Survivor Castaway Runs into Boyz II Men
5-15-02: Last week, I was watching the Rosie O'Donnell Show. She had the latest Survivor 4 castaway, Tammy, on her show. She said that while she was in her New York City elevator, Boyz II Men were in the elevator as well. They were whispering "isn't that the Survivor girl?" to each other.

Some Old Newz in Brief
11-11-01: Hey everybody...here is some newz on the Boyz that I never had the time to add. Of course, Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection comes out this Tuesday, November 13th, so make sure you all buy it! Last week, Billboard Magazine did a tribute to the Boyz and now you can check that out online at here. Eventually, I will scan the pics from that issue.

Also, Shawn will be on the Michael Jackson star-studded song, "What More Can I Give" and you will be able to see him on Entertainment Tonight on 11-12.

This is a random note....on MTV's Total Britney Live last Saturday, Britney Spears revealed that the first real concert she saw was Boyz II Men and TLC in 1995 on the All Around the World Tour. Boyz II Men was also Joey from *NSYNC's first concert ever.

Boyz II Men Sign with Arista Records
8-21-01: Thanks to everyone who told me this. Boyz II Men are now with Arista Records and their new President/CEO L.A. Reid. As you all know, L.A. Reid co-wrote "End of the Road," so the Boyz are finally in good hands again. Later this year, Universal will release a "Best of Boyz II Men" album and a new Boyz II Men album is expected in early 2002 (hopefully!). Here are two articles about the signing.

FROM BOYZ II MEN TO ARISTA (Hits Daily Double)

As we indicated earlier in our rumor mill, multi-platinum artists Boyz II Men have signed a long-term multi-album deal with Arista Records. The announcement came today from Arista President/CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid, who called the inking "a dream come true." "I look forward to working closely with the guys on their upcoming album," he said, "and I wholeheartedly welcome them to the Arista family. Justin is so cute, I could just die." Reid has already savored the fruits of creating hits with the Boyz. He co-wrote and produced the group’s Grammy-winning 1993 single "End of the Road," from their debut Motown album Cooleyhighharmony, which topped the charts for 13 weeks. Additionally in their career, BIIM have garnered three other Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and six Soul Train Music Awards, and have sold more than 60 million albums worldwide.

To be sure, BIIM have not maintained the pinnacle of success they experienced in the ’90s. Their fifth and most recent CD, 2000’s Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, had comparatively disappointing sales. It was then, while promoting NMSW, that the group decided to go in a different direction, leaving their longtime label, Motown, now distributed by Universal.

"Going through the course of promotion, we felt creatively stagnant," group member Shawn Stockton told HITS.

"I think the label changed tremendously," added the group’s Wanya Morris, who claims it was Motown’s corporate attitude that led to their departure. "We went from Jheryl Busby to Andre Harrell to George Jackson. And there were a lot of things going on between the label and [Universal]. It changed from a music background, where they cared about the artist, to a more business-oriented entity."

Member Nathan Morris said, "We all had the same consensus—that we’d outgrown our environment. Now, it just feels good to have a rebirth and a whole new excitement."

Boyz II Men will head back into studio the middle of next month to begin recording their Arista debut. They expect to release the project by mid-2002. In the meantime, Universal will release a Best Of Boyz II Men album later this fall.

Boyz II Men reteam with Reid at Arista (Yahoo! AP News)

NEW YORK (Variety) - R&B quartet Boyz II Men has leapt to BMG imprint Arista Records for a new multialbum contract, following the completion of its deal with Universal Music.

The Philadelphia-based group, which has sold more than 60 million albums, plans to head into the studio in mid-September and expects to release its first disc under the new pact in the first half of next year.

The move reunites the foursome with Arista president Antonio ``L.A.'' Reid, who produced several records for the group and co-wrote one of its biggest hits, ``The End of the Road,'' which topped the singles charts for a record-breaking 13 weeks.

That relationship, along with the promise of more freedom to follow new artistic directions, helped to draw the group to its new home, the Boyz said.

``We've been in situations in the past where we've had record executives that didn't understand where we wanted to go musically,'' Boyz co-founder Nathan Morris told Daily Variety. ``L.A. has always been a little more open in dealing with artists.''

``Cooleyhighharmony,'' Boyz II Men's 1992 Motown debut, sold more than 15 million copies worldwide; the follow-up disc ``II'' moved 20 million units. Three subsequent records, while landing reliably in platinum territory and winning critical acclaim, have not duplicated those stratospheric figures.

Boyz II Men has also won four Grammys (news - web sites), including one for "End of the Road."

Shawn's Fourth Solo Song
4-4-01: Shawn's fourth solo single is now available in stores on the Kingdom Come Soundtrack. The song is called "Stand." It should be available on Napster anytime now. More Reviews of Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya
9-23-00: Here are more reviews of Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya:
USA Today:
You see a lot of male groups across the pop landscape working off the Boyz II Men template. But on their first album in three years, Boyz II Men make the others seem like a photo of a Picasso -- you may get the picture but it's not close to the real thing. Most groups would die for one singer as good as these four, whose range and power remain unmatched by their contemporaries. The main gripe against the quartet since it came on the scene nearly 10 years ago has been its tendency toward clean-cut, romantic ballads. But even if that's valid, Boyz II Men do richly textured harmonies better than anyone else. More important, their soulfulness is genuine, as evidenced by first single "Pass You By," the sparse "I Do" and several other slow jams. They also get surprisingly funky on the Latin-flavored "Beautiful Women" and grooving "Good Guy." Other groups may sell more records these days, but they still have their work cut out if they want to touch Boyz II Men musically. Rating: 3 1/2 out of 4 stars

MTV:
Can Boyz II Men find their place in the sun? The beach is crowded with the fainted bodies of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC fans. And let's not leave out 98 Degrees, Next, Dru Hill or British import BBMak and their impacts on record sales and wildly beating hearts everywhere. But Boyz II Men have what these Johnnies-come lately-have yet to attain: longevity and a track record that will be hard to beat.

With Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, Boyz II Men step back into the spotlight – still armed with those tight harmonies, impressive lead-vocals skills, and coordinated hip-hop-inspired outfits – after three years of exploring other interests. (Wanya Morris started a record label, Shawn Stockman has written film scores, and all the Boyz were involved in the building and running of Stonecreek Studios, a recording facility in Gladwyne, PA.)

Since 1992, when they first stepped unto the R&B world stage (first auditioning for New Edition's Michael Bivins, then going on to record the chart topper "Motownphilly" and the multi-platinum Cooleyhighharmony), the Boyz have moved from attitude-laden late adolescents to men with confidence in their own voices and songwriting. Morris, Stockman and fellow Boyz Nathan Morris and Michael McCary wrote 13 of the 14 tracks on their fifth album and took the helm as executive producers.

The album's first single, "Pass You By," is the kind of ballad that helped the Boyz earn their place on the R&B/pop landscape, from "End of the Road" (from Eddie Murphy's 1992 movie Boomerang) to "On Bended Knee" (from 1994's II) to "A Song for Mama" (which appeared on both 1997's Evolution and the Soul Food soundtrack).

Smooth and romantic, "Pass You By" speaks to searching for love that lasts longer than the Saturday-night booty call. Not that the Boyz can't get a groove on: "Beautiful Women" fantasizes with Latin flavor, and both the hip-hop/techno/house of "Bounce, Shake, Move, Swing" and the late-disco flavor of "Step On Up" demand taking to the dance floor. But the ballads that dominate Nathan, Michael, Shawn, Wanya satisfy even more, especially the tempting mid-tempo gem of "What the Deal" and sweetly nostalgic "Do You Remember." Boyz II Men have nothing to worry about: We are listening.

Wall of Sound (sucks, they hate Boyz II Men):
Before the members of 'N Sync became poster boys for the bubble-gum-pop movement, the band had other, more modest aspirations. "We just wanted to be a vocal group like Boyz II Men," Lance Bass once told Wall of Sound. "We never thought we'd become this pop phenomenon." To which we can only say, "Oh, shut up."

Now, while it may seem as though *NSYNC is the world's biggest band since, say, The Beatles (or at least the Backstreet Boys), the group still hasn't topped the Boyz, whose first two albums went a combined 21 times platinum, compared to 19 for *NSYNC. And more significantly, the members of Boyz II Mem have always shown themselves to be the superior singers, master harmony vocalists whose a cappella abilities alone make *NSYNC sound downright Mickey Mouse-ish. The implication that a pop phenom ranks higher than a top R&B vocal group on the cultural food chain is absurd.

On their previous outings, the Boyz also benefited from better artistic allegiances, teaming up with the likes of Babyface and the Jimmy Jam-Terry Lewis team for some of the most successful singles of all time — classic, artfully produced cuts like "I'll Make Love to You," "On Bended Knee," and "End of the Road." But things are different now. On their fifth full-length album (self-absorbedly titled Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya), the Boyz take almost total creative control, handling the majority of the writing and production work. The result is an album that's long on lovely vocal parts but short on musical or lyrical substance.

In other words, aside from the actual singing, it's strangely closer to *NSYNC than anyone would have predicted, especially on saccharine songs such as "What the Deal," a basic ballad with standard-issue lyrics like "Tonight I'll take you there/ Lay back and close your eyes." If not for the dramatic chord changes, some sweet harmonizing, and a bit of Spanish-style guitar, the song would be a waste of CD data space.

"Pass You By," the synthetic-sounding first single, isn't much better, a plodding and predictable plea in which the Boyz beg a particular woman to drop her current lover (who happens to make her cry) and wake up and smell the special man behind the microphone. "Can't hope to see the sun if you don't open your eyes," they croon. "Girl, don't let real love pass you by."

On several other tracks, the Boyz don't sound so much like *NSYNC as a particularly saucy, but production-driven, girl group. The up-tempo, up-on-being-bad-for-the-sake-of-getting-the-girl "Good Guy" comes across almost exactly like a Destiny's Child cut, expertly emulating the percolating, stuttering, rapid-fire sound of that trio with the help of the girls' chief sonic sculptor, She'kspere. He claims no responsibility, though, for lyrics such as "Rather have a man who would tell you lies; tell me why, tell me why-y-y-y." Once again, however, the song is somewhat redeemed by its excellent harmonies, which are even better on "Thank You in Advance," a lush, simmering ballad that stands as one of the high points on the album and most certainly features its most memorable vocal arrangements.

It's unclear, of course, whether Boyz II Men will have much to be thankful for when sales figures are tallied for its latest release. Though its members may be far superior to *NSYNC — even with an album as unfulfilling as Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya — they have to fight for attention in the current musical climate, where boy bands do indeed reign. And let's face it, after almost a decade in the business, the Boyz are boys no longer.

CDNow Reviews Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya
9-12-00: Thanks to Muficool, CDNow has now reviewed Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, and it's not as good as the People and Entertainment Weekly reviews, but it's not too terrible. Here it is:
Boyz II Men weren't the first four dapper guys to sing in perfect harmony, but in this adolescent-male-crazy climate, they're virtual messiahs. For an entire generation, they are all the proof needed to show that you can inspire fits of orgasmic rapture in countless young women by choreographing your dance steps, mouthing mushy love songs, and wearing matching outfits.

How else to explain the glut of pale imitators that bum-rushed the charts while Boyz II Men was off working on its first new release since 1997's Evolution? But the band's long-awaited follow-up, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, isn't the expected slap in the face to the new generation of vocal groups.

