Boyz II Men

American vocal group

"Boys II Men" redirects here. For the album by Maskinen, see Boys II Men (album). For other uses, see Boys to Men (disambiguation).

Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men performing in 2011

Background information
Also known as| Unique Attraction
Origin| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres|

* R&B
* soul
* pop
* new jack swing

Discography| Boyz II Men discography
Years active| 1985–present[1]
Labels|

* Motown
* Universal
* Arista
* MSM
* Koch
* Decca

Members|

* Nathan Morris
* Shawn Stockman
* Wanyá Morris

Past members|

* Michael McCary
* Marc Nelson

Boyz II Men (pronounced boys to men) is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. Formed in 1985, they have been a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris alongside tenors Wanyá Morris (no relation) and Shawn Stockman since 2003. During the 1990s, Boyz II Men was a quartet with bass singer Michael McCary, who left the group in 2003 due to health issues that were diagnosed as multiple sclerosis.[2]

The group first saw commercial success in 1991 with the release of their singles "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," both of which peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. Their 1992 single, "End of the Road"[3] peaked atop the chart and set a then-record for spending 13 weeks at the position. Boyz II Men later broke this record twice more with the singles "I'll Make Love to You" and "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey) which, at 14 and 16 weeks respectively, set records for most weeks at number one. When "On Bended Knee" took the number one spot away from "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men became the third musical act, after the Beatles and Elvis Presley, to replace themselves atop the Billboard Hot 100.[4] These achievements gave Boyz II Men recognition as Billboard magazine's biggest boy band from 1987 to 2012.[5]

Boyz II Men continued to perform as a trio despite McCary's departure. Their latest studio album, Under the Streetlight, was released in 2017.[6] Boyz II Men have received four Grammy Awards.

## History[edit]

### 1985–1990: Group formation and beginnings[edit]

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The group, originally named Unique Attraction, was formed in 1985 by Michael Grimaldi, Nathan Morris, and Marc Nelson at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA)[7] along with fellow schoolmates George Baldi, Jon Shoats, and Marguerite Walker. In 1987, Wanyá Morris, who sang in the school's choir along with the members of Unique Attraction, joined the group and became a permanent member as a freshman. In 1988 Baldi, Shoats and Walker left the group due to graduation. They then recruited Shawn Stockman after seeing him perform a solo in the school's choir. After an encounter in a school bathroom, Michael McCary started singing along with the group and eventually became the group's new bass singer. With their permanent lineup of members, the group rehearsed in the high school's bathrooms, in the corners of their schools, and other local areas. At CAPA, they were mentored by LaDeva Davis.[8]

Finding inspiration in New Edition's harmonies and routines, they eventually renamed the group "Boyz II Men," after New Edition's "Boys to Men," from the 1988 album Heart Break. After performing at a Valentine's Day party at school in 1989, they snuck into a concert put on by local radio station Power 99 at the Philadelphia Civic Center. They planned to find Will Smith backstage and perform for him.[9] However, while looking for Smith, they happened to cross paths with New Edition member Michael Bivins, who, along with bandmates Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe, had just announced they were forming a New Edition spin-off trio, Bell Biv DeVoe. After they sang New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain" for him, Bivins and everyone in attendance, including other celebrities, were impressed. He then gave the group his number and told them to call him. Nate eventually called him, and he agreed to manage and help produce the group.

The delay before recording their own material and reported personality conflicts led founding member Marc Nelson to leave the group, making Boyz II Men into the quartet that found international fame: Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanyá Morris, and Shawn Stockman.

### 1991–1993: Cooleyhighharmony and "End of the Road"[edit]

Boyz II Men's first album, Cooleyhighharmony, was released on Motown in 1991 and was produced by Michael Bivins. Cooleyhighharmony's drum-heavy new jack swing sound and multi-layered sampled backdrops were similar to that of Bell Biv DeVoe's own work, but featured classic-soul styled vocals in place of BBD's rapping and brassier singing. This style was dubbed "hip hop doo-wop" by the group and Bivins, who presented Boyz II Men and adolescent R&B group Another Bad Creation to the public as BBD's protégés.

From the beginning, Boyz II Men featured all four members as leads, avoiding the usual R&B group arrangement of one or two lead singers and a team of background singers. The multiple-lead arrangement became a Boyz II Men trademark, and it became typical to hear Wanyá Morris' vibrato-heavy tenor, Shawn Stockman's tenor voice, Nathan Morris' baritone, and Michael McCary's bass (often used in spoken-word sections of many Boyz II Men hits) trading bars in each song.

The album's liner notes identified unique nicknames for each group member. These nicknames were devised in collaboration with Bivins in an attempt at marketing. Wanyá was "Squirt," Shawn was "Slim," Michael was simply "Bass," and Nathan assumed the name "Alex Vanderpool," after a soap opera character who brandished a nerdy style.[10]

Boyz II Men's first single, the Dallas Austin-produced "Motownphilly," featured a rap cameo by Michael Bivins that tells of how he met Boyz II Men. The single's release was accompanied by a music video that presented the group in hip-hop style. (The video also included cameos from fellow Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts alumni Black Thought and Questlove of The Roots.) Cooleyhighharmony's second single was an a cappella cover of a classic Motown tune, G.C. Cameron's "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" from the 1975 film Cooley High, while "Uhh Ahh" served as the third single.

