Boyz II Men Biography

Musical group. Original members include Michael McCary (born on December 16, 1971, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Wanya Morris (born on July 29, 1973, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Nathan Morris (born on June 18, 1971, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and Shawn Stockman (born on September 26, 1972, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). Considered one of most successful R&B male groups of all time, Boyz II Men scored several big hits in the 1990s, including "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love to You."

Boyz II Men got their start in 1988 at the High School for Creative and Performing Arts where its members were engaged in classical voice training. Originally a quintet, member Marc Nelson left before the group recorded its first album. They caught their big break when they met up with Michael Bivins of the hit R&B act Bell Biv Devoe. Impressed by the young performers, Bivins soon started working with Boyz II Men.

Released in 1991, their debut album Cooleyhighharmony quickly won over music fans. Their first single, "Motownphilly," was a catchy dance number that made it to the top 5 on the pop charts and went all the way to No. 1 on the R&B charts. Another popular hit from this album was their version of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," which showcased their smooth harmonies. Boyz II Men earned their first Grammy Award for the recording, bringing home the top honors for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

After touring with rap act MC Hammer, Boyz II Men returned to the charts in 1992 with "End of the Road," a ballad written by performer and producer Babyface and was featured on the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy comedy Boomerang. The song proved more successful than the film, topping the pop charts for a record-breaking 13 weeks. It also brought the group its second Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Boyz II Men broke their own pop chart record in 1994 with "I'll Make Love to You," which lasted 14 weeks at No. 1 on the pop charts. The song was featured on their second album, II, which went on to sell more than 12 million copies. In addition to commercial success, II also brought the band more critical acclaim, including two more Grammy wins for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "I'll Make Love to You."

In addition to working on their own albums, Boyz II Men found time to record with such artists as LL Cool J and Michael Jackson. Their collaboration with Mariah Carey on "One Sweet Day," however, became their biggest hit. Released in late 1995, the song spent 16 weeks at the top of the pop charts.

Their next release, 1997's Evolution, garnered a lukewarm response from critics and seem to fade quickly after initially topping the album charts. At the time, Boyz II Men was having some difficulty with their record label, Motown. They eventually moved to the Universal label for 2000's Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, which also failed to sell as well as their earlier efforts. After signing with Arista Records, they released Full Circle in 2002.