Classic Soul and Today's R&B - 98.7 KISS FM Artist Bios

98.7 KISS FM ARTIST BIOS

98.7 KISS FM Artist Bios	Stories 1 to 10 of 123
4/20/2010 Mint Condition Mint Condition is an R&B band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Formed in the late 1980s, its original members were lead singer (and in-studio drummer/percussionist) Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, keyboardist Keri Lewis, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen. Currently, this line-up remains intact, with the exception of Lewis, who left the group to produce for other artists. The group is well known for its highly diverse musical style (able to play anything from traditional jazz stylings to mainstream R&B and rock-based music to funk grooves and even Latin and Jamaican-based rhythms) and also its captivating live performances. The band is also well known for their well written and produced R&B ballads, mainly in the 1990s.Discovered and originally signed to Perspective Records by music producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in 1989 (after being heard at a performance at a club in downtown Minneapolis called First Avenue), their debut album was entitled Meant To Be Mint (released in 1991). Despite their musical versatility the band attempted to attract New Jack Swing listeners with their dance cut "Are You Free", but it wasn't successful (the song hit #55 on the R&B charts). However, they did enjoy major success with the ballad "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)". The song stayed on the charts for 34 weeks, hitting the R&B top 5 (#3), and the Pop Top 10 (#6) and was certified gold by the RIAA. The third single "Forever In Your Eyes" was also a successful Top 10 R&B hit (#7 R&B).Two years later they released their 2nd platinum album, From The Mint Factory (1993). They enjoyed success with the single "U Send Me Swingin'" which peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart for four weeks straight in the spring of 1994. The ... Read More
8/19/2009 Heather Headley R&B vocalist Heather Headley was born in Trinidad in the mid-'70s. At an early age, this daughter of a pastor was surrounded by music and performance art. She started playing concert piano by the age of four, later immersing herself in the eclectic music of her culture: calypso, soca, and reggae. This foundation would later motivate Headley to sing professionally. Upon arriving in the States with her family at age 15, Headley quickly adapted to America's ways. She soaked up American music and worked with its complexities. She graduated with honors from high school, and later studied communications and musical theater at Northwestern University.In 1997, she was cast as Nala in the Broadway production of +The Lion King. She was so impressive that Disney called on her shortly thereafter to audition for the Elton John/Tim Rice musical +Aida. Headley accepted; her role as the Nubian princess Aida was captivating, and it earned her a Tony Award in 1998. Three years later, Headley moved from the stage to the studio to record her first album as a solo artist. She scored a deal with RCA and issued her debut, This Is Who I Am, in fall 2002. In My Mind was released in January 2006, and though it gave her more popularity than ever -- it peaked within the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 -- she followed it three years later with a contemporary gospel-oriented set, Audience of One, which featured original material alongside covers of the Commodores' "Jesus Is Love" and Fred Hammond's "Running Back to You." Read More
11/9/2010 Marsha Ambrosius Marsha Ambrosius or Marsha is a former member of the English band duo Floetry. She is also a part of the songwriting team Knightwritaz and is expected to be releasing her first solo album Late Nights & Early Mornings in January 2011. Original members Marsha and Natalie met through their love of basketball and formed a friendship. Both Natalie and Marsha attended the Brit School for Performing Arts & Technology where Marsha studied business and finance and Natalie majored in Performing Arts, Media and Art. For college Ambrosius planned to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia on a basketball scholarship but could not due to an injury. Stewart attended Middlesex University in London and later transferred to North London University. During these years, both women continued to keep in touch. Stewart was a founding member of the performance poetry group 3 Plus 1 which was rising to critical acclaim throughout London, Birmingham, and Manchester. After inviting Ambrosius to join her on stage to perform at a spoken word night, where they debuted a piece that they had written together called Fantasize, combining spoken word and singing, Floetry was born. In 2000, the duo travelled to the United States to perform on the poetry circuit. After frequenting spoken word/poetry spots in Atlanta, GA such as Yin Yang Poets' Cafe (to rave reviews), they moved on to Philadelphia. There they met Darren 'Limitless' Henson and Keith 'Keshon' Pelzer of DJ Jazzy Jeff's Touch Of Jazz studio and began recording. In 2002, they signed with DreamWorks Records and released their debut album Floetic, which featured the singles "Floetic", "Say Yes", and "Getting Late". The album was also released in the UK with additional tracks, one of which features British singer/songwriter and producer Sebastian Rogers. Ambrosius has been featured on many ... Read More
