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Az YetHard To Say I'm SorryLast Night
Formed in 1989 initially as a duo with Shawn Rivera and Dion Allen, the two were
later joined by Kenny Terry, who they met singing in the lobby
of the Wyndham Hotel in Philadelphia.[1] Two other members, Dyshon
Benson & Claude Thomas, left the group, and Darryl Anthony came on board. A demo by the
group found its way into the hands of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds through his mother-in-law, Jacqueline McQuam, who would one day hold
various showcases to highlight their work. Impressed by their sound,
Edmonds asked them to perform at a concert with After 7 and El
DeBarge. Subsequently, the group added Boyz II Men founding member
Marc Nelson. Az Yet first hit it big with a song from The Nutty
Professor soundtrack, "Last Night." [2] Az Yet released their self-titled debut (and only)
album in 1996 on LaFace Records. The album featured a "who's who" of musical heavyweights, including David Foster, BabyFace, Sheila E., and Brian
McKnight. The first single, "Last Night," reached #1 on the R&B charts, #9 on the Hot 100, peaked at #2 on Australia's ARIA charts, and spent
2 weeks at #1 in New Zealand's RIANZ charts, ultimately achieving
platinum status. The group's second single, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (a cover of the Chicago hit), was nominated for a Grammy award (Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals),[3] reached #8 on the Hot 100, and
achieved platinum status. Driven by these two singles, the album
reached RIAA platinum status.[4] Fueled by 2 Top Ten hits, the group's popularity
led them to several television appearances in their early years.
Live performances include 'The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show', 'All
That' and two appearances on Soul Train (the first in 1996 with
Marc Nelson as lead singer and the second in 1997 with Tony Grant).
The group was also cast as "TJ's Band" and appeared in several episodes of the short-lived television drama "Fame L.A.".[5] Az Yet appeared on movie soundtracks for "Hav
Plenty" (1998 Sony Music) and "Kingdom Come" (2001 GospoCentric Records), as well as on the soundtrack for "Fame L.A." (1998 Polygram Records). "Kingdom Come" was nominated for a Dove Award in 2002. Marc Nelson was removed from the group in 1997 due to "personal differences" and pursued a solo career. Nelson was replaced by Tony Grant. Nelson's television appearances include "All
That" and the group's first appearance on "Soul Train." During Tony Grant's tenure with Az Yet, the group recorded the popular remake of "You're The Inspiration" with Chicago's Peter Cetera in 1997. Grant was a part of the group during their cameo appearances on the T.V. series "Fame L.A." and the recording of the "Fame L.A." soundtrack. He was replaced by LeDon Bishop after a dispute with the group's management team. Grant's television appearances include "The
Keenon Ivory Wayans Show", "Fame L.A." and the group's second appearance on "Soul Train". Traditionally, performers on "Soul Train" lip synched, however, the recorded tracks contained Marc Nelson's vocals prompting
the group to perform live, a rarity for the long-running show. After Tony Grant's replacement with LeDon Bishop,
the group (now consisting of Shawn, Dion, Kenny, Darryl and LeDon)
recorded "Every Woman" written by Kirk Franklin and appearing on the Kingdom Come Movie Soundtrack. In 2002, Az Yet parted from DreamWorks Records.
Original group member Darryl Anthony then composed a new group
with replacement member LeDon Bishop and brought aboard new members
Kris Gilder and Dante Harper, changing the dynamics of the group
from a quintet to a quartet. This formation of Az Yet released
the EP "That B U" in 2004 and disbanded in late 2007. In November 2007, the four remaining original members - Marc Nelson, Kenny Terry, Shawn Rivera and Dion Allen - reunited and began recording their second album, set for release in January 2009. The group released their first single, "Share Life", on October 30, 2008.[6][7] On July 21, 2008, the reunited members made their first appearance as a group, performing with their mentor Babyface and former Yab Yum Records counterpart and fellow Babyface protege Jon B in Los Angeles at a concert benefiting Leeza Gibbons' Memory Foundation. In October 2008, Az Yet released a statement announcing that past member Tony Grant was re-added to the group, bringing the dynamics of the group back to a quintet. On December 18, 2008, the group confirmed that
they were planning a world tour from April 2009. The tour will
mark the long-awaited world premiere of their second album which
was originally set for release in March 2009. 1996: Az Yet (LaFace Records) [edit] Singles 1996: The Nutty Professor
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