Cooleyhighharmony achieved major success, selling over nine million copies and winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 1992 Grammy Awards.[11] Boyz II Men were also nominated for Best New Artist, along with British singer-songwriter Seal, fellow R&B group Color Me Badd, and dance group C+C Music Factory, but the Grammy was awarded to singer-songwriter Marc Cohn. "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" were number 1 R&B hits and top five U.S. pop hits.

In 1992, Boyz II Men joined MC Hammer's high-profile 2 Legit 2 Quit Tour as an opening act. While traveling the country, their tour manager Roderick 'Khalil' Rountree was murdered in Chicago, and the group's future performances of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" were dedicated to him. As a result of this unfortunate experience, the song helped advance their success.[12]

While touring during 1992, Boyz II Men returned briefly to the studio to record the single "End of the Road," co-written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, for the soundtrack to Eddie Murphy's film Boomerang. This song, released as a single on June 30, 1992, became Boyz II Men's biggest hit. It reached the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 15, remaining for a record-setting 13 weeks, until November 14, 1992. The success of "End of the Road" instantly transformed Boyz II Men from up-and-coming R&B stars into mainstream music celebrities.

A revamped Cooleyhighharmony was reissued during 1993, with "End of the Road" added as a special bonus track, but "End of the Road" initially appeared only on the Boomerang soundtrack. Later, the track was included in a collection of singles produced by Michael Bivins called "East Coast Family, Vol. 1".[13] Shortly after the release of this compilation, Boyz II Men and Michael Bivins parted ways professionally. Boyz II Men continued to work with Babyface and other high-profile record producers over the next several years.

### 1994–1996: II and "I'll Make Love to You"[edit]

Boyz II Men in 1995

After releasing a Christmas compilation, Christmas Interpretations in 1993, Boyz II Men returned to the studio for their highly anticipated sophomore effort. In 1994, II was released. II sold more than 12 million copies in the United States alone, becoming one of the best-selling albums ever released by an R&B group act, and one of the biggest albums of the decade. II later won two awards at the 1995 Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album.

Most of the tracks on II were written and produced by Tim & Bob—Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson (5), Babyface (2) and the successful team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (2). Several of II's tracks became major singles, among them Jam & Lewis's "On Bended Knee", and Babyface's "I'll Make Love to You" and "Water Runs Dry".

"I'll Make Love to You" broke "End of the Road's" 13-week record at number 1, by spending 14 weeks at the top of the chart (a feat equaled earlier that year by Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You"). "On Bended Knee" replaced "I'll Make Love to You" at number 1, making Boyz II Men only the third act ever to replace itself at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, after Elvis Presley and the Beatles.[4]

In 1995, the group appeared as backing vocalists on "HIStory" from Michael Jackson's Grammy-nominated ninth album of the same name.

In 1995, Motown issued The Remix Collection, a compilation of remixes of various Boyz II Men songs from Cooleyhighharmony and II. The group itself had opposed the release of the collection because they felt the compilation did not represent Boyz II Men's best work.[14] After the label released the album without their permission, there was a dispute between the company and the group. Boyz II Men initiated their own recording company Stonecreek (which released material by artists such as Uncle Sam), and they arranged for Stonecreek's distribution by Epic Records, not Motown.

### 1997–1998: Evolution and label conflicts[edit]

Boyz II Men's third studio album, Evolution, was released during 1997 to mixed reviews and sold three million copies, far below the stratospheric success of II's (12 million copies) and Cooleyhighharmony (9 million). Only one of Evolution's singles, the Jam/Lewis-penned "Four Seasons of Loneliness", reached number 1 on the Hot 100 chart. The second single, the Babyface-helmed "A Song for Mama" (the theme song to the Babyface-produced film Soul Food,) was a Top 10 success, but the follow-up "Can't Let Her Go" underperformed.

The global tour began in 1997 to promote Evolution was successful in terms of ticket sales, but behind the scenes, Boyz II Men was wracked by conflicts, with their record label and internal conflicts among the members of the group. Making matters worse, health problems began to take their toll on the group. While on tour to support the Evolution album, Wanyá Morris developed a polyp on his vocal cords, and the group was forced to postpone part of the tour until he recovered. McCary's multiple sclerosis meant that he was unable to participate in most of the group's dance routines.

Boyz II Men were nominated for 2 Grammys in 1998: Best R&B Album for Evolution and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "A Song for Mama".

### 1999–2001: Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya[edit]

In 1999, Motown's parent company, PolyGram, was bought by Universal Music Group. Amidst the major corporate restructure, Motown was merged with UMG's Universal Records, where Boyz II Men found themselves reassigned.

Their only studio LP album for Universal, 2000's Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, was chiefly written and produced by the group itself, in an attempt to update their sound and ward off critics who questioned the group's reliance on Babyface's hit-making songcraft. While the critics were more receptive to Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya than they had been to its predecessor, the LP sold only 500,000 copies in the US, 1 million copies worldwide, and although its two singles, "Pass You By" and "Thank You in Advance," received media attention, neither became hits.

