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The ’90s were a golden era for modern R&B, with irresistibly danceable tracks, unforgettable ballads and an explosion of insanely talented female artists. Back in 1993, Brandy was just 14 when she recorded her self-titled debut album. In honor of the star’s 43rd birthday on Feb. 11, 2022, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the fiercest R&B females of the ’90s. Let’s start with the birthday girl, Brandy (last name: Norwood), who rose to stardom after the 1994 release of that debut album, which spawned hits like “Baby” and “I Wanna Be Down.” Her collab with Monica on “The Boy Is Mine” became one of the decade’s most iconic tunes and helped earn her the nickname “the Vocal Bible” for her unique sound and incredible range.
Keep reading to see what your favorite female R&B stars — Brandy, Monica, En Vogue, TLC and many more — have been up to…
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Despite her massive musical success, Brandy branched out in the ’90s and built an impressive acting career after landing the starring role on the popular 1996 UPN sitcom “Moesha.” She went on to add movies like “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” to her resumé, explored reality TV with 2010’s “Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business” with her brother, and conquered Broadway, playing Roxie Hart in the musical “Chicago” in 2015. Brandy — who welcomed daughter Sy’rai in 2002 while dating producer Robert Smith — made headlines in 2006 when the car she was driving struck another car on a Los Angeles freeway, killing the 38-year-old driver. Brandy wasn’t arrested but faced multiple lawsuits from the woman’s family, all of which were settled out of court. “The whole experience did completely change my life, and I can say that I think I’m a better person from it,” Brandy reflected in 2009, adding, “I pray about it every single day.”
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TLC was unstoppable after the group formed in Atlanta in 1990: Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes churned out hit after hit including the No. 1 singles “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty.” They sold more than 85 million records worldwide, making them the bestselling American girl group of all time. Tragedy struck on April 25, 2002, when Left Eye died in a car crash while filming a documentary in Honduras.
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After Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ 2002 death in a car accident, her TLC bandmates Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas took a hiatus to grieve. They later decided to finish the group’s partially completed fourth album, “3D,” without her and to continue as a duo instead of replacing Left Eye. In the fall of 2021, the two-member TLC completed an 18-city tour, “Celebration of CrazySexyCool,” to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their hit sophomore album. Off stage, the singers have faced tragedy and triumph: T-Boz revealed in 1996 that she has sickle cell anemia and has since devoted herself to educating the public about the painful condition. She also battled a potentially fatal brain tumor for three years after her diagnosis in 2006 but underwent successful surgery. She has two children, daughter Chase with her ex-husband, rapper Mack 10, and son Chance, whom she adopted at 10 months old in 2016. Chilli had one child, son Tron Austin, with producer Dallas Austin in 1997. She went on to date Usher after starring in his music videos for “U Remind Me” and “U Got It Bad” but they split after two years amid rumors he was unfaithful.
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No list of iconic ’90s R&B divas would be complete without the ladies who urged us to hold on and free our minds. En Vogue formed in Oakland, California, in 1989 with singers Dawn Robinson, Terry Ellis, Maxine Jones and Cindy Herron. The next year, they topped the charts with “Hold On” while their 1992 follow-up, “Funky Divas,” included the classics “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” “Giving Him Something He Can Feel” and “Free Your Mind.”
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En Vogue’s Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron (seen here in 2019 with new member Rhona Bennett, second from left) went through a roller coaster ride of breakups, reunions and even lawsuits after their massive success in the ’90s. But even after Dawn left the group in 1997, followed by Maxine in 2001, the ladies continued to reunite over the years, including for the 2009 “En Vogue: 20th Anniversary” tour. Afterward, Maxine and Dawn left again, with Rhona joining the remaining group members to make a trio. Though she remained in En Vogue, Cindy also dabbled in acting, making guest appearances on popular ’90s shows like “Full House” and “Another World.” She’s been married to former MLB player Glenn Braggs since 1993; they share four children. Terry, who never married, is best friends with actress Holly Robinson Peete (who bears an uncanny resemblance to the singer!). Maxine has remained low-key when she isn’t reuniting with En Vogue to perform. Dawn, who never married, joined the R&B group Lucy Pearl after leaving En Vogue and later embarked on a solo career. She addressed the drama within the group:”Everytime I try to go back and do something with them,” she said in an interview on the You Know I Got Soul YouTube channel in November 2020, “things fall apart.”
