelope was sent to a halfway house where she worked at Gold’s Gym. She later met Shawn “Tubby” Holiday, the manager of a West Coast music publishing house who wanted to manage her music career.

In 2005, she signed a new record deal with Universal Records through Tubby’s imprint label, M.O.N.Y. During that same year, Penelope was featured on R&B singer Tyra’s song, “Get No Ooh Wee” which managed to peak at #62 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (staying on the chart for 16 weeks).

In 2006, Penelope released her debut solo single, “No Matter What They Say” (featuring R&B singer Mya) which didn’t appear to make the charts at all.

Her follow-up single, “Miss Me With That Foolishness” also failed to chart at all as well along with a promotional single, “Louie.” 

Penelope’s debut album was supposed to be released sometime between 2005 and 2006 through the Universal Motown record label, but for reasons unknown, it appears as if the album was shelved. Since then, it seems as if Penelope has faded into obscurity; it’s unknown what she’s currently up to these days.

To see a video for “Louie,” go to:

Ebony Eyez

 

Ebony Eyez (born Ebony Williams in St. Louis, Missouri) is a female rapper from the 2000s who became the first female rapper to emerge from St. Louis on a major record label. 

She made her recording debut in 2004 on rapper J-Kwon’s song, “Show Your Ass” on his album, “Hoop Hop.” In the aftermath of J-Kwon’s hit song, “Tipsy”, Ebony Eyez was signed to a major-label recording contract with Capitol Records and began collaborating with a local production team, the TrackBoyz.

In 2005, Ebony Eyez was featured on J-Kwon’s song, “Get XX’d” (along with rapper Petey Pablo) which written for the film, “XXX: State of the Union.” The song peaked at #95 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, staying on the chart for 4 weeks and #26 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart.

During that same year, she released her debut album, “7 Day Cycle” which peaked at #137 on the Billboard 200, #24 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #14 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart.

The first single from the album, “In Ya Face” peaked at #82 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, staying on the chart for four weeks. It also peaked at #29 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Songs chart and #36 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart. 

According to Ebony, the song wasn’t meant to be the first single from the album and it was actually targeted for the strip clubs, but it took on a new shape and went to radio.

The follow-up single, “Take Me Back” (featuring Slim and Q from R&B group 112) failed to chart at all and Ebony Eyez later parted ways with her record label. 

After that, she took a break from the music business and nothing much was heard from Ebony Eyez until 2009 when she released a mixtape on the Datpiff website called “Nice Girlz Finish Last.”

These days (according to research), it appears as if Ebony Eyez is still active with her music career, releasing songs on her ReverbNation page and is also the mother of a young daughter.

To see Ebony Eyez’s ReverbNation page, go to:
https://www.reverbnation.com/ebonyeyez

To follow Ebony Eyez on Instagram, go to:
https://www.instagram.com/ebonyeyezstl/?hl=en

To see a video for “In Ya Face,” go to:

To see a video for “Take Me Back” (featuring Slim and Q from 112), go to:

Patrice Rushen ‎Anything Can Happen (Remix Post)

 

[from her 1987 album, “Watch Out!”]

East Coast Dub Version

West Coast Extended Mix Version