8/31/2009 Blackstreet One of the top R&B vocal groups of the '90s, Blackstreet was founded by singer, producer, and new jack swing pioneer Teddy Riley after the breakup of his seminal trio Guy. Riley had taken a few years to concentrate on his booming production career, which saw him working with Wreckx-N-Effect, Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, and SWV, among others. His itch to get back in the performing arena resulted in the formation of Blackstreet in 1994, which included singers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, Levi Little, and Joe Stonestreet in addition to Riley. Stonestreet was replaced by Dave Hollister prior to the recording of the group's self-titled debut album, which appeared in the spring of 1994. On the strength of "Before I Let You Go," a Top Five hit on the R&B charts, Blackstreet was a platinum-selling hit even without much crossover exposure. Two more singles from the album, "Booti Call" and "Joy," were minor hits as well.Hollister subsequently left for a solo career and Little exited as well; their replacements were Mark Middleton and Eric Williams. The new additions helped set the stage for Blackstreet's pop breakthrough with 1996's Another Level. More specifically, it was the inescapable smash single "No Diggity," which featured special guest Dr. Dre, that put them over the top. "No Diggity" reigned for four weeks on top of the pop charts and won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group; it also pushed sales of Another Level past the four million mark. The follow-up single, "Don't Leave Me," was a decent-sized hit in 1997, and the group later made a guest appearance on Jay-Z's "The City Is Mine" and teamed with Mya and Mase for the hit "Take Me There" from the Rugrats soundtrack. More personnel shifts had ensued following their blockbuster success, ... Read More
8/13/2009 Michael Jackson The King of Pop Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the '80s, and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time. In his prime, Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power. His 1982 blockbuster Thriller became the biggest-selling album of all time (probably his best-known accomplishment), and he was the first black artist to find stardom on MTV, breaking down innumerable boundaries both for his race and for music video as an art form. Yet as Jackson's career began, very gradually, to descend from the dizzying heights of his peak years, most of the media's attention focused on his increasingly bizarre eccentricities; he was often depicted as an arrested man-child, completely sheltered from adult reality by a life spent in show business. The snickering turned to scandal in 1993, when Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy; although he categorically denied the charges, his out-of-court settlement failed to restore his tarnished image. He never quite escaped the stigma of those allegations, and while he continued to sell records at superstar-like levels, he didn't release them with enough frequency (or, many critics thought, inspiration) to once again become better known for his music than his private life. Whether as a pop icon or a tabloid caricature, Jackson always remained bigger than life.Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, IN. The fifth son of steelworker Joe Jackson, Michael displayed a talent for music and dance from an extremely young age. His childhood was strictly regimented; from the start, he was to an extent sheltered from the outside world by his mother's Jehovah's Witness faith, and his father was by ... Read More
8/27/2009 Tyrese Tyrese Darnell Gibson (born December 30, 1978),also known simply as Tyrese, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, former fashion model and MTV VJ. After releasing several albums, he transitioned into films, with lead roles in several Hollywood films.In 1996, Gibson appeared on an episode of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. Then he guest-starred on an episode of The Parent 'Hood sitcom in 1998. He was given the role originally intended for Tupac Shakur in the 2001 film Baby Boy, and he subsequently appeared in the 2003 film 2 Fast 2 Furious (opposite Paul Walker with whom he formed a close friendship), as well as Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Four Brothers (2005) and Annapolis (2006).In 2006, Tyrese starred in Waist Deep; his co-stars in the film, Meagan Good and Larenz Tate, are personal friends of Gibson's in real life. Like several of his previous roles, the film is set in an urban environment, but Gibson has said that he does not view the role as a "step back", rather seeing the film as taking "another direction" due to some of its themes and action sequences.He appeared in the 2007 action film Transformers. The film's director, Michael Bay, had Gibson in mind for the role before he was cast, and thus Gibson did not have to audition for the part.Gibson may also star in a film version of the superhero Luke Cage; as of 2006, the script was being re-formatted. Gibson also appeared in action thriller Death Race.In 2009, he reprised his role as Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Robert Epps in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. He was scheduled to make an appearance in Fast & Furious, the fourth installment in the The Fast and the Furious film series, but it never happened. It is ... Read More
8/19/2009 Charlie Wilson As lead singer for the Gap Band, Charlie Wilson sang on four number one R&B hits: "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)," "Early in the Morning," "Outstanding," and "Addicted to Your Love" -- as well as the classics "You Dropped a Bomb on Me," "Yearning for Your Love," "Party Train," and "Big Fun." The band had three platinum albums, two gold certificates, and supplied hit singles for the movie soundtracks to Penitentiary III ("Sweeter Than Candy") and the title track Top 20 R&B hit single of Keenon Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. After a long hiatus, Wilson returned in 2000 with Bridging the Gap, issued by Interscope and sporting appearances by Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg (the smooth "Big Pimpin'") and Case (on the duet ballad "Another Man"). The album became an R&B hit and brushed the Top 200 album chart as well. His 2005 LP Charlie, Last Name Wilson hit the Top Ten thanks to the success of the title track and "Magic." Read More
