Comprised of two brothers who can trace their music business roots back to the late-'60s Greenwich Village scene (where they shared an apartment with Jimi Hendrix), the Aleems are most noted for forming Nia Records in the early '80s. The label became home to such notable rappers as Marley Marl and MC Shan and helped develop the careers of MCs... [+] Read More

Yes No

The lead vocalist for Ten City and later a solo star in his own right, Byron Stingily had one of the most beautiful voices in house music, a sweet and impeccably clear high register akin to Smokey Robinson or disco celebrity Sylvester. A singer since the age of five, Stingily grew up on the west side of Chicago, and though he attended Blackburn... [+] Read More

Yes No

Detroit-born vocalist Colonel Abrams (his actual name) enjoyed moderate success in the late '80s, singing in a harsh, terse soul style while fitting his voice into a garage and house setting. Abrams was in the group Conservative Manor with his brother Morris in the late '60s, then sang lead vocals for 94 East in 1976. Their roster included... [+] Read More

Yes No

Jeffrey Osborne began his professional singing career in 1969 with a popular funk and soul group called Love Men Ltd. The band moved to Los Angeles in 1970 and changed its name to L.T.D. Osborne was originally brought on as the drummer and eventually became the lead vocalist. After more than ten years with the band, he decided to pursue a solo... [+] Read More

Yes No

Flip through any old stack of underground disco and boogie vinyl released between the late '70s and mid-'80s. If the name Leroy Burgess isn't in the credits of at least one out of the first 50 you scan, consider it a fluke. Despite the fact that Burgess released a grand total of one single under his own name, he had his hand in so many recording... [+] Read More

Yes No

Singer Mic Murphy was the singing half of '80s pioneering synth duo the System, who are best known for "Don't Disturb This Groove," a Top Five R&B and pop hit in 1987. In the driver's seat on the album cover of the same-named album, Murphy cuts loose as the cool, funky track fades, evoking delightful memories of Stevie Wonder's "Superwoman... [+] Read More

Yes No

Guitarist/producer/arranger/songwriter Norman Harris can be heard on countless Philly soul sessions of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. He was a founding member of MFSB, the rhythm/strings/horns aggregation that was the house band for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label. As one third of the production trio of Baker-Harris-Young, he... [+] Read More

Yes No

The husband/wife team from Portland, OR -- guitarist/composer John Smith and vocalist Valerie Day -- attracted some attention on the R&B and disco circuit in the late '80s. "I Can't Wait" reached number two on the R&B charts and number three pop in 1986 for Atlantic. But they were so linked to trendy sounds that by the third single, "Should I... [+] Read More

Yes No

Alternately known as the New York Citi Peech Boys or N.Y.C. Peech Boys, this underground funk rock unit recorded one of the early hits in the New York house/garage scene with 1981's "Don't Make Me Wait." Despite recording for West End and Island in the early '80s, the Peech Boys never made it out of the gate commercially, despite cutting some... [+] Read More

Yes No

Pioneering synth duo the System rode the '80s wave of emerging synth/MIDI music technology to help lay the foundation for contemporary electronic popular music with their upfront, unapologetic use of synths and intelligent songwriting.

In the early '80s, singer Mic Murphy and keyboardist David Frank met in New York. Collecting on... [+] Read More

Yes No