Instead, the album sticks firmly with the outfit's seemingly indestructible, if slightly dull, formula, which it's been using in one form or another since 1992: smooth ballads + neutral lyrics x trendy R&B producers = gargantuan sales.

One listen to such mellow, but funky R&B tracks as "Pass You By " and "What the Deal" are enough to suggest that this album has more in common with Destiny's Child's The Writing's on the Wall than *NSYNC's No Strings Attached. There are no cheap explosives, jutting pelvises, or nagging melodies. Just a simple mix of laid-back jams with faux-Spanish guitars and icky lines like, "Let me put my love inside you / And make you tremble inside."

People Magazine & Entertainment Weekly Review the New CD
9-10-00: In the September 15, 2000 issue of Entertainment Weekly (they said Boyz II Men was still on Motown which is wrong of course) and the September 18, 2000 issue of People Magazine, (which gave the new CD Album of the Week), Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya was reviewed by both. Unlike Evolution three years ago which got less than stellar reviews, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya has already gotten two solid reviews from two magazines that they usually get pretty bad reviews from. Here are the reviews:
Entertainment Weekly:
Boyz II Men drop the balladeering on their fifth CD in favor of mature, danceable, even occasionally sexy tracks that, while not perfect, offer a respite from their past shtick. They never quite venture into R. Kelly territory, but there are hints of libido and open dissatisfaction with playing nice ("I try to be the good guy/You take me for granted"). Those matching sweater vests must've been getting pretty tight. Grade: B

People Magazine:
Long before the current boy band boom exploded with such young bloods as Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and 98 Degrees, there was Boyz II Men. The Grammy-winning quartet were launched in 1991 with the multi-platinum Cooleyhighharmony and sent girls swooning with their lush harmonies, fancy footwork and unabashed romanticism.
But the Boyz-who first got together as choir members at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts-find themselves returning elder statesmen on this, their fifth release. Consummately delivering what they do best-classic and classy soul ballads-the album peaks midway through with the candelight suite of "I Finally Know," "Pass You By," "Dreams," and "I Do." The latter, with its doo-wop a cappella opening, reestablishes this fab foursome as a vocal group for all ages. Bottom Line: II good II be ignored

Entertainment Weekly Reviews "Pass You By"
8-3-00: Thanks to James for typing this review. In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, (August 4, 2000 issue), reviewer Beth Johnson reviews "Pass You By." She gave it a B+! Usually, Entertainment Weekly gives Boyz II Men bad reviews, so that's a surprise. Here's what she said:

"Girl, don't let real love pass you by" implores the quartet on their first single in three years. The Boyz-who-long-ago-became-men still wear their hearts on their sleeves, and their swoony-smooth harmonies remain gloriously intact on this irony-free midtempo R&B ballad. Sure, the swelling strings might be over-the-top, but who can resist a bunch of guys who actually love love?

Boyz II Men Heat Up Radio Airwaves With "Pass You By" as Video Premieres on BET
8-1-00: This article is thanks to Rose for finding. It is an official press release from Universal Records, so everything is true. There are a few important points in the article, so I have those in bold. Here it is:

Video Clip Features Group Dangling Off The Roof Of 30-Story Building

NEW YORK, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Boyz II Men are currently heating up radio airwaves with their new single, "Pass You By," from their forthcoming album, titled Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya set for release September 12. "Pass You By" has gotten off to a remarkable start as it was the "Most Added Song" at both R&B and urban adult contemporary radio formats. The poignant "Pass You By" video clip premiered on BET on July 28, and is in rotation at VH1. The scenario for the poignant video is loosely based on the movie, "City Of Angels." Shot by Darren Grant in Los Angeles, group members performed their own stunts for the harrowing video shoot -- dangling off the roof and walking along the ledges of a 30-story building and California's 105 Freeway.

"Pass You By," a smoldering mid-tempo ballad, was written by group member Shawn Stockman and produced by Boyz II Men. In fact, most of the songs on Nathan Michael Shawn and Wanya were written and produced by Boyz II Men. "Everything we've learned as a group, and as individuals is on this album," says Nathan Morris. Wanya Morris (no relation) adds, "That's one of the reasons why we named the album, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya. The album will be Boyz II Men's first release on their new label, Universal Records. Their four previous Motown releases, Cooleyhighharmony (1991), Christmas Interpretations (1993), II (1994) Evolution (1997) all achieved multi-platinum success and spawned numerous smash hits.

In preparation for the release of their new album, Boyz II Men are gearing up for a series of high-profile special performances. On August 2, the Grammy-winning quartet is slated to perform in their hometown, Philadelphia, Boyz II Men in support of The Handgun Control Benefit. The Handgun Control Association, a Washington-based advocacy group headed by Sarah Brady, sponsors the benefit. On Friday, August 4, at 4:30PM EST, the group will give fans a preview of their forthcoming album with a live performance and interview on CNN. Boyz II Men will be featured performers for the "Kings & Divas 2000 And Beyond" music concert that will be held in Los Angeles on August 13 as part of a voter registration and awareness campaign. Finally, the group was handpicked to sing the National Anthem at the Democratic National Convention's closing ceremony on August 17. Boyz II Men will also perform at the Democratic National Convention Gala immediately following the closing ceremony along with Barbra Streisand, Enrique Iglesias and Babyface.

Boyz II Men are scheduled co-headline a national tour with Luther Vandross. The tour will kick off in West Palm Beach, Florida on August 22.