Boyz II Men departed from Universal in 2001, ending their relationship with the company that brought them to international stardom in 1991. The label released a greatest hits compilation, Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection, to close out their contract.

### 2002–2003: Full Circle and "The Color of Love"[edit]

Signing a new deal with Arista Records in 2002, Boyz II Men began recording the Full Circle album, and recruited Babyface for a new single, "The Color of Love". In an attempt to recapture the massive success the group had enjoyed a decade earlier, the album received a significant promotional budget. Arista commissioned a high-budget music video, shot in four different locales by four different directors: supervising director Little X filmed scenes featuring Michael McCary in India, Hype Williams filmed Shawn Stockman in Tokyo, Benny Boom filmed Nathan Morris in Ghana, and Chris Robinson filmed Wanyá Morris in Puerto Rico and finally all were filmed in New York. The resulting music video had a debut on BET, but failed to have a great effect, and Full Circle, like Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya before it, sold slightly more than 500,000 copies in the US and 1 million copies worldwide.

Full Circle became Boyz II Men's final album as a quartet, and their last effort to receive extensive promotion from a major record company. On January 30, 2003, Michael McCary left Boyz II Men due to chronic back problems resulting from multiple sclerosis (MS) and personal problems. Arista terminated Boyz II Men's contract on April 30, and the remaining three members took a temporary hiatus from the music industry.

### 2004–2006: Throwback, Vol. 1 and The Remedy[edit]

Boyz II Men at the Genting Highlands, Malaysia in 2007

After a year out of the spotlight, Boyz II Men created the independent label MSM Music Group (distributed through Koch Records), and released the Throwback, Vol. 1 LP in 2004. The album is a collection of covers of classic R&B and soul songs such as The Dazz Band's "Let It Whip", Michael Jackson's "Human Nature", and, as the single, Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do for Love". For this record, Nathan took on the bass lines as well as the baritone vocals that he sang when Boyz II Men was a quartet. Throwback, Vol. 1 reached number 59 on the Billboard 200. The group launched an independent tour of North America and Asia in support of the Throwback series. The album sold over 200,000 copies with little to no promotion aside from the group's independent tour.

In 2005 Boyz II Men recorded a CD with Anderson Cameau called "Apocalypse", a project meant to benefit Haiti.[15]

In 2006, Boyz II Men's seventh studio album, The Remedy, was released exclusively in Japan, where they found a thriving fan base. In other regions, The Remedy was made available online through the group's website on February 14, 2007.

### 2007–2009: Hitsville USA & Love[edit]

Boyz II Men Live at Vegas in 2008

In mid-2007, the group re-signed with Universal Records and released the LP Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA through the Decca Records label. The LP is a cover album featuring songs from the Motown Records catalog, co-produced by Randy Jackson of American Idol fame. The Motown album includes covers of songs by The Temptations ("Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)"), Marvin Gaye ("Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", "Mercy Mercy Me"), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles ("The Tracks of My Tears"), and even Boyz II Men themselves (an a cappella version of "End of the Road").

Commercially, Motown found some success. It peaked at number 6 on the US R&B chart and was certified Gold in the UK. The album was also a critical success. For the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009, Boyz II Men received two nominations for the album Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA (Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Ribbon in the Sky").

In 2008, Boyz II Men's three members appeared on Celebrity Don't Forget the Lyrics and created a sensation with their performance. They earned $500,000 for their two nominated charities; the appearance also generated interest in their next release.

In 2009, Boyz II Men announced plans for a new cover album that covers "artists I don't think people would expect us to cover!" according to Shawn Stockman. Entitled Love, the album was released on November 23, 2009. The album contains remakes of love songs from outside the R&B genre.

### 2010–2012: Love Cruise and Twenty[edit]

Boyz II Men receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2012

Boyz II Men headlined a "Love Cruise" in honor of their 20th anniversary and in observance of Valentine's Day. The cruise took place February 11–14, 2011, and traveled from Miami, Florida, to Nassau, Bahamas. Cruise passengers received a Boyz II Men welcome cocktail party, a concert performance by Boyz II Men, an additional fan appreciation concert by Boyz II Men, a photo session with Boyz II Men (in small groups), a formal prom night, a poker tournament, a deck party with Boyz II Men and a guest DJ, a singles mixer, a gift bag, and onboard drawings for other Boyz II Men events. Couples were able to renew their wedding vows in a special ceremony with Boyz II Men.[16]

Twenty, named in recognition of Boyz II Men's twenty years in the music business, is a double CD album with thirteen original songs and eight rerecorded Boyz II Men classics. It was released on October 25, 2011.[17] Twenty is the group's fourth release through MSM Music Group. It was released in Japan 13 days before its official US release date with the help of Avex Group, the biggest Japanese independent record label.

Originally, Boyz II Men announced a reunion with original member Michael McCary for the Twenty album. On September 6, 2009, at a concert in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Stockman announced that their upcoming 20th anniversary album would "include all 4 members", sparking a tremendous applause.[18] But soon after that announcement, McCary declined and did not join the project.

As a trio, Boyz II Men performed as special guests on VH1's highly rated VH1 Divas Celebrate Soul concert.

