A demo by the group found its way into the hands of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds through his mother-in-law, Jacqueline McQuam, who held later various showcases to highlight their work. Impressed by their sound, Edmonds asked them to perform at a concert with After 7 and El Debarge and subsequently added Boyz II Men founding member Marc Nelson. Az Yet released their self-titled debut in 1996 on LaFace Records. The album featured a who’s who of musical heavyweights including David Foster, BabyFace, Sheila E.,and Brian McKnight. The first single, “Last Night” reached #1 on the R&B charts and #9 on the Hot 100, achieving platinum status. The group’s second single, “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (a cover of the Chicago hit), was nominated for a Grammy award (Best Performance by a Duo or Group) reached #8 on the Hot 100 and achieved platinum status. Driven by these two singles, the album reached RIAA platinum status in 2002. Marc Nelson was removed from the group due to “personal differences” and pursued a solo career. Nelson was replaced by Tony Grant as lead singer who was subsequently replaced by Ledon Bishop. During Tony Grant’s brief tenure with Az Yet, the most significant recording he made with the group was an appearance on the popular remake of “You’re The Inspiration” with Chicago’s Peter Cetera in 1997. The group continued to tour for several more years, experiencing exceptional success in Europe, Australia and Japan. Az Yet left LaFace for Dreamworks Records and later appeared on movie soundtracks for “Hav Plenty” (1998 Sony Music) and “Kingdom Come” (2001 GospoCentric Records) as well as the soundtrack for the short-lived television drama “Fame L.A.” (1998 Polygram Records). After the group’s breakup in 2002 and parting from Dreamworks Records, Darryl Anthony composed a new group with LeDon Bishop, Kris Gilder and Dante Harper and released “That B U” in 2004. The EP experienced moderate success. This formation of Az Yet disbanded in late 2007. In November 2007, the four remaining original members - Marc Nelson, Kenny Terry, Shawn Rivera and Dion Allen - reunited and began recording their sophomore album, set for release in September 2008. The group released their first single, “Share Life”, on April 25, 2008. |
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