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Monica shot to fame with the 1998 bestselling album “The Boy Is Mine” featuring her duet of the same name with Brandy, and she was a frequent chart-topper throughout the ’90s.
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In addition to releasing eight albums — the most recent, “Code Red,” dropped in 2015 —and selling 5.3 million copies in the States, Monica pursued acting and appeared on popular series including “Living Single,” “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Felicity.” The multi-hyphenate, also known as Monica Denise Arnold, in 2010 separated from rapper Rodney “Rocko” Hill, father of her sons Rodney and Romelo. The same year, she married professional basketball player Shannon Brown. They welcomed daughter Laiyah in 2013 but divorced in 2019.
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Destiny’s Child was born in 1996 and Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams quickly struck gold with hits like “Bootylicious,” “Survivor” and “Independent Women.” But it wasn’t always just the three of them; various other women were part of the group’s earliest incarnations, including Farrah Franklin (far left). Since the group officially disbanded in 2006, Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle have reunited several times, including at the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show and the 2018 Coachella music festival. Keep reading to see what early member Farrah Franklin — and the other Destiny’s Child divas — are doing these days…
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Farrah Franklin joined Destiny’s Child in 2000 but left the group after just six months. Beyonce told a reporter Farrah was dismissed because she had missed three major promotional dates and expressed a lack of interest in continuing with the group; Farrah denied Beyonce’s explanation and said she had suffered from dehydration and a stomach virus and was mistreated by the group’s management for missing engagements due to the illness. Farrah — seen here in a photo shared on Instagram in December 2021 — went on pursue a solo singing career (her most recent single, “Push Up On Me” featuring rapper Maino, was released in June 2020) and to act in movies including “Trippin'” and “Single Black Female.” According to her LinkedIn page, Farrah owns an independent film company called One Love Pictures and in June 2013 founded Franklins Elite Concierge, which arranges everything from flights, hotels and personal chefs to personal stylists, manicurists and VIP entrance to nightclubs.
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In 2002 Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland topped the charts with her debut solo album, “Simply Deep,” which included the popular single “Dilemma” with Nelly. Her successful solo career continued with hit after hit and she began exploring electronic dance music on her third album, 2009’s “Here I Am.” Kelly married her manager, Tim Weatherspoon, in May 2014. Their son Titan was born in November 2014 and his little brother Noah arrived in January 2021.
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This ’90s R&B diva needs no introduction. After Destiny’s Child, Beyonce went on to become one of the most celebrated singers in history. She’s sold more than 118 million records worldwide, won more Grammys than any other musician — 28 so far — and forged an acting career with starring roles in feature films including “Dreamgirls,” “Obsessed” and “The Lion King.” Beyonce has released three experimental visual albums including the 2016’s acclaimed “Lemonade,” which explored themes like infidelity, trauma, Black feminism, history and culture. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest earning Black musician of all time and Time included her on its 2020 list of 100 women who defined the last century. Married since 2008 to JAY-Z, Queen Bey is mom to daughter Blue Ivy Carter and twins Rumi and Sir.
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After Destiny’s Child went their separate ways in 2006, Michelle Williams released her first pop album, “Unexpected,” in 2008, and found international success with her single “We Break the Dawn.” She’s since put out music that has topped charts in multiple categories including dance, R&B and gospel. Michelle made her Broadway debut in 2003 in “Aida” and has starred in musical productions like “The Color Purple” and “Chicago.” Michelle announced her engagement to pastor and professional sports chaplain Chad Johnson in April 2018 and the pair starred in the OWN reality show “Chad Loves Michelle” in November 2018. But the next month, they revealed they had called off the engagement. The singer has been open about her lifelong struggle with depression and anxiety — including suicidal thoughts after her split from Chad and a nervous breakdown in 2018 the day after opening day for the Broadway production of “Once on This Island” — and in 2021, she published the memoir “Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life — and Can Save Yours.”
