Boyz II Men have won four Grammy awards and sold more than
16,000,000 recordings. Nickelodeon Magazine talked with
Shawn Stockman, who spoke for the Boyz. We asked him to
set the record staight about one of the world's most
popular music groups.
Nickelodeon Magazine: How did you guys meet?
Boyz II Men: All of were vocal majors at the same performing arts
high school in Philadelphia. Nate, Wanya, and I were
singing together as a group already, but we hadn't met
Michael. One day, the three of us were in the bathroom,
practicing our singing. Michael happended to come into the
bathroom and added a bass note to our song. We all
thought, "Hey, it'd be nice to add Michael to the group."
And we did. That was in the Fall of 19988.
NM: Do you remember what song you were singing in the
bathroom?
Boyz II Men: "Can You Stand the Rain" by New Edition.
NM: Were you always called Boyz II Men?
Boyz II Men: The first name we had for the group was Unique
Attraction.
NM: How did you get the name Boyz II Men?
Boyz II Men: Nathan and I were trying to think of a name and we
were listening to the radio at the same time. All of a
sudden, New Edition's song, "Boys to Men," came on and I
thought it was a great name.
NM: Why?
Boyz II Men: It sounded good, and we coundn't find anything better.
NM: Why did you change the name?
Boyz II Men: Unique Attraction had been Nate's first group. We
didn't think the name fit us.
NM: Where did you first perform in public as Boyz II Men?
Boyz II Men: It was the winter of 1988 at this little club in
northern Philadelphia called The Impulse. We sang "Can You
Stand the Rain" and two doo-wop songs, "A Thousand Miles
Away" and "What's Your Name."
NM: If a kid wanted to start a musical group, what would be
your advice?
Boyz II Men: Try to find someone who's just as hyped about wanting to put a group together, and who loves music. It might be hard at first. We had some tough times when we were starting out. We weren't really best friends, and we had to work on respecting each other'shabits. It's somewhat like being in a family, because you're together almost all the time. But if you remember to keep your music as your common ground, you'll be okay.
NM: Who inspired your music?
Boyz II Men: Take 6. That's a group we all looked up to. We tried to imitate their harmonies, because they were so intricate and pretty. Also, a lot of the old Motown music inspired us.
NM: What's the funniest thing that's ever happened during a show?
Boyz II Men: When Nate fell off the stage. He was on the edge, and he tripped and fell right into the crowd! I didn't even see it. My back was to the audience but when I turned around, I saw Nate I the crowd. Security had caught him, and Michael and Wanya were cracking up.
NM: When you first started touring and you weren't famous, did you share a hotel room?
Boyz II Men: Yes. The two oldest shared one room, and the two youngest shared another. So Nate was with Michael, and Wanya was with me.
NM: Do you still share rooms?
Boyz II Men: No. Now we each get our own.
NM: How many people do you bring with you when you're on tour?
Boyz II Men: Too many to count. We even have two people to take care of the clothing!
NM: What do you have more on your tour: people or outfits?
Boyz II Men: Defintly people.
NM: Who picks out your clothes?
Boyz II Men: We do, along with the stylist who goes out and buys our clothes.
NM: Do you dress alike, even when you're not together?
Boyz II Men: No. When we're hanging, we each have our own vibe.
NM: What do you do in your free time?
Boyz II Men: we like to play basketball.
NM: Which place has the best fans?
Boyz II Men: Australia. We did appearances there at record stores where we thought only 5,000 people would show up, and then 20,000 people came.
NM: When you're on tour, do you spend every moment of the day together?
Boyz II Men: We're together about half of the day. That's when we're rehearsing or performing. The other time, we're chilling out in our rooms before the show.
NM: What is the best part of being a star?
Boyz II Men: The attention.
NM: If there was a Boyz II Men sandwich, what would be on it?
Boyz II Men: Grilled chicken with mozzarella cheese and banana pudding on toasted white bread. Those are things we all like.
NM: Would you eat it?
Boyz II Men: No!