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Biography
Hatnote|For other uses, see SWV (disambiguation) .Infobox musical artist | name = SWV| image = | caption =| image_size = | background = group_or_band| alias = Sisters with Voices| origin = New York City , New York , United States | genre = Contemporary R& B|R& B | years_active = 1990–1998, 2005–present| label = RCA Records|RCA , Mass Appeal Entertainment / E1 Music | associated_acts = Teddy Riley (producer)|Teddy Riley , Brian Alexander Morgan , Allstar| website = http://www.therealswv.com| current_members = Coko|Cheryl "Coko" Clemons Tamara Johnson-George|Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George Leanne "Lelee" Lyons Sisters with Voices , better known as SWV , is an United States|American female contemporary R& B|R& B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel music|gospel group, http://www.swvonline.com SWV Online SWV became one of the most successful R& B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including " Weak (SWV song)|Weak ", " Right Here/Human Nature ", " I'm So Into You ", and " You're the One (SWV song)|You're the One ". The group disbanded in 1998 to pursue solo projects, and reunited in 2005. SWV is currently ranked #100 on the Top 500 Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years at the website Rock on the Net.cite web|url= http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2004/toppop2.htm|publisher= Rockonthenet.com|title = Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years: 51-100
History and early career
SWV (an abbreviation for S isters W ith V oices) was formed by three friends: Coko|Cheryl Gamble , Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George|Tamara Johnson and Leanne Lyons (the group's founder).cite web|url = http://www.swvonline.com/lelee.htm|title = All about Leanne "Lelee" Lyons|quote = With her love for singing, and sparse support from her family as motivation, Lelee's desires to put together a group were fueled. Lelee was initially responsible for putting SWV together, but success did not come easily. SWV got its start after the three friends sent a five song demo to record labels in the United States. Soon after, they were signed to a record deal with RCA Records in 1992 after producer Teddy Riley (producer)|Teddy Riley , a former member of Guy (band)|Guy , heard the demo. With Riley's help, the group's 1992 debut album, '' It's About Time (SWV album)|It's About Time , went triple platinum and produced several Top Ten hits.cite web|url= http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/swv/artist.jhtml|title=SWV Biography|publisher=mtv.com|accessdate=2008-08-01
SWV's first single, "Right Here", was released in the fall of 1992, reaching #16 on the R& B charts. Their second single, " I'm So Into You ," peaked at #2 on R& B and reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, " Weak (SWV song)|Weak ", reached #1 on both the R& B and Hot 100 charts. " Right Here/Human Nature ," the fourth single and a remix of their first single, "Right Here", featured samples of Michael Jackson 's hit " Human Nature (Michael Jackson song)|Human Nature ." "Right Here/Human Nature" peaked at #1 on R& B and #2 on the Hot 100. It was followed up with the additional Top10 R& B hits, "Downtown" (#2), and "Always On My Mind" (#8).cite web|url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do? JSESSIONID=9nR7LDJQmWTwwQKk8ZphSlVPbGGVp9mhBGNDT9xmh7yMdL9g1qDm!1389172043& model.vnuArtistId=22544& model.vnuAlbumId=375556|title=SWV: Billboard chart history|publisher=billboard.com
Following the success of their first album, SWV appeared on the soundtrack for the 1994 film Above the Rim . The single, "Anything", became a Top Ten R& B hit and reached #18 on the Hot 100 in the spring of 1994. That same year, SWV released The Remixes (SWV album)|The Remixes , which went gold by the end of the year. In the summer of 1995, the trio lent vocal harmonies to Blackstreet 's Top 40 R& B hit "Tonight's the Night." In 1995, SWV recorded New Beginning (SWV album)|New Beginning , which was released in 1996 and led by the #1 R& B (and #5 Hot 100) hit " You're the One (SWV song)|You're the One " The second single "Use Your Heart" was the first ever credited to the production team The Neptunes. Also, in 1995 SWV appeared on the Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album , recording the track, "All Night Long".