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Toni Braxton was part of an insanely talented set of sisters who formed the R&B group The Braxtons in the early ’90s. Toni, the eldest sibling and breakout star, released her self-titled debut studio album in 1993. It, and the singles “Another Sad Love Song” and “Breathe Again,” became international hits. She won three Grammys, including best new artist. Then came her second album, “Secrets,” and the smash singles “You’re Makin Me High/Let It Flow” and “Un-Break My Heart.”
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Though the group “The Braxtons” — sisters Traci Braxton, Tamar Braxton, Toni Braxton, Towanda Braxton and Trina Braxton, pictured from left in 2011 with their mother, Evelyn (in blue) — split when Toni launched her solo career, they never left show business. Toni executive produced and starred with her siblings and parents on the series “Braxton Family Values,” which debuted on WE tv in 2011. Keep reading to see what Toni and Tamar look like now…
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Three decades after her solo debut, Toni Braxton (pictured on the right, with sister Tamar Braxton) is still making hits. Her 2014 album “Love, Marriage & Divorce” with Babyface won a Grammy for best R&B album. But it hasn’t all been easy. In her 2014 book “Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir,” Toni dished on her challenges with the autoimmune disease lupus and her son’s autism diagnosis. Toni — who also made headlines with two public bankruptcies — was married from 2001 to 2013 to musician Keri Lewis, with whom she shares sons Denim and Diezel. Despite a canceled engagement, she’s been dating rapper Birdman on and off since 2016.
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Jade — a trio made up of Tonya Kelly, Joi Marshall and Di Reed — had major success in the early ’90s with two albums and the hit 1992 single “Don’t Walk Away.” (Doesn’t ring a bell? On YouTube the video has more than 31.5 million views!)
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Jade broke up after releasing the album “Mind, Body, & Song” in 1994. But in November 2021, original group members Tonya Kelly and Joi Marshall brought in Myracle Holloway, a “The Voice” season 17 finalist (seen here on the far right at the ’90’s Kickback Concert in Miami the same month) as a “special guest” and now perform as a trio again.
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In 1998, Mya released her self-titled debut album, which contained hit singles “It’s All About Me,” “Movin’ On” and “My First Night with You.” Two more singles — “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” with Pras and “Take Me There” with Blackstreet — launched her further into fame.
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Mya continued making music after her ’90s R&B glory days and in 2016 released her seventh album, the Grammy-nominated “Smoove Jones.” The follow-up, “TKO (The Knock Out),” arrived in April 2018 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her debut album. The singer, born Mya Marie Harrison, crossed over into acting and made her feature film debut in the 1999 thriller “In Too Deep” with LL Cool J and Omar Epps and appeared in films including 2002’s “Chicago” and 2004’s “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.” On Valentine’s Day 2020 she cryptically posted about getting married and signed off as “Mrs. Lansky.” She later revealed she had married… herself — or Mya Lansky, her alter ego whose name was inspired by the notorious mob accountant. “It was all about self-care, self-love and getting myself back after a toxic relationship,” she explained, revealing that it was actually a renewal of self-love vows she first took in 2013.
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Adina Howard rose to fame in the mid-1990s with debut album “Do You Wanna Ride?” and debut single “Freak like Me.” Some of her other hits include “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” with Warren G and “T-Shirt & Panties” with Jamie Foxx.
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Adina Howard has continued making music since “Freak Like Me,” but she’s never rested on her musical laurels. In addition to getting into acting, Adina trained to be a serious chef, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu with a degree in culinary arts in 2012. These days, she often wows fans and followers with videos and selfies — like this one, which she posted on Instagram in November 2021 — showing a total transformation from her ’90s days.
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Leanne “Lelee” Lyons, Cheryl “Coko” Gamble and Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George were SWV — Sisters With Voices — who started as a gospel group in 1988 but quickly became one of the most successful R&B groups of the ’90s. Their 1992 debut album, “It’s About Time,” went triple platinum and they had multiple massive hits including “Right Here (Human Nature Remix),” “Weak” and “I’m So Into You.”
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After three hit albums, SWV split up in 1998 and Cheryl “Coko” Gamble, Leanne “Lelee” Lyons and Tamara “Taj” Johnson went their separate ways. Coko would go on to have the most success as a solo artist before the group reunited in 2005. They released the 2012 album “I Missed Us” and starred on the 2014 reality show “SWV Reunited” — which documented the singers’ trust issues from their bitter breakup, their attempts to rebuild their friendships and launch a comeback tour and album — before releasing “Still” in 2016. Their show was canceled in 2015 but they continue to tour with all three original members.