"Pass You By" on the Billboard Charts
7-10-00: Thanks to Keith, here are the places that "Pass You By" has been at on the R&B Singles Chart. Remember that it's on air play alone since there is no single in the stores being released:
7-15-00: #78 (debut)
7-22-00: #76
7-29-00: #58
8-5-00: #39 (Greatest Gainer in Airplay)
8-12-00: #35
8-19-00: #34

"Pass You By" Most-Added Song on the Radio
7-15-00: Thanks to the Boyz II Men VIP Fan Club, now this is really good news, "Pass You By" was the #1 song added to urban radio stations this week.

Billboard Magazine Reviews "Pass You By"
7-7-00: Thanks to Rose for typing this up: It's been three years since the Boyz released their latest multi-platinum album Evolution. Now, after selling 32 million albums over their nine-year career, you'd think the guys wouldn't have to prove themselves again. But in these quickly evolving times, indeed they do. Fortunately, on "Pass You By," the premiere release from their fourth album, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, the four prove they haven't lost an inch. In fact, they've grown in maturity, sophistication, and class, with an overall sound as clean and as close to perfection as any singing group can get. This time around, they produced themselves, always a risky move, but here they illustrate that they have truly grown in their craft. "Pass You By" is a subtly quiet track, smartly allowing the velvety harmonies and textured tones of Nathan, Michael, Shawn, and Wanya to shine. But that's nothing new. The difference here is that the boyz have, in fact, become men, not only in sound but in lyrical content and creativity. There will no doubt be many who will want to tear them down, simply because of their long history and previous successes. But you have to give them props. They live up to all expectations and will undoubtedly please their fans. And that's all that really counts.

"Pass You By" Video Being Filmed
7-7-00: Thanks to Boyz II Men's official web site, BoyzIIMen.net, the "Pass You By" video will be filmed in Los Angeles, California on July 8th and July 9th. So, the video should be released by late July or early August.

Articles about Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya
7-7-00: These articles are all thanks to Neva:
http://www.manhunt.com/news/stories/5207.html This article reads: BOYZ II MEN TRYING TO BE THE BEST AGAIN
Words: Eurweb
Philly's finest to release single soon.
*There used to be a time when we would get at least 10 feedback letters a week which asked "What da dilly wit' them boys from Philly, yo?" The boys of which those e-mails were referring to are the men of Boyz II Men. Their new single "Pass You By" will be hitting radio stations June 9. The group's new album "Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya," is the quartet's first effort in three years and will be in stores in September, according to Universal Records. We're just curious to know how well the album will fare against the efforts of those "other" so called boy bands/groups (Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, 98 Degrees ... et al). Eurweb.com

http://www.livedaily.com/news/1257.html
Boyz II Men Single And Album On The Way, Concerts Set Small-venue shows to follow single release; major tour expected in the fall.
A new Boyz II Men ballad titled "Pass You By" will be released to radio stations on June 9, and the group's first new album in three years, titled "Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya," will be in stores in September, according to Universal Records. The R&B group is also scheduled to play three concerts in Southern California later this month.
Though the 1997 Boyz II Men album "Evolution" went double platinum, the group was reportedly unhappy with the promotional push the album received from Motown Records. At the time, Motown parent company Polygram was in the process of merging with Universal Records. The dust has since settled, and the new Boyz II Men release, which will include 14 songs, will be the group's first on the Universal label.
While recording the new album, Boyz II Men performed at several high-profile events, including a spot backing Aretha Franklin on "Freeway of Love" for the recent Arista Records 25th anniversary network television special.
The group has taped a performance of "Pass You By" for an episode of the Nickelodeon cable network's "Snick House" which will air on June 10. Other upcoming television appearances include a performance for the Children's Miracle Network that will air on June 3 and a spot on the syndicated special "A Celebration of Black Music," which first airs on June 23. Boyz II Men has embarked on several full-scale arena tours in the past, and is expected to line up an extensive fall concert itinerary to support the new album.

The Originals' of Boy Bands Return...World Renowned Recording Artists Boyz II Men Set to Release Single and Album
6-4-00: This article is thanks to Rose for finding it.
The Universal Records artists, who have sold over 60 million albums worldwide, and were named 'Singing Group of the Decade' by Billboard Magazine will release their first single in three years to radio on Friday, June 9th; their album titled, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, hits stores in September 2000.

On Friday, June 9, 2000, Boyz II Men, "the originals" of Boy Bands, who have sold over 60,000,000 albums worldwide and were "Singing Group of the Decade" named by Billboard Magazine will release their first single to radio in over three years titled, "Pass You By." The ballad, written by group member Shawn Stockman and produced by Boyz II Men, will set the stage for the release of their much anticipated album titled, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya.

Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya will be Boyz II Men's first release from Universal Records and will hit stores in September 2000. The majority of the songs, a 14-track compilation of musically diverse tunes, like their very first album, Cooleyhighharmony, were written and produced by Boyz II Men and are a reflection of their personal and professional growth and maturity. While each group member is still very young in age, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya reflects the evolution of the group from literally being boys to becoming men.

Group member, Shawn Stockman says, "I wrote 'Pass You By,' our first single from the album, because Boyz II Men wanted to have a strong ballad that we hoped would live up to our ballads of the past, but slightly different from what we've had in the past."

Stockman continues, "The lyrics to 'Pass You By,' were written while reflecting on relationships. In a number of cases, people enter into relationships for the wrong reasons. A man or woman will enter into a relationship pure in heart, but the other person might not share the same feelings and enthusiasm or give back to the relationship in the same way, and it turns out to be a disastrous relationship. Now, the wronged person will have a totally different perception of love. What was once an enthusiasm for love has now changed for the worse. In 'Pass You By,' Boyz II Men are saying to the man or woman who is going through a relationship that doesn't make them feel alive, that he or she should realize that there could be somebody else better than the one they are with, and that they owe it to themselves to make the change."

On Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, Stockman states, "What we as a group are saying by the title of our upcoming album is that Boyz II Men have evolved from being just a group to individuals who have matured in all ways -- personally, professionally and musically. And, the songs on this album reflect this evolution by showcasing our individual creativity and musical diversity. The majority of the songs on this album were written and produced by us. And, Nathan, Michael, Shawn and Wanya have been more involved both creatively and musically."

This has been a busy time for Boyz II Men. While in the studio completing their, their requests for appearances were so overwhelming that the group interrupted studio sessions to do spot dates. Since January, they have performed for Black Enterprises' Business Ski Summit weekend; the NFL's Corporate Superbowl Party; Urban Network; and at the Houston Rodeo before an audience of over 60,000.

Boyz II Men have been seen by over 100 million television viewers while performing "Freeway of Love," with Aretha Franklin at Arista's 25th Anniversary; a medley of their songs at BET's 20th Anniversary Celebration in Las Vegas; the National Anthem at the Lennox Lewis/Michael Grant World Heavyweight Title Fight, (which was televised worldwide), at Opening Day for the New York Mets; and, at the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship Game in Philadelphia.

In addition, the group has filmed "Snick House" for the Nickelodeon Network, which airs on June 10, 2000, from 8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.; and, performed the opening song, their soon to be released single, "Pass You By," at "A Celebration of Black Music," which airs in syndication, beginning June 23, 2000.

On Saturday, June 3, 2000, Boyz II Men will perform for the Children's Miracle Network, in Orlando, Florida, which will air on the network the same day. They will perform on June 7, 2000, at the Acapulco Film Festival; are being honored by the International Association of African-American Music Foundation (IAAAM) on June 9, 2000 in Philadelphia, where they will receive the Diamond Award for Excellence; and, will perform at the R&R Convention in Los Angeles, on June 15, 2000.

Boyz II Men can be seen in full concert in Anaheim, California, on Thursday, June 22, 2000 at the Sun Theater; at the Viejas Summer Site in San Diego, California, on Friday, June 23, 2000; and at the Urban Music Festival, being held at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 24, 2000.

Boyz II Men to Have a Live Audio Chat
11-19-00: Like Wanya a few months back, Nate, Shawn, and Wanya will be chatting at twec.com on Monday, November 20th at 8 PM (Eastern) and 5 PM (Pacific). So, go here on Monday.

Another Boyz II Men Day
9-10-00: According to the Associated Press, Boyz II Men will have another Boyz II Men Day on September 12th, 2000, to mark the release of Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya. On April 22nd, 1992, Boyz II Men were honored in Philly with their own day also. This time, they will be honored in several different cities. Here is the full article:

Boyz II Men will release Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, their first album in three years, Tuesday (September 12), and the group will hold a press conference in New York City to discuss the new release. Because the Philadelphia-based foursome is nearly as well known for community and charity work as for music, the mayors of several cities--including New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Denver, and Washington, D.C.--have decided to recognize the group by proclaiming September 12 "Boyz II Men Day" in their respective cities.

The four members of Boyz II Men wrote and produced most of the music on Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya. Group member Shawn Stockman recently told LAUNCH that they wanted to take creative control of the album because they "felt like it was the next step for us as a group and as developing artists who write songs and who want to be more involved with the production of our records." As Stockman explained, throughout the group's career, the members had written and produced their own songs, although the biggest hits tended to be songs created by established hit makers like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. With the new album, Boyz II Men wants to establish itself as a group capable of creating its own hits. "Even with Cooleyhighharmony, our very first album, it was a situation where we pretty much wrote and produced the whole album, but we just never received the proper credit for it," Stockman continued. "This time around, we wanted to be involved with it: One, because of that, and two, when Jam & Lewis and Babyface wrote us those records, those are the ones that are most successful in our career thus far, and we want to be able to kind of still have a life outside of Jam & Lewis and Babyface's production. We appreciate it and we love the records that they've done, but this is our way of seeing if people felt for our music and the group itself or the music that other producers and writers wrote for us."

Boyz II Men Featured in Two Magazines
8-28-00: Thanks to Tanasha and Kim for this newz. Boyz II Men are on the cover of the October 2000 issue of Upscale Magazine. I typed up the article and you can check it out here. Also, Boyz II Men are featured in the October 2000 issue of VIBE Magazine with LL Cool J on the cover. Kim says Wanya and Shawn talk about their new religions in the article. I have not gotten the magazine yet, but once I do, the article and new pictures will be here.

Boyz II Men Were Late to the Convention
8-19-00: Thanks to Toya and the Reuters press release on the subject. Well, if you were like me who watched the Deomocratic Convention on Thursday waiting for Boyz II Men to sing the "National Anthem" and then hearing the song being played by the orchestra and not the Boyz, you were probably wondering where were they? Well, they were late. But, they did sing the "National Anthem" at the private party after the convention. Here is the story:

The group was set to sing the "National Anthem" a cappella at the Democratic National Convention. But when the group showed up nearly an hour late at the Staples Center, convention planners axed them from the program.

Instead, the orchestra played the anthem to kick off Thursday's session.

The group, longtime friends of the Gores, was supposed to be at the Staples Center by 3:30 p.m. but didn't arrive until 4:25 p.m. They were scheduled to go on stage at 5 or 5:15 p.m.

Rehearsals, traffic and the security check slowed them down, said Raymone Bain, the group's publicist.

Initially a production company staffer turned them away at the door.

"They were just left standing there," Bain said. "That's just an insult to a group on the level of Boyz II Men."

Then someone with better political instincts - someone with the Gore campaign - got involved and they got inside to take a peak at the convention.

"They tried getting them back on the schedule," Bain said, "but they weren't successful."

