Champaign took its name from its home city of Champaign, IL. The group was an interracial septet comprising singers Pauli Carman and Rena Jones, guitarist Howard Reeder, keyboardists Michael Day and Dana Walden, bassist Michael Reed, and percussionist Rocky Maffitt. They hit a commercial peak with their 1981 debut album, How 'Bout Us, whose... [+] Read More

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Groomed to be the heirs to the Jackson 5 throne in the early '80s, DeBarge mirrored the Jacksons early success with a string of hits, but were unable to sustain their winning streak. Originally formed in 1978 and hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, the quintet was comprised of four brothers (Eldra, Mark, James, and Randy) and one sister (Bunny). The... [+] Read More

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Jasmine Guy starred in the Cosby Show TV spin-off A Different World that ran on NBC-TV from 1987 to 1993. Her role as the snooty, heavy-Southern-accented Whitley Gilbert was one of the highlights of the show. She also had three R&B hits, "Try Me," "Another Like My Lover," and "Just Want to Hold You." Born March 10, 1964, in Boston, MA, Guy grew... [+] Read More

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The son of O'Jays founder Eddie LeVert, R&B vocalist Gerald LeVert launched his own recording career in the mid-'80s as the leader of the group LeVert. Rounding out the group was another one of Eddie LeVert's sons, Sean, in addition to member Marc Gordon, as the trio issued such popular recordings as 1985's I Get Hot, 1986's Bloodline (which... [+] Read More

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Combining a Philadelphia soul sound with a strong appreciation of Marvin Gaye, Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly was among the top R&B acts of the late '70s and '80s. The distinctive Maze and its charismatic lead singer, founder, producer, and songwriter Beverly didn't have many pop hits, but they were extremely popular among soul and urban... [+] Read More

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A professional since the age of five, Patti Austin was a protégé of Dinah Washington and Sammy Davis, Jr. A 1969 single for United Artists titled "Family Tree" cracked the R&B Top 50. Austin cut her debut LP, End of a Rainbow, for Creed Taylor's CTI label in 1976, followed by Havana Candy in 1977 and Body Language in 1980. She sang lead vocals... [+] Read More

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Stephanie Mills first came to fame as "the little girl with the big voice" as the star of the hit Broadway play, The Wiz, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic book, The Wizard Of Oz. She had many R&B hits such as "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love," "I Feel Good All Over," "(You're Puttin') A Rush On Me," "Something in the Way (You... [+] Read More

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Guitarist/vocalist George Johnson and bassist/vocalist Louis Johnson formed the band Johnson Three Plus One with older brother Tommy and their cousin Alex Weir while attending school in Los Angeles. When they became professionals, the band backed such touring R&B acts as Bobby Womack and the Supremes. George and Louis Johnson later joined Billy... [+] Read More

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Eighties teenyboppers the Jets came from an extremely large family (17 children overall) and were comprised of eight of the family's brothers and sisters -- Leroy, Eddie, Eugene, Haini, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana Wolfgramm (their parents originally emigrated to the U.S. from the South Pacific nation of Tonga, in 1965, but their offspring... [+] Read More

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Suffice it to say that after nearly two decades of remarkable recordings and performances around the globe, Will Downing is recognized as the premier male vocalist for the embodiment of his singular, sensuous blend of R&B, jazz and pop. Yet 2007 marks the release of what is unquestionably the most crucial album of his career. It’s not... [+] Read More

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Suffice it to say that after nearly two decades of remarkable recordings and performances around the globe, Will Downing is recognized as the premier male vocalist for the embodiment of his singular, sensuous blend of R&B, jazz and pop. Yet 2007 marks the release of what is unquestionably the most crucial album of his career. It’s not... [+] Read More

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