Brownstone (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Brownstone


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Background = group_or_band
Origin = Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre = R&B Hip hop
Years_active = 1994 – 1998 2008-
Label = MJJ Music (1994-1997) Brownstone Music Group2008-
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Current_members =Nichole "Nicci" Gilbert Charmayne "Maxee" Maxwell Racquel Roberts
Past_members = Monica "Mimi" Doby Kina Cosper

Brownstone is a Grammy Award nominated female R&B group popular during the mid-1990s which has begun a revival in 2007. They are best known for the 1995 hit single, "If You Love Me". They also had some success with the singles "Grapevyne", "Pass The Lovin'", and "I Can't Tell You Why", a song originally recorded by the Eagles.

Group history

The three original members of Brownstone were Monica "Mimi" Doby , Charmayne "Maxee" Maxwell and Nichole "Nicci" Gilbert. The group was founded in Los Angeles after the three singers met each other after going to different auditions around the city. They formed the group, and less than a year later were signed to Michael Jackson's MJJ Music Record Label. They recorded their debut album, "From the Bottom Up" which spawned the hit "If You Love Me". In 1995 the band was awarded with a Grammy nomination and a Billboard Music Award.

After extensive touring around the globe, Doby left the group after what was released in the media in an interview with BET Video Soul host Donnie Simpson as a medical problem of bronchitis, but was later revealed through radio interviews to be because of internal strife with the other two members of the group. She was replaced by Kina Cosper and after a difficult transition period where their audience was not very receptive to the change in both physical makeup and harmony, Brownstone had a brief showing with "5 Miles to Empty".

During the group's down time, Gilbert has had small roles in a few movies and TV. She also had a role in Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns where she acted as Mr. Brown's sister, Vera. Nicci also released a solo album titled "Grown Folks Music". Maxee had an on again, off again career in Europe as a recording artist. Kina released a self titled solo album and is currently working on a second album & Mimi left the business and is a teacher with two children.

Currently, Brownstone has reunited with both Gilbert and Maxee, bringing on a new member, Racquel Roberts, who has stage credits on Broadway ("Hairspray"), as well as an international tour of (Rent) as a member of the Benny Company. As Reported in Early May 2008 They Have Been In The Studio Recording New Material For Their New Album Due Out This Fall.

More Recently From June 5th-21st Nicci Gilbert Has Been On Tour With R&B Singer Shanice & Coko Of SWV In Tokyo,Japan For The Lady Of Soul Tour Powered by Billboard Singing Some Of The Greatest hits From the 80's-90's, Including Hits From The R&B Trio's Brownstone & Swv.

Discography

Albums

References

* Billboard.com (2006) [http://billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=118650&aid=458970 Discography - Brownstone]
* Billboard.com (2006) [http://billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=118650&model.vnuAlbumId=458970 Artist Chart History - Brownstone]

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/officialbrownstone Brownstone] at MySpace
* [http://www.brownstonemusiconline.com - Brownstone's official site]