1997 saw the release SWV's third album, Release Some Tension as well as A Special Christmas four months later in 1997, the group's last studio album. Shortly after the release of A Special Christmas , SWV parted ways to pursue various solo projects.cite web|url= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1534522/20060616/marvelous_3.jhtml|title=Where Ya Been? Marvelous 3 Now Down To One, SWV End 10 Years Of Resting Their Voices|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date=2006-06-19|accessdate=2008-07-20
2005 – present
In 2005, SWV reunited and announced plans to record a new album the following year (the album has not materialized). In 2007, the group performed dates with After 7 , Bobby Brown , New Edition , and Blackstreet .cite web|url= http://www.blackvoices.com/black_entertainment/bvbuzzcanvas/_a/april-2-2007/20070402143709990001|title=Candidly Coko|last=Murray|first=Jawn|date=2007-04-02|publisher=blackvoices.com|accessdate=2008-07-20
In 2007, Johnson-George appeared in the TV One (US TV network)|TV One reality series I Married a Baller which documented her life with husband Eddie George , former NFL player and present Nashville entrepreneur. http://www.tvoneonline.com/shows/show.asp? sid=706 TV One Original Shows - I Married a Baller SWV members Coko and Lelee (who sing the theme song along with Taj) appear in a couple of the show's episodes.
On June 24, 2008, SWV made a special appearance at the BET Awards of 2008, performing "Weak" with Alicia Keys . They also sang the chorus to TLC (band)|TLC's " Waterfalls (TLC song)|Waterfalls ". Coko currently resides in Virginia Beach , Lelee in Atlanta and Taj in Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville .Citation needed|date=October 2008.
Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George was a contestant on Survivor: Tocantins , in which she came in fourth place. She was blindsided by her former alliance of James "J.T." Thomas, Jr. and Stephen Fishbach. She became the sixth Jury Member.cite news|title = Brazilian Wacks|publisher = TV Guide |date = 2009-01-13|pages = 40–41 She participated in a 2009 national tour of the Vagina Monologues with an all-black cast, most of whom are also former reality show contestants.cite web|url= http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/related_news/2009_Feb_05_vagina_monologues|title= Reality Stars Will Perform in the Vagina Monologues|publisher= Reality Blurred|date= February 5, 2009
SWV appeared on '' The Mo'Nique Show '' on February 2, 2010, performing Patti LaBelle|Patti LaBelle's " If Only You Knew ". Lelee and Coko provided the lead vocals. As of 2011 SWV has recently signed a record deal with Mass Appeal Entertainment and E1 Entertainment. On June 10, 2011 SWV was featured on the official remix of Chris Brown's remake of their Right Here/Human Nature song, " She Ain't You ".
SWV released their first single " Co-Sign (SWV song)|Co-Sign " on December 15, 2011 via iTunes off their fourth studio album, I Missed Us , set to be released on April 10, 2012 via E1 Music|eOne Music and Mass Appeal Entertainment .cite web|url= http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? story_fbid=213731605373542& id=368183310894cite web|url= http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/co-sign-single/id489925812? ls=1cite web | url= http://www.rap-up.com/2012/01/23/swv-to-release-first-album-in-15-years/ | title=SWV to Release First Album in 15 Years | publisher=Rap-Up | work=Rap-Up.com | date=January 23, 2012 | accessdate=January 23, 2012
Personnel
Cheryl "Coko" Clemons - (born June 13, 1970), New York, New York
Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George - (born April 29, 1971), Brooklyn, New York
Leanne "Lelee" Lyons - (born July 18, 1973), New York, New York
Discography
further| SWV discography col-begincol-2
Studio albums
1992: '' It's About Time (SWV album)|It's About Time
2004: Encore Collection (SWV album)|The Encore Collection
col-end
Tours
Weak (1993, UK)
SWV World Tour (1996, USA , Europe , South Africa , Asia , New Zealand )
Sistaz Only (1997)
Release The Tension (1997, USA)
New Jack Swing Tour (2005, USA, Canada )
Billboard Live Tour (June 16–21, 2008 Japan )
Billboard Live Tour (January 12–13, 2009 Japan )
SWV and Faith Evans (December 5–10, 2010 United Kingdom )
Opening Acts
SWV featured a number of successful female groups as opening acts throughout their various touring engagements. Those groups included such contemporaries as Xscape (group)|Xscape , Jade (U.S. band)|Jade , Total (band)|Total , 702 (band)|702 , and Destiny's Child .Citation needed|date=January 2009
Awards and nominations
Year
Result
Award
Category
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1994
1994
1997
1997
1998
1998
1994
See also
Wikipedia-Books|SWV
List of best selling music artists
Top Heatseekers
List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (United States)
List of performers on Top of the Pops
Girl group#Contemporary R& B and the girl group sound|Girl Group
References
Reflist
External links
imdb name|id=1551658|name=SWV
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p26082
http://www.swvonline.com/ SWV Online
SWV Category:African American singers Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups Category:Girl groups Category:American pop music groups Category:RCA Records artists Category:American girl groups
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Copyright Citations
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