Tamia

Before Tamia Washington, who was born on May 9, 1976, was discovered, she studied voice, acting, singing and performed on stage and at church in her native Windsor, Canada. She won several awards, including the 1993 YTV Youth Achievement Award in the Vocal category. In 1994, Tamia won the Steve Ross Music Scholarship as an Honor Youth Delegate at the American Academy of Achievement's thirty-third Annual Salute to Excellence. She also performed to an audience of 75,000 people at a gala honoring Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and appeared on a benefit tour where she shared the stage with Peabo Bryson, Kenny Loggins, Kenny G., and Julio Iglesias.

Tamia's big break came after she moved to Los Angeles in 1994. She met Quincy Jones when he happened to be chosen to present an award to her in Las Vegas. (Quincy Jones is known for discovering many artists such as Patti Austin, James Ingram, and Tevin Campbell). Quincy asked Tamia if she would like to sing the lead-off single from his first new album in six years, Q's Jook Joint. The single was called You Put A Move On My Heart and it would be the single that introduced Tamia to the world.

After appearing on Quincy Jones' album on the songs You Put A Move On My Heart and Slow Jams (with Babyface), and signing with Quincy's Qwest label, Tamia immediately ventured into the music world, singing the hit song Missing You (from the movie Set It Off) with Brandy, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan. She also sings on LL Cool J's new Phenomenon album. Last summer, Tamia tried her hand at acting by landing a supporting role in the movie Speed 2: Cruise Control, acting opposite Jason Patric and Sandra Bullock. She has appeared as a guest and presenter at award shows such as the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, and the Soul Train Awards. A magazine article also mentioned that she would be the new spokes-model for Tommy Hilfiger clothing, but nothing was seen of that. She recently wed NBA basketball star Grant Hill (whom she was introduced to by singer Anita Baker). They wed in late July 1999.

So what makes people like Tamia? Well, Quincy Jones describes her as the "perfect music diva". In a world where some singers only look good or only sing good, Tamia is a singer that is perfect, because she looks and sings amazingly. We've been patiently waiting for three years for her debut album and it was finally released in April 1998. Her single first two singles Imagination and So Into You have already been heating up the radio waves and her videos has been on rotation on BET, The Box & Much Music. Her most recent single, a duet with Eric Benet entitled Spend My Life With You, made it to #1 on the R&B Singles/Tracks charts. After much speculation, it was confirmed that Tamia did indeed leave Qwest/Warner Bros. in Spring 1999 for a new label, Elektra, where she is preparing a new album for a June 2000 release.

Rick James

James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. on February 1, 1948 in Buffalo, New York. The third of eight children, Rick James was raised in a strict Catholic household by his single mother. With music in his blood (his uncle was Melvin Franklin, bass vocalist of The Temptations), James pursued a music career from an early age, fleeing the U.S. Naval Reserve to Toronto, Ontario, in 1964.James’s first band was called The Mynah Birds, which included future Buffalo Springfield members Neil Young and Bruce Palmer. Though the group recorded in Motown, it never released an album in part because of James’s AWOL status. He returned in 1968 to write and produce under the name Terry Johnson. For the next several years, James played bass in Los Angeles for several short-lived bands, including Salt, Pepper 'N' Cocaine and Great White Cane.
In 1977, James left Los Angeles to return to Motown and start a solo career. His debut album Come and Get It!, including the singles “You and I” and “Mary Jane,” catapulted him to stardom. Famous for his wild brand of danceable funk music and his trademark braids, James was often referred to as The King of Punk-Funk. Two 1979 albums, Fire It Up and Bustin' Out of L Seven were also popular. His biggest hit, the Grammy-nominated “Super Freak,” was released in 1981 on the album Street Songs, which included other popular singles like "Give It to Me Baby," "Fire and Desire" and “Ghetto Life.” Subsequent hits included "Teardrops," "Cold Blooded" and "Glow."
By the early 1990s, James’s cocaine use was spinning out of control. After being convicted of assaulting two women, he spent two years in prison and paid $2 million in a civil suit. After his release in 1995, he attempted a comeback but suffered a mild stroke in 1997 that ended his career. Rick James died after suffering pulmonary and cardiac failure at his home in Burbank, California, in 2004.

Lionel Richie

Singer and songwriter Lionel Richie born on June 20, 1949 in Tuskegee, Alabama. His grandfather worked at the Tuskegee Institute with Booker T. Washington. Lionel Richie was the founder of the Commodores, his debut solo album Lionel Richie was a US number 3 hit, and ‘Truly’, a song from that album, reached US number 1 spot, winning him a Grammy award. He performed one of his most popular hits, ‘All Night Long’, at the closing ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Richie co-wrote the famine relief song ‘We Are The World’ with Michael Jackson in 1993. Later albums include Louder Than Words, Renaissance, and Coming Home.Lionel Richie was married to Brenda Harvey for 17 years. The couple adopted daughter Nicole Richie, but they divorced in 1993. He married Diane Alexander in December 1995 and together they have son, Miles Brockman and daughter, Sofia.
Richie wasn't bitten by the recording bug again until 1996, by which time he'd endured his share of personal loss: his father had passed away, and his marriage to wife Brenda -- the muse behind some of his most successful ballads -- had fallen apart. In approaching his comeback, Richie attempted to update his sound to reflect a decade's worth of developments in urban R&B. The result, Louder Than Words, was a moderate success, reaching the Top 30 and going gold. However, it didn't produce any major hit singles, and Richie's nods to new jack swing and hip-hop were criticized as awkward. 1998's Time found Richie in a more familiar element, relying on his signature sound with only slight musical updates. However, the album flopped, spending only a few weeks in the lower reaches of the charts. Richie's next album, Renaissance, was released to a favorable reception in Europe in late 2000; it was issued in the U.S. in early 2001. Three years later, on the heels of enduring a very public and bitter divorce with his second wife, Diane, Richie released Just for You. The 2006 album Coming Home found him working with an all-star cast of collaborators including Jermaine Dupri, Raphael Saadiq, Sean Garrett, and Dallas Austin.