The Boyz Are Tired
8-17-00: Thanks to Kisha, she found an article in the August 17th Philadelphia Inquirer that says Boyz II Men are the most tired Philadelphians right now. Here it is:
The busiest Philadelphians in L.A. this week are not Ed Rendell, John Street or even Mark Walsh, chairman of VerticalNet and a major Democratic donor who gets into all the good parties.

The busiest Philadelphians are Boyz II Men. The quartet flew in Sunday from a performance in Atlanta and has been going nonstop, says Nate Morris, the oldest of the Boyz, at 29.

"We're so tired!" he sighed in a phone interview yesterday. "Let's see. We just filmed The Parkers, The Hughleys and Moesha, remixed our single 'Pass You By' and [tonight] we're singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at the convention."

Morris and mates Michael McCary, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris, who met in the '80s at the High School for Creative and Performing Arts, are flying east tomorrow for a weekend engagement in Atlantic City. Then they'll be on the road again supporting their next album, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, to be released Sept. 12.

Boyz II Men to Appear on Four UPN Shows
8-11-00: Thanks to Tremaine and Eurweb.com, Boyz II Men will appear on all four of UPN's Monday night shows on September 25th from 8:00 - 10:00 PM. On Moesha, they will be checkin' them out on her campus when they make an unannounced promotional stop. On The Parkers, they will meet them at a dinner theatre. On The Hughleys, they will have them over to sing and on Girlfriends, they will be trying to latch onto them.

The Box's Summer Music Experience Contest
8-11-00: Thanks for everyone who told me about this. The Box is having a contest for Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees. The winner will receive a three day/two night trip for two to see Boyz II Men in concert, a three day/two night trip for two to see 98 Degrees in concert. Autographed collection of the artist’s CDs (total of 4). Sam Goody Gift Certificate in the amount of $1,000. On the page to enter the contest, they show the cover of Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, which is four microphones. You can enter the contest here. You can request "Pass You By" by calling 1-900-407-0780 (it costs money to call this) and it's number is 246.

More Mike and Marc Nelson Newz
8-1-00: Thanks to JJRocker3 for finding this article at BET. Basically, the article said that former/original Boyz II Men member Marc Nelson will NOT be the dude to fill Mike McCrary's shoes if he does in fact step out of the group. There seems to be some old "issues" that cannot/will not be resolved to make that happen. For now, Mike is STILL with the boys but inside sources maintain that a change is really coming. Shaleesha heard from her radio station that since Nate and Marc are best friends, he wants him to re-join, Wanya doesn't mind Marc re-joining, but Shawn does not want Marc to re-join. There were some issues in the past that happened. Read my biography on the Boyz in case you don't know what those issues are.

A Re-Cap of the Wanya Chat
7-27-00: A lot of questions were answered last night at Wanya's chat at www.twec.com. Here are a few of the main points:
The chat was a little late since www.twec.com was having technical trouble, so Wanya was ready the whole time. The bad part about this chat was that it was only audio, so if your audio didn't work then you couldn't hear the chat, so that was pretty bad. On to the chat itself. Wanya said that he is spending his birthday in the Bahamas since the Boyz are there right now with his whole family. He usually spends it in Orlando with his mother since her birthday is the day after his. He also mentioned his new baby girl, eight month old Anya (such a cute name!). A question was asked about why Babyface is not on the new album and it's because of scheduling conflict and they want people to like the music not the producer. The question that everyone was asking was of course about Mike. And he did clarify that Mike is NOT leaving the group. BUT, this is a bad thing, Marc Nelson may be joining the group on tour. NO ONE was happy about this. He said that it would sound better to have a four-part harmony then three-part harmony. So, let's hope Mike gets better fast, because I don't think the group will be the same without him. I mean, Marc is not a bass! OK, enough of that for now. The moderator did give Wanya two of my questions, so I was really excited. She messed up my first one though. I asked if they ever visited their fans' web sites, but she said if they ever visited their fans chat rooms, which is a whole different thing. So, my question was not answered. He did say that he goes to chat rooms and people don't believe that it's him so he uses a different name. The other question I asked was something I've always wanted to ask. It was how do they feel about *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees idolizing you guys? Has it gotten annoying yet? His answer really did surprise me. He said that he likes *NSYNC and thinks they have attitude and they can really perform well...that made me so happy! Then he said that he thinks only two guys in 98 Degrees can really sing, but they are his label mates. Then he said he thinks the Backstreet Boys are ok, but doesn't like them much. They sound ok on the radio, but not live. He also said he thinks Christina Aguilera can really sing, but Britney Spears can't. He thinks that real talent in the music industry is gone now. Wanya definitely speaks the truth! I know he said more, but I forgot some of it. He talked a little bit about the video for "Pass You By." He said that they were 400 feet in the air singing on top of the building. Nate had to jump off of the building, but camera effects make it look like he jumped 400 feet of course. They are angels in the video as well. Well, that's all I can remember as of right now. But, there will most be like be a transcript of it, or the whole chat on audio at twec.com. Once it does come, it will be here.

Mike is NOT Leaving Boyz II Men
7-26-00: OK, this is the biggest newz that has been heard in a long time. Thanks for everyone who e-mailed me about this and it's a lot of you. This rumor started at many radio stations across the country. They are all claiming that since Mike's back problem has gotten worse in the past few years (he can no longer dance with the rest of the Boyz at concerts, etc.), he is now leaving Boyz II Men and his replacement is co-founding member and now a recording artist, Marc Nelson. He left the group to pursue a solo career right before Michael Bivins signed them. Wanya and Shawn even threatened to leave the group if he stayed in the group back then, so we won't be seeing him in Boyz II Men anytime soon. But, DO NOT believe the rumors! Thanks to Neva, who knows Boyz II Men and always gives me the inside info, she has reassured everyone that Mike is not leaving Boyz II Men. This is what she said at the message board in case you missed it:
He WILL be on the entire US tour with the rest of the guys. When Boyz II Men head to Europe, he will be staying home, due to his upcoming back surgery. The three guys, Nate, Shawn, and Wan, will be going to Europe ALONE. Marc Nelson is NOT joining the group, nor going on tour with them. After Mike's recovery from surgery, he will rejoin his group on tour. Let's hope he recovers quickly!
So to all US fans, you will still see Mike on stage this first leg of the tour with Luther.
And to everyone...before this continues, let me restate: MIKE IS NOT LEAVING BOYZ II MEN!