4/20/2010 Laura Izibor Laura Izibor is an R&B singer/songwriter from Dublin, Ireland, who began her major-label recording career with a series of soundtrack contributions in 2007 before making her full-length album debut in 2009 with Let the Truth Be Told. Born in Dublin and citing as her primary influences soul icons of the 1960s and '70s such as Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Candi Staton, and Roberta Flack, she began singing professionally as a teenager and developed a personal style that has been compared to Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott. Recognition came quickly for the young Irish R&B singer/songwriter, as she won the 2FM Song Contest at age 15 and was signed to a major-label recording contract with Jive Records at age 17. She began recording her full-length debut album while under contract with Jive Records, but her relationship with the label frayed. She subsequently moved to Atlantic Records, where she continued with the ongoing recording sessions for her debut album, a process that would ultimately take four years in total and include sessions in a variety of studios in Dublin as well as the United States. In 2007 some of her finished material was licensed for release on a series of soundtrack recordings: "Shine" was featured on the soundtrack for the film The Nanny Diaries, "Mmm..." on Why Did I Get Married?, "Carousel" on P.S. I Love You, and "From My Heart to Yours" on the television shows Grey's Anatomy and The Hills. Also in 2007 Atlantic Records released Live from Crawdaddy, Dublin, a five-track live recording. In the run-up to the release of her self-written and co-produced full-length debut album, "From My Heart to Yours" was released as a single in late 2008; a four-track EP featuring a DJ Premier remix of the song was made available digitally. A ... Read More
8/19/2009 D'Angelo D'Angelo was one of the founding fathers and leading lights of the neo-soul movement of the mid- to late '90s, which aimed to bring the organic flavor of classic R&&B back to the hip-hop age. Modeling himself on the likes of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Curtis Mayfield, and Al Green, D'Angelo's influences didn't just come across in his vocal style -- like most of those artists, he wrote his own material (and frequently produced it as well), helping to revive the concept of the R&&B auteur. His debut album, Brown Sugar, gradually earned him an audience so devoted that the follow-up, Voodoo, debuted at number one despite a five-year wait in between.Michael D'Angelo Archer was born February 11, 1974, in Richmond, VA, the son of a Pentecostal minister. He began teaching himself piano as a very young child, and at age 18, he won the amateur talent competition at Harlem's Apollo Theater three weeks in a row. He was briefly a member of a hip-hop group called I.D.U. and signed a publishing deal with EMI in 1991. His first major success came in 1994 as a writer/producer, helming the single &"U Will Know" on the Jason's Lyric soundtrack; it featured a one-time, all-star R&&B aggregate dubbed Black Men United. That helped lead to his debut solo album, 1995's Brown Sugar. Helped by the title track and &"Lady," Brown Sugar slowly caught on with R&&B fans looking for an alternative to the hip-hop soul dominating the urban contemporary landscape; along with artists like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell, D'Angelo became part of a retro-leaning, neo-soul revivalist movement. Brown Sugar received enormously complimentary reviews and sold over two million copies, and D'Angelo supported it with extensive touring over the next two years.And then -- not much of anything ... Read More
8/31/2009 Aaliyah A star in the R&B world before she was even out of her teens, Aaliyah's promising career was tragically cut short by her death in a plane crash at age 22. Even with only three albums under her belt, she'd already earned a place as a talented trendsetter among the R&B elite. Following a successful transition to a more mature image, Aaliyah played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late '90s. Her work with Timbaland, especially, was some of the most forward-looking R&B of its time, even while the competing neo-soul movement was gaining prominence. Aaliyah's death came on the heels of her third and most accomplished album, making it especially unfortunate that she was robbed of a chance to continue her creative development. Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, and named after a Swahili word meaning "most exalted one." Her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was a manager and entertainment lawyer who was married to Gladys Knight for a time, and her mother, also a singer, enrolled Aaliyah in voice lessons before she'd even started school. Still very young, she moved with her family to Detroit, where she sang in several school plays. At age nine, she successfully auditioned for the TV show Star Search, where she performed "My Funny Valentine" (and lost). Two years later, thanks to her uncle Hankerson's connections, she spent five nights in Las Vegas performing as part of Gladys Knight's revue. In addition to his niece, Hankerson was also managing a rising R&B star named R. Kelly, and introduced the two in 1992. Kelly soon took Aaliyah under his wing and began writing and producing songs for her. Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was released in ... Read More

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02/11 ·	98.7 Kiss FM Presents 70s Soul Jam Valentines Concert
02/11 ·	98.7 Kiss FM Presents 70s Soul Jam Valentines Concert
02/14 ·	Cedric The Entertainer- Valentine's Day Show
02/17 ·	Aretha Franklin
02/18 ·	Aretha Franklin

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