Az Yet is an American
R&B group from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, best known for their songs "
Last Night" and the cover "
Hard to Say I'm Sorry" originally performed by
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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.
Formation
Formed in 1989 initially as a duo with Shawn Rivera and Dion Allen, the two were later joined by Kenny Terry, whom they met singing in the lobby of the Wyndham Hotel in Philadelphia, Ali Hyman, Claude Thomas, Damon Core, & Dyshon Benson.
Debut album
Az Yet released their self-titled debut album in 1996 on
LaFace Records
LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...
. The album featured a "who's who" of musical heavyweights, including
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
,
Babyface,
Sheila E., and
Brian McKnight
Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma.
McKnight is known for ...
. The first single, "
Last Night", reached #9 on the US Hot 100, #1 on the R&B chart, peaked at #2 on Australia's
ARIA charts
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...
, and spent 2 weeks at #1 in New Zealand's
RIANZ
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded M ...
charts, ultimately achieving platinum status in the US. The group's second single, "
Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (a cover of the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
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, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
hit), was nominated for a
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
award (Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals), reached #8 on the Hot 100, and achieved
platinum status. Driven by these two singles, the album reached RIAA platinum status.
Television
Fueled by two top ten hits, the group's popularity led them to several television appearances in their early years. Live performances include 'The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show', 'All That' and two appearances on
Soul Train
''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series ...
(the first in 1996 with Marc Nelson as the lead singer and the second in 1997 with Tony Grant). The group was also cast as "TJ's Band" and appeared in several episodes of the short-lived television drama "Fame L.A.".
Az Yet toured as featured actors/performers in 2013 with the Broadway musical, ''My Brother Marvin (The Secret Life of Marvin Gaye)'', starring
Keith Washington
Keith Douglas Washington (born November 15, 1960) is an American R&B vocalist from Detroit who recorded the hit single " Kissing You" in 1991. The song was also used as background music for the ABC television soap opera '' General Hospital' ...
,
Tony Grant and actress
Lynn Whitfield.
Later that year, the group recorded "Magical Moment" with ''
Malaysian Idol'' winner
Jaclyn Victor as a theme song for the animated feature film, ''Ribbit'' (
KRU Studios).
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Az Yet'' (1996)
*''Back Home 2007'' (2006)
* ''She's Magic'' (2016)
Extended plays
* ''That B U'' (2004)
Singles
Soundtrack appearances
*1996: ''
The Nutty Professor''
*1997: ''
Steel'' (
Warner Bros. Records)
*1998: ''Hav Plenty'' (Polygram)
*1998: ''Fame L.A.'' Soundtrack for the TV Series (Polygram)
*2001: ''
Kingdom Come
" Kingdom come" is a phrase in the Lord's Prayer in the Bible.
Kingdom Come may also refer to:
Film
* ''Kingdom Come'' (1919 film), a Western short featuring Hoot Gibson
* ''Kingdom Come'' (2001 film), a comedy starring LL Cool J
* ''Kingdom ...
'' (GospoCentric Records)
*2014: ''Ribbit'' (
KRU Studios)
References
External links
*
Rock On the Net: Az Yet
{{Authority control
African-American musical groups
American contemporary R&B musical groups
American boy bands
Musical groups from Philadelphia
LaFace Records artists
DreamWorks Records artists