Boyz II Men contributed a cover of Japanese rock band L'Arc~en~Ciel's song "Snow Drop" to their 2012 tribute album.[19]

### 2013–present: The Package Tour, Collide and Geico commercials[edit]

Broad Street in Philadelphia, from Christian to Carpenter Streets, was renamed Boyz II Men Boulevard

On January 22, 2013, the group appeared on The View along with New Kids on the Block and 98 Degrees to announce their joint tour that took place in summer 2013.[20] As of February 20, 2013, Boyz II Men announced that beginning March 1, 2013, they will stop touring and begin performing shows at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

On January 13, 2014, the trio appeared at the end of an episode of How I Met Your Mother titled "Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra", performing an a cappella version of the show's song "You Just Got Slapped". Their eleventh album, titled Collide, was released on October 21, 2014.[21]

In 2016, the trio appeared in Grease: Live as the Teen Angels and sang Beauty School Dropout.[22] Wanyá placed 4th for the 22nd season of the ABC reality competition series Dancing With The Stars. They also did music for an animated adaptation of The Snowy Day.[23]

In 2017, the group began starring in television commercials for GEICO Auto Insurance.[24]

On June 24, 2017, a section of Broad Street in Philadelphia, from Christian to Carpenter Streets, was renamed “Boyz II Men Boulevard” by the city council. Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, where the members of Boyz II Men were once students, is on this section of Broad Street.[25]

In August 2017, it was announced they were releasing a new album titled Under the Streetlight in the Fall.[26] It was released on October 20, 2017.[27][28]

On January 4, 2018, the group was featured in a new track released by Charlie Puth, titled "If You Leave Me Now", created for Charlie Puth's album Voicenotes.

On September 6, 2018, the group performed at the NFL 2018–2019 season kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.

On October 2, 2018, the group performed "Ladies Man" on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold danced a quickstep to the song.

The group is featured on a re-imagined version of Take That's song Love Ain't Here Anymore from their number one selling album Odyssey. Howard Donald revealed during an interview with Magic Radio that "he fulfilled a dream when they recorded this song".

On December 15, 2018, the group staged a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with Filipina singers Kyla, Yeng Constantino, KZ Tandingan and Angeline Quinto titled Boyz II Men with DIVAS.[29]

On September 18, 2019, it was reported that the group would play themselves on the ABC comedy series Schooled.[30]

On September 30, 2019, Boyz II Men announced their Asia Tour, which took place after returning from their US tour and residency in Las Vegas. They visited cities such as Kuala Lumpur (December 1),[31] Bangkok (December 7),[32] Singapore (December 9),[33] and Manila (December 12).[34]

On December 31, 2022, Boyz II Men performed the National Anthem at the Fiesta Bowl before the Michigan Wolverines and the TCU Horned Frogs faced off in the College Football Playoff semifinals.[35]

## Style and influence[edit]

Boyz II Men is among the biggest names in a cappella and R&B. With what was called "crossover appeal", Boyz II Men found themselves at the vanguard of the 1990s movement to take R&B back into the mainstream, where it had been back in the 1970s. Their use of hip-hop beats in combination with R&B was not unique, but it was Boyz II Men's enormous success with mainstream audiences in "putting harmony over the hip-hop tracks" that helped usher in the near-total dominance of the R&B genre on the pop charts in the 2000s and 2010s.[36] On January 5, 2012, Boyz II Men were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[37] They were featured on the first episode of the 2021 Netflix series This Is Pop, called "The Boyz II Men Effect", about their impact on the boy band scene in the 1990s.[38]

## Members[edit]

### Current members[edit]

* Nathan Morris (1985–present)
* Wanyá Morris (1987–present)
* Shawn Stockman (1988–present)

### Former members[edit]

* Michael McCary (1988–2003)
* Marc Nelson (1985–1990)
* George Baldi (1985–1988)
* Jon Shoats (1985–1988)
* Marguerite Walker (1985–1988)

### Timeline[edit]

## Discography[edit]

Main article: Boyz II Men discography

Studio albums

* Cooleyhighharmony (1991)
* Christmas Interpretations (1993)
* II (1994)
* Evolution (1997)
* Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya (2000)
* Full Circle (2002)
* Throwback, Vol. 1 (2004)
* The Remedy (2006)
* Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA (2007)
* Love (2009)
* Covered: Winter (2010)
* Twenty (2011)
* Collide (2014)
* Under the Streetlight (2017)

## Filmography[edit]

* "Going Home" (1995): A Disney Channel concert special filmed during Boyz II Men's "All Around the World Tour" live from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
* The group makes a guest appearance in fourth season episode "Twas the Night Before Christening" of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in which they sing at Nicky's christening (1993).
* "Living In Paradise?" (2000): They appeared as themselves on the hit show Moesha.
* How I Met Your Mother (2014): They appeared as themselves in an episode to perform "You Just Got Slapped".
* Long Shot: They appear as themselves performing at a charity event.
* This Is Pop (2021): They are featured on the episode "The Boyz II Men Effect".
* Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (2021): Wanyá and Shawn play to win money for charities of their choice.
* A Very Boyband Christmas (2021): Wanyá and Shawn join members of 'Nsync, 98 Degrees and other boy bands to celebrate the holidays.
* Live in Front of a Studio Audience (2021): The group performs the theme song of Diff'rent Strokes as the intro to the special's reenactment of "Willis’s Privacy".[39]
* Barmageddon (2023): They appear as themselves as contestants, taking parts in various games & challenges during the show.

