Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman known to the world as Boy II Men last weekend returned to Philadelphia a place where their careers started and were honoured with a street renamed after them. The section of Christian to Carpenter streets on Broad Street near the Philadelphia High School for The Creative and Performing Arts has now been renamed Boyz II Men Boulevard.
Boyz II Men who are Billboard magazine’s fourth most successful musical group of the 1990s began their careers on this street. In the 1990s, the RNB group found fame on Motown Records as a quartet best known for emotional ballads and acapella harmonies. Boyz II Men were scheduled to perform in Kampala in December at Lugogo Cricket Oval in 2008 only for the show to be canceled because group member, Shawn Stockman, had fallen sick.
They gained their international success with the release of “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 13 weeks, “I’ll Make Love to You” and “One Sweet Day” featuring Mariah Carey, spent 14 and 16weeks respectively, each setting new records for the total number of weeks at number one.
“One Sweet Day” still holds the all-time record with 16 weeks at the top of the Hot 100.
They have won four Grammy awards since then, for 1992 Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Cooley highharmony” in 1992, Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “End Of The Road” ft Mariah Carey in 1993 and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Make Love To You” ft Mariah Carey, and Best R&B Album “II” in 1995. The group also won one MOBO Award, seven Soul Train music awards and two world music awards including a Star on the Walk of Fame in 1996.