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From the catchy riffs of “Real Love” to the power ballad vibe of “Not Gon’ Cry” from the 1995 “Waiting to Exhale” soundtrack, Mary J. Blige helped define the sound of the ’90s.
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Mary J. Blige’s success in the ’90s earned her the nickname “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.” Fourteen albums later, she still reigns supreme. The artist behind iconic hits like “No More Drama” and “Be Without You” has also built a formidable acting career culminating in her Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated performance in the 2017 drama “Mudbound.” She’s a businesswoman too, with her own record label, Matriarch Records; a perfume, My Life, which broke HSN sales records when it came out in 2012; and the sunglasses line “Melodies by MJB.” Mary married her manager, Martin “Kendu” Isaacs, in 2003, but they split in 2016.
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Shanice signed with Motown Records in 1990 at 17 and the next year released her album “Inner Child,” which included her best known hit single, “I Love Your Smile.” It also featured a cover of Minnie Riperton’s 1974 hit “Lovin’ You,” a version that brought attention to Shanice’s impressive three-and-a-half-octave vocal range.
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Shanice (real name: Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox) never recaptured the success of her 1991 album “Inner Child” but continued to put out albums and contributed to soundtracks for a wide range of films and TV shows including “Boomerang,” “Pocahontas” and “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Shanice married actor-comedian Flex Alexander in 2000. They have two children, Imani and Elijah, and in 2014, they starred on the OWN reality show “Flex & Shanice.” The singer took on the acting role of a lifetime in 1997 when she became the first Black performer to star as Eponine in the musical “Les Misérables” on Broadway.
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“Hey Mr. DJ” was the song of 1993 — along with “Groove Thang,” it put Zhané on the map. The duo, made up of Renée Neufville (left) and Jean Baylor, were discovered by producer Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature.
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Zhané disbanded in the late ’90s after two albums. Jean Baylor went on to record solo music as a jazz artist, putting out several albums before joining forces with jazz musician husband Marcus Baylor (seen here with her at the Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter Member Celebration in 2019) as the R&B-jazz duo The Baylor Project. Their debut album came out in 2017 and snagged two Grammy nods, for best jazz vocal album and best traditional R&B performance.
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After Zhané disbanded, Renée Neufville hosted an early live internet series called “88 Soul” where her guests included Jill Scott and Kelis and contributed to albums by artists like India.Arie, Heather Headley, Leela James and Aaliyah. Like fellow Zhané alum Jean Baylor, Renée has shifted toward jazz and figured prominently in late trumpeter Roy Hargrove’s group “The RH Factor,” which blended jazz, soul, hip hop and funk. Her most recent release was “Something to Believe In (For Roy),” which she wrote and sang in honor of the late musician — who died of kidney disease in 2018 — in January 2019 on what would have been his 50th birthday.
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Faith Evans had three platinum-certified studio albums between 1995 and 2001 with hits including “Love Like This” and “You Used to Love Me.” She was equally famous for her 1994 marriage to rap star Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, which ended when he was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in March 1997, leaving her a widow with a 4-month-old son. “I’ll Be Missing You,” her tribute single the same year featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112, won Faith a Grammy Award.
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Faith Evans’s music career is still going strong after seven albums. In 2012, she co-executive produced and became a cast member on the reality show “R&B Divas: Atlanta.” Her 2008 autobiography, “Keep the Faith: A Memoir,” landed on The New York Times’ Best Seller list and won a 2009 African American Literary Award for best biography/memoir. “I want people to understand that although he was a large part of my life, my story doesn’t actually begin or end with Big’s death,” she wrote in the book. “My journey has been complicated on many levels. And since I am always linked to Big, there are a lot of misconceptions about who I really am. It’s not easy putting your life out there for the masses. But I’ve decided I’ll tell my own story. For Big. For my children. And for myself.” Faith, who married and divorced twice, has four children including C.J. Wallace, also known as “Lil Biggie.”
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