## Awards and nominations[edit]

American Music Awards

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

1992[40] | Boyz II Men  | Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist  | Won
Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist  | Nominated
Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group | Nominated
"Motownphilly"  | Favorite Soul/R&B Single | Nominated
Cooleyhighharmony | Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Nominated
1993[41] | "End of the Road"  | Favorite Pop/Rock Song | Won
Boyz II Men  | Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group  | Won
1995[42] | Won
Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist | Nominated
"I'll Make Love to You"  | Favorite Soul/R&B Single  | Won
Favorite Pop/Rock Song  | Won
1996[43] | II | Favorite Soul/R&B Album  | Won
Favorite Pop/Rock Album  | Nominated
Boyz II Men  | Artist of the Year | Nominated
Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group  | Nominated
Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group  | Won
1998[44] | Won

Billboard Music Awards

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

1992  | Boyz II Men  | Top Hot 100 Artist | Won
"End of the Road"  | Top Hot 100 Song | Won
1994  | "I'll Make Love to You"  | Nominated
1995  | II | Top Billboard 200 Album | Nominated
Boyz II Men  | Top Artist | Nominated
Top R&B Artist | Nominated
1996  | "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey)  | Top Hot 100 Song  | Nominated
Billboard Music Special Hot 100  | Won

Children's & Family Emmy Awards

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2023  | "The City of Brothery Love" from Jam Van | Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program  | Nominated

Grammy Awards

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

1992[45] | Boyz II Men  | Best New Artist | Nominated
Cooleyhighharmony | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Won
1993[46] | "End of the Road"  | Won
1994[47] | "Let It Snow"  | Nominated
1995[48] | "I'll Make Love To You"  | Won
Record of the Year | Nominated
II | Best R&B Album | Won
1996[49] | "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey)  | Record of the Year  | Nominated
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | Nominated
1998[50] | "A Song For Mama"  | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal  | Nominated
Evolution | Best R&B Album  | Nominated
2001[51] | Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya | Nominated
"Pass You By"  | Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocal  | Nominated
2009[52] | "Ribbon In The Sky"  | Nominated
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA | Best R&B Album  | Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

1993 | "End of the Road"  | Best R&B Video | Nominated  | [53]
1995 | "Water Runs Dry"  | Nominated
Best Cinematography | Nominated
1996 | "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey) | Best R&B Video | Nominated

Soul Train Music Awards

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

1992 | Boyz II Men  | Best New R&B/Soul Artist  | Won
1993 | "End of the Road"  | Song of the Year  | Won
Best R&B Music Video  | Won
"Please Don't Go"  | Best R&B Single – Group, Band or Duo  | Won
1995 | II | R&B/Soul Album Group, Band or Duo  | Won
"I'll Make Love to You"  | R&B/Soul Single Group, Band or Duo  | Won
1996 | Boyz II Men  | Entertainer of the Year  | Won
1998 | Evolution | Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo  | Nominated
2003[54] | Full Circle | Nominated

## See also[edit]

* List of best-selling music artists
* List of artists who reached number one in the United States

