Lucy Pearl was an American R&B supergroup formed in 1999. The group was composed of
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group ...
(formerly of
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! was an American soul/ R&B band from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq ...
),
Dawn Robinson
Dawn Sherrese Robinson (born November 24, 1966 or 1968) is an American singer best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinson ...
(formerly of
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single ...
), and
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad (born August 11, 1970) is an American hip hop DJ, record producer, and rapper, best known as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (and sometimes Jarobi White), the group released five studio albums ...
(formerly of
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip ).
History
In 1998, Saadiq departed from his group
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! was an American soul/ R&B band from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq ...
. The following year, Saadiq contacted
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad (born August 11, 1970) is an American hip hop DJ, record producer, and rapper, best known as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (and sometimes Jarobi White), the group released five studio albums ...
and
Dawn Robinson
Dawn Sherrese Robinson (born November 24, 1966 or 1968) is an American singer best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinson ...
with the idea of forming a new supergroup. After Muhammad and Robinson accepted Saadiq's offer, the group officially formed and began recording an album under the group name Lucy Pearl.
In May 2000, Lucy Pearl released their '' self-titled album'' on
Beyond Records
Beyond Records was an English record label founded in Birmingham in 1992, best known for its ambient dub compilations, which were to define the genre.
The label was set up by Mike Barnett, who had previous experience within the music industry i ...
. The album's lead single " Dance Tonight", released in March 2000, charted in top 40 on the Billboard
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
chart and in the top five on
R&B chart
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
43rd Grammy Awards
The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Several artists earned three awards on the night. Steely Dan's haul included Album of the Year for '' Two Against Nature''. U2 took ...
. In August 2000, the album ''Lucy Pearl'' became certified
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
.US Certified Awards Search > Lucy Pearl RIAA. Retrieved on March 26, 2017 In September 2000, the group released their second single " Don't Mess with My Man" which received chart success outside of the United States. In October 2000, Robinson left the group.Dawn Robinson: Lucy Pearl Replacement 'A Big Shock' MTV. Retrieved on December 7, 2020
In November 2000, Lucy Pearl appeared on the
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
show ''
106 & Park
''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rate ...
'' to announce the new addition of singer Joi to the lineup. The group also debuted their music video for the single "Without You". After the release of the final single "You", Lucy Pearl disbanded in late 2001. Both Robinson and Saadiq continue to perform Lucy Pearl songs during their individual tour sets.
In 2009, a reunion was attempted but failed after Muhammad started a lawsuit against Saadiq.En Vogue's Dawn Robinson Speaks on Group's Drama Essence. Retrieved on December 7, 2020 Robinson declined the reunion after Saadiq initially refused to move forward with the release of the Lucy Pearl album in 1999, which caused Robinson to lose her home. Urban Radio Nation. Retrieved on December 7, 2020 Robinson also cited Saadiq's jealousy towards herself and Muhammad as another reason for declining a reunion. In 2020, Robinson participated in various interviews, discussing Lucy Pearl. Robinson explained that the group was originally formed to do one album and after their tour was complete, the group had already agreed to disband. Robinson also alleged that she didn't know she was replaced until being contacted for an interview by a
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
magazine journalist and later saw Saadiq and Muhammad along with Joi on the television show ''106 & Park''.
Members
*
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group ...
(1999–2001)
*
Dawn Robinson
Dawn Sherrese Robinson (born November 24, 1966 or 1968) is an American singer best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinson ...
(1999–2000)
*
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad (born August 11, 1970) is an American hip hop DJ, record producer, and rapper, best known as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (and sometimes Jarobi White), the group released five studio albums ...
2001 43rd Grammy Awards
''Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group'' "Dance Tonight" - Lucy Pearl (nominated)
2001 28th American Music Awards
''Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group'' Lucy Pearl (nominated)
2000 15th Soul Train Music Awards
''Best R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo'' "Dance Tonight" - Lucy Pearl (nominated)
''Best R&B/Soul Album - Group Band or Duo'' "Lucy Pearl" - Lucy Pearl (nominated)