So, there you go! Mike is not leaving the group anytime soon. So, don't worry, Mike will always be in Boyz II Men. And what Boyz II Men always say, if one guy leaves the group, the group is over. There will be no replacing members whatsoever. I hope this clears everything up!

Adults Asked Who Their Favorite Boy Band Is
7-24-00: In a poll conducted by Zogby America, over 1,000 adults were asked who their favorite current boy band was. Their choices were Boyz II Men, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, LFO, and belive it or not, New Kids on the Block. Here are the results of the polls and Boyz II Men appear pretty well on all of them:
Favorite Boy Band:
*NSYNC: 16%
TIED: Boyz II Men & Backstreet Boys: 8.5% each
TIED: New Kids on the Block & 98 Degrees: 1.4% each
Other groups not named: 25.1%
Undecided: 28.9%
None: 29%

Younger Adults' Favorite Boy Band:
*NSYNC: 22.1%
Boyz II Men: 15.3%
Backstreet Boys: 11%

African Americans' Favorite Boy Band:
Boyz II Men: 25.8%
*NSYNC: 18.2%

Hispanics' Favorite Boy Band:
*NSYNC: 36.3%
Boyz II Men: 24.4%

Boyz II Men Tribute Video at Official Web Site
7-21-00: Earlier this week, Boyz II Men's new official web page, BoyzIIMen.net added a 13-minute video about their career and the upcoming CD. Many stars talked about the Boyz on the video including Mariah Carey, Puff Daddy, Brian McKnight, Babyface, LL Cool J, Don Cournelious, Donnie Simpson, Magic Johnson, Dick Clark, and many others gave a lot of praise to the fellas. The Boyz are interviewed as well and if you listen closely, you can hear clips from the new CD. This is a must see for all Boyz II Men fans so go to BoyzIIMen.net now!

Wanya to Chat on July 26th
7-21-00: Thanks to Denise, Wanya will be chatting about the new album July 26 at 6:00 PM pacific/9:00 PM eastern at www.twec.com.

What Wanya Likes
6-20-00: Wanya just did an interview with Like.com about what stuff he likes. Check out the interview here.

Boyz II Men, DJ Quik, Kina Added To UrbanFest L.A.
6-20-00: This is from MTV News:
Boyz II Men, DJ Quik, Trick Daddy, Pharoahe Monch, and Kina are among the artists that have been added to the all-star hip-hop lineup for UrbanFest L.A., a two-day music festival being held on June 24-25 on the University of Southern California campus.

Those artists join the list of previously announced performers for UrbanFest L.A., including Common, De La Soul, Taleb Kweli, Ideal, Spragga Benz, Dwayne Wiggins, The Spooks, and Avant, among others (see "Common, De La Soul Headed To UrbanFest L.A.").

The festival is being held in conjunction with the university's 4th annual Urban Focus Music Conference and is expected to draw from 10,000 to 12,000 concertgoers each day. Proceeds from the two shows will be split among several local charities, including Urban Focus Music Foundation, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, the Temple of Hip-Hop Kulture, and Music & Kids, Inc.

For more information about tickets to the UrbanFest L.A., check out the festival's official Web site at www.urbanfocus.org.

Boyz II Men will likely use the UrbanFest L.A. show as an opportunity to premiere new material from its upcoming album, "Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya," which is now due out on September 12. The first single from the new record, the group's first since 1997's "Evolution," will be for the track "Pass You By," which will be released to radio on July 11. *I think that information is wrong. They probably mean that the single will be released that day.*

Boyz II Men to Appear on CMN Champions Telethon
6-2-00: Marie Osmond, Mary Lou Retton, quarterback Steve Young and sports anchors Dan Patrick and Robin Roberts host the 18th annual Children's Miracle Network telethon benefiting children's hospitals. Scheduled to appear are SHeDAISY, Bill Cosby, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, LeAnn Rimes, Boyz II Men, Collin Raye, Amy Grant, Kenny Loggins, 98 Degrees, Tyrese, Tanya Tucker and Diamond Rio. Held at Walt Disney World in Orlando. This special is going to be airing on June 3rd or 4th, it's different in all areas. Check local listings for right time, date, and channel.

Boyz II Men Tour Dates
6-2-00: Thanks to everyone who told me about this, Boyz II Men will have two concerts in Southern California later this month. They are:
June 22nd in Anaheim, CA at the Sun Theatre
June 23rd in Alpine, CA at the Viejas Summer Site
If any of you are going to those concerts, please make a review in the Review a Concert section.

"Pass You By" to be the New Single
5-26-00: All of this info is thanks to Zero. Here is exactly what he told me about Nate, Mike, Shawn, and Wan:
The new single will be "Pass You By." It was written by Shawn, and it will be released in stores on July 11th. It's a mid tempo number, not a ballad. You'll hear it on radio any day now, however.
The possible songs on the album are "What The Deal," "The Good Guy," "Thank You in Advance," "Know What You Want," and "I Do." No Jam and Lewis or Babyface on this one. The Boyz did the bulk of the production. Also, Mervyn Warren, Shekspere, and Shep Crawford did some stuff. There will be 12 to 14 songs on the CD. The CD will still come out September 12th.
There ya go...real news is finally starting to come out and more is still to come!