## References[edit]

1. ^ Kenneth Partridge (2016-02-15). "Boyz II Men's 'Cooleyhighharmony' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
2. ^ "Boyz II Men Dishes On Mike, Their Estranged Fourth Member". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
3. ^ Billboard. "(Boyz II Men > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles)". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
4. ^ a b "Boyz II Men Music News & Info". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
5. ^ "10 Biggest Boy Bands (1987–2012)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
6. ^ "Boyz II Men Release New Album UNDER THE STREETLIGHT Available October 20, 2017". Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
7. ^ Westover, Jonas (11 Feb 2013). "Boyz II Men". The Grove Dictionary of American Music. 2nd Edition.
8. ^ "Boyz II Men return to Philly high school for show". USA Today. Associated Press. October 14, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
9. ^ Stockman, Shawn (July 9, 2020). "Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men on Ernie Ball Striking A Chord Live". Ernie Ball on Instagram IGTV. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
10. ^ The character in question, Alfred Vanderpool, appeared on ABC's All My Children.
11. ^ Rule (October 9, 1994). "Boyz II Men at the Head of the Class". New York Times. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
12. ^ "Ep. 180 | Boyz II Men | Behind The Music | Episode Summary, Highlights, and Recaps". VH1.com. Archived from the original on 2011-03-08. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
13. ^ "East Coast Family 1: Various Artists: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
14. ^ "The Remix Collection". AllMusic. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
15. ^ "A Timeline: Boyz II Men's Career". BET.com. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
16. ^ "Carnival Imagination February 11–14, 2011". Boyz II Men Cruise. Archived from the original on 2010-03-11. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
17. ^ "iTunes Store". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
18. ^ "Soul of R&B – R&B Music News". Soulofrnb.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-22. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
19. ^ "L'Arc-en-Ciel Tribute". Cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
20. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (22 January 2013). "NKOTB Recruit Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees For 'Package' Summer Tour". MTV. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
21. ^ Moraski, Lauren (10 July 2014). "Boyz II Men on new album: "The canvas is completely different"". Cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
22. ^ "Beauty School Dropout (From "Grease Live!" Music From The Television Event)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
23. ^ Goldman Geltzer, Wendy. "Amazon Studios to bow original holiday kids specials". Kidscreen.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
24. ^ "Boyz II Men Sing Nostalgic (But New!) Life Into Geico's 'It's What You Do'". Adweek.com. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
25. ^ Burney, Melanie (24 June 2017). "Another honor for Boyz II Men: Philly street with their name". Philly.com. Retrieved 2017-08-14.
26. ^ "How Boyz II Men's Nathan Morris Lost Weight and Toned Up: 'I Had to Commit Or Quit'". People.com. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
27. ^ "Boyz II Men – Under the Streetlight". Citydisc.ch. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
28. ^ "Under the Streetlight". Amazon.de. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
29. ^ "Boyz II Men excited to perform with Divas and visit Davao for the first time". Pop.inquirer.net. December 6, 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
30. ^ Hall, Gerrad. "Exclusive: Boyz II Men headed back to the '90s for one sweet cameo on ABC's 'Schooled'". Ew.com. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
31. ^ "BOYZ II MEN TOUR OF ASIA – MyTicket.Asia". Retrieved 2024-01-21.
32. ^ "Ticketmelon - BOYZ II MEN LIVE IN BANGKOK 2019". www.ticketmelon.com/IMC/b2mth. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
33. ^ "Boyz II Men to perform in Singapore as part of Asia tour". Boyz II Men to perform in Singapore as part of Asia tour | Bandwagon | Music media championing and spotlighting music in Asia. 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
34. ^ Villano, Alexa (2019-09-30). "Boyz II Men to return in Manila for December concert". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
35. ^ "Vrbo Fiesta Bowl - Michigan v TCU". Getty Images. 31 December 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
36. ^ "Is R&B Having an Identity Crisis?". Theatlantic.com. 2012-04-09. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
37. ^ "Hollywood Today: Boyz II Men to Get Star on Walk of Fame". Hollywood.patch.com. 2012-01-05. Archived from the original on 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
38. ^ Robinson, Joshua (1 July 2021). "The 5 Most Surprising Things We Learned From Netflix's 'This Is Pop'". Thrillist. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
39. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (December 8, 2021). "ABC's Diff'rent Strokes Live: Boyz II Men Members Perform Iconic Theme Song". TVLine. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
40. ^ "19th American Music Awards". rockonthenet.
41. ^ "20th American Music Awards". rockonthenet.
42. ^ "22nd American Music Awards". rockonthenet.
43. ^ "23rd American Music Awards". rockonthenet.
44. ^ "25th American Music Awards". rockonthenet.
45. ^ "34th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1991)". www.grammy.com.
46. ^ "35th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1992)". www.grammy.com.
47. ^ "36th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1993)". www.grammy.com.
48. ^ "37th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1994)". www.grammy.com.
49. ^ "38th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1995)". www.grammy.com.
50. ^ "40th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1997)". www.grammy.com.
51. ^ "43rd Annual GRAMMY Awards (2000)". www.grammy.com.
52. ^ "51st Annual GRAMMY Awards (2008)". www.grammy.com.
53. ^ "Boyz II Men". IMDb.
54. ^ "2003 Soul Train Music Awards Nominees". Billboard.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boyz II Men.

* Official website
* Boyz II Men at AllMusic

* v
* t
* e

Boyz II Men

* Nathan Morris
* Shawn Stockman
* Wanya Morris

* Marc Nelson
* Michael McCary

Studio albums|

* Cooleyhighharmony
* II
* Evolution
* Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya
* Full Circle
* Throwback, Vol. 1
* The Remedy
* Motown: Hitsville USA
* Love
* Covered: Winter
* Twenty
* Collide
* Under the Streetlight

Compilation albums|

* Christmas Interpretations
* The Remix Collection
* The Ballad Collection
* Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection
* The Millennium Collection: The Best of Boyz II Men

Singles|

* "Motownphilly"
* "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
* "Uhh Ahh"
* "Please Don't Go"
* "End of the Road"
* "In the Still of the Nite (I'll Remember)"
* "Let It Snow"
* "I'll Make Love to You"
* "On Bended Knee"
* "Thank You"
* "Water Runs Dry"
* "One Sweet Day"
* "Brokenhearted"
* "Hey Lover"
* "4 Seasons of Loneliness"
* "A Song for Mama"
* "Doin' Just Fine"
* "I Will Get There"
* "Pass You By"
* "Thank You in Advance"
* "The Color of Love"
* "Relax Your Mind"
* "What You Won't Do for Love"
* "The Tracks of My Tears"
* "Just My Imagination"
* "Mercy Mercy Me"
* "I Can't Make You Love Me"
* "Iris"
* "If You Leave Me Now"

