About
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris alongside tenors Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman. During the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet including bass Michael McCary, who left the group in 2003 due to multiple sclerosis.
During the 1990s, Boyz II Men gained international success. This began with the release of top 5 singles "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" in 1991, followed by the number one single "End of the Road" in 1992, which reached the top of charts worldwide. "End of the Road" set a new record for longevity, staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for thirteen weeks. Boyz II Men proceeded to break this record with the subsequent releases of "I'll Make Love to You" and "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey), which, at fourteen and sixteen weeks respectively, each set new records for the total number of weeks at number one. "I'll Make Love to You" also topped the charts in Australia (for four weeks) and garnered international success.
Consequently, Boyz II Men is among the music industry's elite with regard to time spent at number one in Billboard history with 50 cumulative weeks, ranking fourth behind Presley, The Beatles, and Carey. Furthermore, when "On Bended Knee" took the number one spot away from "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men became only the third artists ever (after The Beatles and Presley) to replace themselves at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. These achievements were enough to earn Boyz II Men recognition as Billboard magazine's biggest boy band during the period of 1987 to 2012. Boyz II Men has received four Grammy Awards.
Boyz II Men continue to perform worldwide, as a trio. Their most recent studio album, Under The Streetlight, was released in 2017.
In June 2017, a section of Broad Street (from Christian to Carpenter Streets) in Philadelphia was renamed "Boyz II Men Boulevard". This section of the street is near the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, where the members once attended.
Style and Influence
Boyz II Men is among the biggest names in a cappella and R&B. With what was called "crossover appeal", Boyz II Men found themselves at the vanguard of the 1990s movement to take R&B back into the mainstream, where it had been back in the 1970s. Their use of hip-hop beats in combination with R&B was not unique, but it was Boyz II Men's enormous success with mainstream audiences in "putting harmony over the hip-hop tracks" that helped usher in the near-total dominance of the R&B genre on the pop charts in the 2000s and 2010s. On January 5, 2012, Boyz II Men were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Members
Current
• Nathan Morris (1985-present)
• Wanya Morris (1987-present)
• Shawn Stockman (1988-present)
Former
• Michael McCary (1988-2003)
• Marc Nelson (1985-1990)
• George Baldi (1985-1988)
• Jon Shoats (1985-1988)
• Marguerite Walker (1985-1988)
Discography
Studio Albums
• Cooleyhighharmony (1991)
• Christmas Interpretations (1993)
• II (1994)
• Evolution (1997)
• Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya (2000)
• Full Circle (2002)
• Throwback, Vol. 1 (2004)
• The Remedy (2006)
• Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA (2007)
• Love (2009)
• Twenty (2011)
• Collide (2014)
• Under the Streetlight (2017)
Awards and Nominations
2009
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Ribbon In the Sky) - Nomination
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Album (Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA) - Nomination
2003
Soul Train Music Awards - Besr R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo (Full Circle) - Nomination
2001
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Album (Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya) - Nomination
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Pass You By) - Nomination
1998
American Music Awards - Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (A Song for Mama) - Nomination
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Album (Evolution) - Nomination
Soul Train Music Awards - Besr R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo (Evolution) - Nomination
1996
American Music Awards - Favorite Soul/R&B Album (II)
American Music Awards - Favorite Rock/Pop Album (II) - Nomination
American Music Awards - Artist of the Year - Nomination
American Music Awards - Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group - Nomination
Billboard Music Awards - Top Hot 100 Song (One Sweet Day with Mariah Carey) - Nomination
Billboard Music Awards - Billboard Music Special Hot 100 (One Sweet Day with Mariah Carey)
Grammy Awards - Record of the Year (One Sweet Day with Mariah Carey) - Nomination
Grammy Awards - Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (One Sweet Day with Mariah Carey) - Nomination
Soul Train Music Awards - Entertainer of the Year
1995
American Music Awards - Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group
American Music Awards - Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist - Nomination
American Music Awards - Favorite Soul/R&B Soul/R&B Single (I'll Make Love to You)
American Music Awards - Favorite Pop/Rock Song (I'll Make Love to You)
Billboard Music Awards - Top Billboard 200 Abum (II) - Nomination
Billboard Music Awards - Top Artist - Nomination
Billboard Music Awards - Top R&B Artist - Nomination
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (I'll Make Love to You)
Grammy Awards - Record of the Year (I'll Make Love to You) - Nomination
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Album (II)
Soul Train Music Awards - Best R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo (II)
Soul Train Music Awards - R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo (I'll Make Love to You)
1994
Billboard Music Awards - Top Hot 100 Song (I'll Make Love to You) - Nomination
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Let It Snow) - Nomination
1993
American Music Awards - Favorite Pop/Rock Song (End of the Road)
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (End of the Road)
Soul Train Music Awards - Song of the Year (End of the Road)
Soul Train Music Awards - Best R&B Music Video (End of the Road)
Soul Train Music Awards - Best R&B Single - Group, Band or Duo (Please Don't Go)
1992
American Music Awards - Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist
American Music Awards - Favorite Rock/Pop New Artist - Nomination
American Music Awards - Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group - Nomination
American Music Awards - Favorite Soul/R&B Single (Motownphilly) - Nomination
American Music Awards - Favorite Soul/R&B Album (Cooleyhighharmony) - Nomination
Billboard Music Awards - Top Hot 100 Artist
Billboard Music Awards - Top Hot 100 Song (End of the Road)
Grammy Awards - Best New Artist - Nomination
Grammy Awards - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Cooleyhighharmony)
Soul Train Music Awards - Best New R&B/Soul Artist
Source: Wikipedia