Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and dancer. She had the ''Billboard'' hit singles " I Love Your Smile" and " Silent Prayer" in 1991 and " Saving Forever for You" in 1993. In 1999, Shanice scored another hit song with " When I Close My Eyes", which peaked at No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. She is recognized for her
coloratura soprano
A coloratura soprano () is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile run (music), runs, leaps and Trill (music), trills.
The term ''coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, whi ...
voice and her ability to sing in the
whistle register
The whistle register (also called the flute register or flageolet register) is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register. This register has a specific physiological production that is differe ...
Shanice Lorraine Wilson was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and she moved to Los Angeles with her mother Crystal and her aunt Penni. Her mother and aunt went to Los Angeles in pursuit of careers in the music industry. They shifted their focus to Shanice and formed the management company Crystal Penni to cultivate and promote her talents. Shanice was age nine when she appeared in a
Kentucky Fried Chicken
KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC (an abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken), is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's s ...
commercial with jazz vocalist
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...
. In 1984, she was part of the regular cast in the first thirteen episodes of the children's program ''
Kids Incorporated
''Kids Incorporated'' (also known as ''Kids Inc.'') is an American children's television program that began production in the mid-1980s and continued airing into the mid-1990s. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as ...
.'' Shanice competed on ''
Star Search
''Star Search'' (later known as ''Ed McMahon's Star Search'') is an American television show that was produced by T.P.E./ Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. A relaunch was produced by 29 ...
'' at age eleven, and later signed with
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
In 1987, at the age of 14, A&M Records released her debut album ''
Discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
''. It produced two top-ten R&B hits: "(Baby Tell Me) Can You Dance" and "No ½ Steppin'"."Shanice: Singles Chart History." billboard.com. Retrieved August 7, 2008. Shanice signed a deal with
Motown Records
Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
in the summer of 1990, releasing '' Inner Child'' in late 1991, which included her best-known hit single " I Love Your Smile". It reached the top-ten in 22 countries, including the U.S. ''Billboard''
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
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 ...
and No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album also featured a cover of
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979)
was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1974 single " Lovin' You", her five-octave vocal range, and her use of the whistle register.
Born in 1947, Riperton grew ...
's 1974 hit "
Lovin' You
"Lovin' You" is a song recorded by American singer Minnie Riperton from her second studio album, '' Perfect Angel'' (1974). It was written by Riperton and her husband, Richard Rudolph, produced by Rudolph and Stevie Wonder, and released as the ...
", a rendition that brought attention to her three-and-a-half octave vocal range. In 1993,
Kenny Loggins
Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded with Jim Messina (musician), Jim Mess ...
Rhett Lawrence
James Everett "Rhett" Lawrence is an American record producer and songwriter. He first became known for producing the 1990 single " Vision of Love" by Mariah Carey, which received a Grammy Award and peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. His prod ...
, a
session musician
A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
and
Earth Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling b ...
guitarist Dick Smith. This effort was followed by a move to
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 ...
in 1997, which later released the 1999 album ''
Shanice
Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and dancer. She had the ''Billboard'' hit singles "I Love Your Smile" and "Silent Prayer" in 1991 and "Saving Forever for ...
.'' Additionally, she has contributed to various film soundtracks, such as ''Boomerang'' ("Don't Wanna Love You") and ''The Meteor Man'' ("It's for You"). Achieving success with her top-ten hit " Saving Forever for You", from the '' Beverly Hills 90210 Soundtrack'', Shanice later recorded " If I Never Knew You", a duet with
Jon Secada
Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez (born October 4, 1961), better known as Jon Secada, is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 15 million records, making him one of the best-se ...
, for the original soundtrack of Disney's 1995 film ''
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
.'' While still with Motown, she also recorded a cover version of " If I Were Your Woman" by
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early ...
. Tami Roman and the fellow members of her R&B group quartet Female provided the backing vocals in the song, released via the '' Panther''
soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
on May 2, 1995, weeks before the ''Pocahontas''
soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
was released on May 30.
Shanice occasionally does background vocals for other artists; she can be heard on
Toni Braxton
Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won seven ...
's "Come on Over Here" and "
Un-Break My Heart
"Un-Break My Heart" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton for her second studio album, '' Secrets'' (1996). The song was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster. It was released as the second single from the album on October 7, ...
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's posthumous album ''
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* he He ..., a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name
* Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
''. She recorded the song "A Midnight Rendezvous" for the 2012
Kinect
Kinect is a discontinued line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB color model, RGB cameras, and Thermographic camera, infrared projectors and detectors that map dep ...
game '' Rhythm Party''. She also performed "Love Is the Gift", the English theme song for the video game '' The Bouncer''. Shanice returned to recording after a five-year hiatus and released her album '' Every Woman Dreams'' on her own label Imajah (named for her two children). The album peaked at No. 30 on the R&B Albums Chart.
In 2019, Shanice returned with the single "He Won't". In 2022, she was selected to sing the theme song of the ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
Eric Bellinger
Eric Aldwin Bellinger Jr. (born March 27, 1984) is an American R&B singer and songwriter. He began songwriting in 2010, and has co-written singles including " Lemme See" by Usher, "New Flame" by Chris Brown, " Right Here" by Justin Bieber, " O ...
.
Acting and other appearances
In addition to singing, Shanice is also an actress, first appearing in "Rock Enroll", a season five episode of '' Family Matters''. In 2001, she made an appearance as a singer on her husband Flex's TV show '' One on One''. That same year, she starred in the TV movie '' One Special Moment,'' an adaptation of
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
'' on Broadway. In 2011, she joined
Niecy Nash
Carol Denise Betts (previously Nash, née Ensley; born February 23, 1970) (), known professionally as Niecy Nash, is an American actress. Her career began in the late 1990s, with appearances in the films '' Boys on the Side'' (1995) and '' Cooki ...
and Frenchie Davis for the 21st Annual "Divas Simply Singing" HIV/AIDS charity event. Shanice and her husband, Flex, also starred in the reality show '' Flex & Shanice'', which premiered on the
Oprah Winfrey Network
The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN, also known as the OWN Network) is an American multinational basic cable television network which launched on January 1, 2011, effectively replacing the Discovery Health Channel, which one month later merged with ...
on November 1, 2014.
In 2021, Shanice appeared as herself, performing on the Ladies First tour with
Kelly Price
Kelly Cherelle Price (born April 4, 1973) is an American R&B and gospel singer. Beginning her career in 1992, Price originally performed backing vocals for Mariah Carey on multiple songs, including Carey's ''Billboard'' Hot 100-number one sin ...
and
Chanté Moore
Chanté Torrane Moore (born February 17, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, television personality, and author. The first signee with record executive Louis Silas, Jr.'s Silas Records, she rose to prominence with her debu ...
On February 19, 2000, Shanice married actor and comedian Flex Alexander. They have two children, daughter Imani Shekinah Knox (born August 23, 2001) and son Elijah Alexander Knox (born March 5, 2004).
In 2024, Shanice revealed her
breast cancer
Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...
diagnosis and underwent a double mastectomy.
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
Discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
Shanice
Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and dancer. She had the ''Billboard'' hit singles "I Love Your Smile" and "Silent Prayer" in 1991 and "Saving Forever for ...
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
(originally called the Gramophone Awards) — or Grammys – are presented annually by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...
of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a widely viewed televised ceremony.
Golden Lion Award
Soul Train Music Awards
The
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of '' Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...
is an annual award show aired that honors the best in Black music and entertainment.