Related topics|

* Discography
* Babyface
* The Package Tour
* Total Package Tour

* Category

Awards for Boyz II Men

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best R&B Album

1990s|

* II – Boyz II Men (1994)
* CrazySexyCool – TLC (1995)
* Words – Tony Rich (1996)
* Baduizm – Erykah Badu (1997)
* The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1998)
* FanMail – TLC (1999)

2000s|

* Voodoo – D'Angelo (2000)
* Songs in A Minor – Alicia Keys (2001)
* Voyage to India – India Arie (2002)
* Dance with My Father – Luther Vandross (2003)
* The Diary of Alicia Keys – Alicia Keys (2004)
* Get Lifted – John Legend (2005)
* The Breakthrough – Mary J. Blige (2006)
* Funk This – Chaka Khan (2007)
* Jennifer Hudson – Jennifer Hudson (2008)
* BLACKsummers'night – Maxwell (2009)

2010s|

* Wake Up! – John Legend and The Roots (2010)
* F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown (2011)
* Black Radio – Robert Glasper (2012)
* Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys (2013)
* Love, Marriage & Divorce – Toni Braxton and Babyface (2014)
* Black Messiah – D'Angelo & The Vanguard (2015)
* Lalah Hathaway Live – Lalah Hathaway (2016)
* 24K Magic – Bruno Mars (2017)
* H.E.R. – H.E.R. (2018)
* Ventura – Anderson .Paak (2019)

2020s|

* Bigger Love – John Legend (2020)
* Heaux Tales – Jazmine Sullivan (2021)
* Black Radio III – Robert Glasper (2022)
* Jaguar II – Victoria Monét (2023)

* v
* t
* e

American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group

* The Temptations (1974)
* Gladys Knight & the Pips (1975)
* Gladys Knight & the Pips (1976)
* Earth, Wind & Fire (1977)
* Earth, Wind & Fire (1978)
* Earth, Wind & Fire (1979)
* Commodores (1980)
* Earth, Wind & Fire (1981)
* Kool & the Gang (1982)
* Kool & the Gang (1983)
* Gladys Knight & the Pips (1984)
* The Pointer Sisters (1985)
* Kool & the Gang (1986)
* New Edition (1987)
* Cameo (1988)
* Gladys Knight & the Pips (1989)
* The O'Jays (1990)
* Tony! Toni! Toné! (1991)
* Bell Biv DeVoe (1992)
* Boyz II Men (1993)
* En Vogue (1994)
* Boyz II Men (1995)
* Boyz II Men (1996)
* New Edition (1997)
* Boyz II Men (1998)
* K-Ci & JoJo (1999)
* TLC (2000)
* Destiny's Child (2001)
* Destiny's Child (2002)
* Outkast (2003)
* The Isley Brothers (2003)
* Destiny's Child (2005)
* Black Eyed Peas (2006)
* Black Eyed Peas (2009)

* v
* t
* e

Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Music Group

* Aerosmith (1994)
* Boyz II Men (1995)
* TLC (1996)
* Fugees (1997)
* Hanson (1998)
* NSYNC (1999)
* Backstreet Boys (2000)
* Destiny's Child (2001–2002)
* B2K (2003)
* OutKast (2004)
* Green Day (2005–2006)
* The Black Eyed Peas (2007, 2010–2011)
* Jonas Brothers (2008–2009)
* Big Time Rush (2012)
* One Direction (2013–2015)
* Fifth Harmony (2016–2018)
* Maroon 5 (2019)
* BTS (2020–2022)

* v
* t
* e

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration

Duo or Group
(1979–2007)|

* The Jacksons (1979)
* The Commodores (1980)
* Kool & the Gang (1981)
* Gladys Knight & the Pips (1982)
* No Award (1983–1985)
* Atlantic Starr (1986)
* Gladys Knight & the Pips (1987)
* LeVert (1988)
* After 7 (1989)
* No Award (1990)
* The O'Jays (1991)
* Boyz II Men (1992)
* En Vogue (1993)
* No Award (1994)
* Boyz II Men (1995)
* Kirk Franklin (1996)
* Boyz II Men (1997)
* Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey (1998)
* Destiny's Child (1999)
* Destiny's Child (2000)
* Destiny's Child (2001)
* India Arie and Stevie Wonder (2002)
* Outkast (2003)
* Destiny's Child (2004)
* Destiny's Child (2005)
* The Cheetah Girls (2006)
* Eddie Levert and Gerald Levert (2007)

Duo, Group or
Collaboration
(2008–2019)|

* Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia (2008)
* Black Eyed Peas (2009)
* John Legend and The Roots (2010)
* Mary J. Blige and Drake (2011)
* Mary Mary (2012)
* Robin Thicke, T.I., and Pharrell (2013)
* Sam Smith and Mary J. Blige (2014)
* Empire Cast featuring Estelle and Jussie Smollett (2015)
* Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar (2016)
* Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna (2017)
* Kendrick Lamar and SZA (2018)
* Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, Beyoncé, and Wizkid (2019)

Contemporary
(2020–present)|

* Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé (2020)
* Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (2021)
* Chris Brown featuring Wizkid (2022)
* Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay (2023)

Traditional
(2020–present)|

* Chloe x Halle (2020)
* Silk Sonic (2021)
* Silk Sonic (2022)
* Ciara and Chris Brown (2023)