Missed TV Appearances & September 12th is the Day
5-7-00: This past week has brought a lot of new Boyz II Men newz. On Monday, Nate, Shawn, and Wanya appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in honor of a boy who got inspired to start an anti-violence thing after hearing "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday." On Tuesday, Boyz II Men appeared on the Ainsley Harriott Show. They sang a bit of one of their new songs, and announced that Nate, Mike, Shawn, and Wanya will be released on September 12th, 2000. The wait is almost over everyone!

Boyz II Men to Release a CD Only in Japan
4-18-00: Thanks to Yukie, she tells me that on May 17th, 2000, Boyz II Men will release a CD called Ballad Collection only in Japan. This is most likely a compilation of Boyz II Men's best ballads. Remember Boyz II Men: Extras that was only released in Japan a few years back? Well, this is probably just about the same thing.

Boyz II Men Sign with CAA
4-16-00: Thanks to everyone who told me this, Boyz II Men have signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for worldwide media representation. The R&B group was formerly with the William Morris Agency. A September release is planned for their next album, NateMikeShawn and Wan (Universal). A single is expected in June.

Boyz II Men Titles New LP, Sings For Sports Fans
4-2-00: Here's an article from MTV News that confirms the name of Boyz II Men's new CD due out in September: As Boyz II Men preps for the September release of NateMikeShawn And Wan, its first new album in more than three years, the Motown band will break from studio sessions long enough to sing for basketball and baseball fans over the next few days.

On Sunday, April 2, Boyz II Men will head to the First Union Center in its hometown of Philadelphia to sing the National Anthem before the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship game, which will be televised on ESPN at 9:00 PM (Eastern) and 6:00 PM (Pacific).

The following day, the group will travel to Shea Stadium in Queens, New York to reprise its performance of the National Anthem prior to the New York Mets home opener against the San Diego Padres at 1:00 p.m. (ET)

Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris issued his first solo effort, titled "Millennium Renaissance," earlier this month and in June, Boyz II Men plans to release the first single from NateMikeShawn And Wan, the band's long-awaited follow-up to 1997's Evolution.

Wanya Appears on BET's All
3-25-00: Thanks to Travis and everyone else for letting me know, Wanya appeared on BET's All on Thursday. I'm so sorry for not knowing about this appearance before-hand, I was really busy this week. Anyway, they performed "Burn (Damn)" and Wanya was asked what is up with Boyz II Men and he confirmed that the album name is Nate, Mike, Shawn and Wanya. It will be out in September and the first single will come out in July. They still don't know which song will be first.. Maybe BET will repeat this appearance again, so keep checking in with BET and this web page.

Boyz II Men to Sing the "National Anthem" Twice
3-25-00: Thanks to Keith and the Boyz II Men V.I.P. Fan Club, Boyz II Men be singing the "National Anthem" at the Women's NCAA Final Four Championship game in Philly. It should be broadcast on ESPN. I'm not exactly sure which game they will be singing at, but go to ESPN for more info. Also, Boyz II Men will be singing the "National Anthem" at the at the New York Mets' home opener on April 3rd.

Boyz II Men Appear in Hardee's Commercial
3-12-00: Thanks to everyone who has told me this, Boyz II Men can be found in a commercial for the fast food restaraunt, Hardee's. They sing the entire Hardee's ad and are featured in the commercial. I'll probably never see it since there are no Hardee's in California!

Boyz II Men to Star in The Prisonaires
3-11-00: This newz is all thanks to Greg. Director/actor Forest Whitaker is currently devolping a TNT TV movie caled The Prisonaires, a two-hour TV movie in development at TNT based on the true story of a 1950s musical group formed in the Tennessee prison system. Boyz II Men are attached to star. When more news about this comes along, you will find it here. For now, check out the article here.

Boyz II Men Reveal a Possible Title for Their Upcoming 4th Album
2-26-00: I got all of this information from Kelly who was lucky enough to attend the Houston Rodeo on February 23rd and see Boyz II Men perform. They performed for an hour. The songs they performed were "End of the Road," "On Bended Knee," "I'll Make Love to You," "Can't Let Her Go," "Water Runs Dry," and "Motownphilly." They also performed four new songs from their new album! Thanks to Randi, the four new songs they performed were called "What's the Deal," "Know What You Want," "I Do," and "Don't Let Real Love Pass You By." Kelly says that they're all wonderful songs. One is called "What's the Deal" which really sticks out in her mind because it features a Spanish guitar. They announced that their album will be coming out in September and will be called Nate, Mike, Shawn, and Wanya. Shawn kept reminding the crowd about it and its September release date. Well, there you have it. More newz about the fourth album is slowly but surely leaking out (finally).

Boyz II Men Resurfaces; Wanya Prepares Side Project
2-26-00: Thanks to Neva, MTV has another news story on Boyz II Men. They barely reported on them last year and now they are finally reporting on them again with two stories in two weeks. You can check out the new MTV article here. It basically talks about Wanya's solo CD coming out on March 7th and that how Boyz II Men's next album could come out in May, but it's most likely going to be later then that. The article also says that in a few weeks we will be knowing more about the new album, so stay tuned!

"I'll Make Love to You" is one of MTV's Most Played Videos Ever
2-21-00: On February 26th at 3:00 PM, MTV will be counting down their 25 most played videos ever from the channel's 19 year history. It's all leading up to the millionth video to ever be played on the channel. One of those 25 most played videos is Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" video which started airing on MTV on July 19th, 1994. Tune in on February 26th to see what number Boyz II Men's video comes in at. For now, check out MTV's official site about the most played videos here.

Update: "I'll Make Love to You" ended up being #13 on MTV's most played videos ever countdown. There was a nice intro to the video where MTV asked *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith and more of what they thought of the video.

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