For Real

For the 2009 film, see For Real (film).

For Real
Genres	R&B, Pop, Dance
Years active	1993–1999
Labels	Arista Records A&M Records, Rowdy Records
Past members
Wendi Williams Latanyia Baldwin Josina Elder Necia Bray-Gates

For Real was an American R&B and soul quartet, that formed in 1993.^[1] In the latter part of that decade they were nominated for a Grammy, Billboard Music Award, and Soul Train Music Award.

Biography

For Real secured their recording contract by accident. "We were picking up our manager from the airport. So we decided to greet him with an acappella song. Someone from A&M records just happened to be in the airport and heard them perform. Not long after, they were signed," said Latanyia Baldwin.^[2]

The band released their debut album, It's a Natural Thang, with production from Brian McKnight on A&M Records in 1994, and it became a critical success, including a rare four stars from Rolling Stone Magazine.^[3] Their first single, "You Don't Wanna Miss" hit #28 on the Billboard chart, courtesy of a danceable new jack swing remix by Steve "Silk" Hurley, which was featured in the song's video. A second single, "Easy To Love," peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album scored another chart hit with the a cappella love song, "You Don't Know Nothin'," which was written and produced by Mervyn Warren, and which peaked at #27. The song peaked at #54 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1995.^[4] The album sold over one million copies worldwide, and peaked at #80 on the Billboard 200.

In 1995, the band appeared in Italian Vogue, modeling mens suits. They toured alongside Stevie Wonder,^[5] and lent their voices to the Martin Scorsese film project Grace of My Heart. The foursome also forayed into acting with appearances in the film Shake, Rattle and Rock! starring Renée Zellweger and Howie Mandel^[6] on Showtime.

They also hit the US Top 20 with the single "Freedom (Theme from Panther)" featuring Aaliyah, TLC, En Vogue, BlackGirl, SWV, and Vanessa Williams from the movie Panther. They also recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder called "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", which appeared on the Marvin Gaye tribute album, Inner City Blues: The Music Of Marvin Gaye.^[7] For Real also recorded songs for the soundtracks of the films Waiting to Exhale and Fled respectively.

“	Paying homage to the Motown sound with "Like I Do," the Marvelettes-inspired first single and video from their second album, Free (their first for Rowdy Records), they call their sound an answer to "counterfeit R&B." "During the Motown era, artists sang with passion," says Josina, who founded the group back in 1986 in Los Angeles. "That's what's missing from a lot of today's music. But don't worry, we're bringing it back!"	”
— Josina Elder, LookSmartParents.com[8]

After a label change from A&M to Dallas Austin's Arista imprint Rowdy Records in 1996, For Real struck again with the Austin-produced, 60s-leaning single "Like I Do," from their second album Free. "Like I Do" hit #10 on the Billboard singles chart, the video also earned a Billboard nomination for Best R&B Clip, the album made the Top 100, and nearly 400,000 copies in the US, the album's next and last single was the Diane Warren-penned pop ballad "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard" which hit #65 on the Top 100 singles chart. The band performed "Saddest Song" on the TV show All That. Free included production from top R&B/pop producers like Babyface, Mario Winans, and Jon B.

The band also recorded three songs ("I Do", "Born to Love That Boy" and "Unwanted Number") and appeared in the critically acclaimed film Grace of My Heart. The films soundstrack won a Satellite Award in 1997.^[9][10]

In January 1997, the band won an American Music Award for their work on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, in Summer 1997, the group earned a Soul Train Award nomination for Album Of The Year (By A Group, Band Or Duo) for "Free".

In 1999, Wendi Williams lent her voice to the Emmy winning film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, with Halle Berry, in which Berry plays a singer but Williams is behind her singing voice.^[11]

In 2002, their song "Love Will Be Waiting At Home", appeared in the movie, Two Can Play That Game, that starred Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut.

In 2009, CoryLavel began to work with Josina Elder on her new album.

Discography

Main article: For Real discography

• It's a Natural Thang (1994)
• Free (1996)

Awards and nominations

Year	Result	Award	Category	Work
1996	Nominated	Grammy Award	Album of the Year	Waiting to Exhale
1997	Nominated	Billboard Music Award	Best Clip - R&B	"Like I Do"
1998	Nominated	Soul Train Music Award	Album of the Year (By a Group, Band or Duo)	Free

References

1. ^ http://books.google.com.tw/books?id=9MADAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36&dq=%22SOUL+TRAIN+AWARDS%22&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0&as_pt=MAGAZINES&cd=1#v=onepage&q=%22SOUL%20TRAIN%20AWARDS%22&f=false
2. ^ Alamhof.org
3. ^ Rollingstone.com
4. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 207. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
5. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=ezkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56&lpg=PA56&dq=%22Stevie+Wonder%22+%22For+Real%22+%22Conversation+Peace%22&source=bl&ots=PuFfFmehJC&sig=MqpvPtox6tjf0G6-v1gBK42uJWM&hl=en&ei=VhVWTISkHoT68AbVu8SPBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CDUQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=%22Stevie%20Wonder%22%20%22For%20Real%22%20%22Conversation%20Peace%22&f=false
6. ^ IMDb.com
7. ^ Discogs.com
8. ^ Looksmartparents.com
9. ^ Discogs.com
10. ^ Allmovie.com
11. ^ Edition.cnn.com

External links

• SingingFool.com Streaming music videos for "Like I Do" and "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard"
• Allmusic^{[dead link]} Discography, biographies, and pictures
• IUMA Group photos, lyrics, message board, audio streams, and bio.
• Google Album info, photos, and lyrics