* v
* t
* e

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist

1980s|

* Whitney Houston (1984)
* Vanessa Williams (1988)
* After 7 (1989)

1990s|

* Boyz II Men (1991)
* Arrested Development (1992)
* Shai (1993)
* Brandy (1995)
* Kenny Lattimore (1996)
* Erykah Badu (1997)
* Lauryn Hill (1998)
* Eve (1999)

2000s|

* Carl Thomas (2000)
* Alicia Keys (2001)
* Ashanti (2002)
* Ruben Studdard (2003)
* Kanye West (2004)
* Chris Brown (2005)
* Corinne Bailey Rae (2006)
* Jordin Sparks (2007)
* Jennifer Hudson (2008)
* Keri Hilson (2009)

2010s|

* Willow Smith (2010)
* Diggy Simmons (2011)
* Elle Varner (2012)
* K. Michelle (2013)
* 3 Winans Brothers (2014)
* Jussie Smollett (2015)
* Chance the Rapper (2016)
* SZA (2017)
* Ella Mai (2018)
* Lil Nas X (2019)

2020s|

* Doja Cat (2020)
* Saweetie (2021)
* Coco Jones (2022)
* Victoria Monét (2023)

* v
* t
* e

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song

Song
(1971–2015)|

* "Theme from Shaft" – Isaac Hayes (1971)
* No Award (1972–1994)
* "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" – Whitney Houston (1995)
* "I Believe I Can Fly" – R. Kelly (1996)
* "A Song for Mama" – Boyz II Men (1997)
* "Lean on Me" – Kirk Franklin (1998)
* "Spend My Life with You" – Eric Benét featuring Tamia (1999)
* "Open My Heart" – Yolanda Adams (2000)
* "A Woman's Worth" – Alicia Keys (2001)
* "Brighter Day" – Kirk Franklin (2002)
* "Dance with My Father" – Luther Vandross (2003)
* "If I Ain't Got You" – Alicia Keys (2004)
* "Unbreakable" – Alicia Keys (2005)
* "I Am Not My Hair" – India Arie (2006)
* "Like You'll Never See Me Again" – Alicia Keys (2007)
* "Yes We Can" – will.i.am (2008)
* "God in Me" – Mary Mary (2009)
* "Bittersweet" – Fantasia (2010)
* "I Smile" – Kirk Franklin (2011)
* "I Look to You" – Whitney Houston and R. Kelly (2012)
* "All of Me" – John Legend (2013)
* "We Are Here" – Alicia Keys (2014)
* "Back Together" – Jill Scott (2015)

Contemporary
(2016–2019)|

* "Freedom" – Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar (2016)
* "HUMBLE." – Kendrick Lamar (2017)
* "Boo'd Up" – Ella Mai (2018)
* "Before I Let Go" – Beyoncé (2019)

Traditional
(2016–2019)|

* "I See Victory" – Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams (2016)
* "That's What I Like" – Bruno Mars (2017)
* "Long as I Live" – Toni Braxton (2018)
* "Spirit" – Beyoncé (2019)

Soul/R&B
(2020–present)|

* "Do It" – Chloe x Halle (2020)
* "Pick Up Your Feelings" – Jazmine Sullivan (2021)
* "Cuff It" – Beyoncé (2022)
* "ICU (Remix)" – Coco Jones featuring Justin Timberlake (2023)

Hip Hop/Rap
(2020–present)|

* "Savage (Remix)" – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé (2020)
* "Fye Fye" – Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (2021)
* "Hotel Lobby" – Quavo and Takeoff (2022)
* "Cobra" – Megan Thee Stallion (2023)

International
(2020–present)|

* "Lockdown" – Original Koffee (2020)
* "Essence" – Wizkid featuring Tems and Justin Bieber (2021)
* "No Woman, No Cry" – Tems (2022)
* "Me & U" – Tems (2023)

* v
* t
* e

Billboard Year-End number one singles (1980–1999)

* 1980: "Call Me" – Blondie
* 1981: "Bette Davis Eyes" – Kim Carnes
* 1982: "Physical" – Olivia Newton-John
* 1983: "Every Breath You Take" – The Police
* 1984: "When Doves Cry" – Prince
* 1985: "Careless Whisper" – Wham! featuring George Michael
* 1986: "That's What Friends Are For" – Dionne & Friends
* 1987: "Walk Like an Egyptian" – The Bangles
* 1988: "Faith" – George Michael
* 1989: "Look Away" – Chicago
* 1990: "Hold On" – Wilson Phillips
* 1991: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" – Bryan Adams
* 1992: "End of the Road" – Boyz II Men
* 1993: "I Will Always Love You" – Whitney Houston
* 1994: "The Sign" – Ace of Base
* 1995: "Gangsta's Paradise" – Coolio featuring L.V.
* 1996: "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" – Los del Río
* 1997: "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" – Elton John
* 1998: "Too Close" – Next
* 1999: "Believe" – Cher

* Complete list
* (1946–1959)
* (1960–1979)
* (1980–1999)
* (2000–2019)
* (2020–present)

Authority control databases

International|

* FAST
* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* Israel
* United States
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* Grammy Awards
* MusicBrainz

Other|

* IdRef

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template