As the daughter of gospel/R&B singer Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston was literally born to sing. Initially a back-up vocalist and fashion model, Houston leapt to solo stardom with her self-titled debut in 1985. Since then, she has remained one of the …

Not since Whitney Houston has a female singer reached the top of the charts with such a sultry and sexy voice as Toni Braxton. Beginning with her 1993 self-titled debut she has been one of R&B's most consistent hit-makers. Braxton is also one of R&B'…

In the wake of Michael Jackson's monster success with THRILLER, most of his brothers and sisters tried their hands at launching similarly styled solo careers, with varying degrees of success. But the only one to become a major recording figure on her…

Videos and albums are not always the preferred formats for gaining success as a recording artist--it was an appearance in the hit Will Smith movie MEN IN BLACK that gave Destiny's Child a major boost to their recording career. From there, the all-fem…

New York-born Reina Queen in Spanish began singing mostly inspired by her mother who used to perform at a young age After participating in the musical Fame with a song called Out Here on My Own Reina decided to become seriously involved in pop music …

With her multi-octave voice and more than 80 million records sold worldwide, it's no surprise that pop diva Mariah Carey is viewed as the successor to Whitney Houston. She emerged as the premier R&B/pop songstress of the 1990s, and by the end of the …

The late 1990s saw a new graduating class of single-name female R&B singers hit the big time--Brandy, Monifah, and Monica. An appearance on LL Cool J's "Mr. Smith" and a hit duet with Brandy ("The Boy Is Mine") only strengthened Monica's standing as …

In the late 1990s, Madonna had long since become a mature artist, turning her back on the carefree dance-pop of her early days ("Like A Virgin," "Holiday," etc.). Teenage singer Britney Spears picked up on this specific Madonna era, albeit with a mor…

Not only is '90s teen sensation Brandy a hit-making recording star, but she is also a noted actress (the TV sitcom MOESHA, 1997's CINDERELLA, etc.). Even with such female pop stars as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera hogging the spotlight and th…

New York native Mary J. Blige was one of the first female artists to successfully merge classic soul sounds with modern day hip-hop, resulting in a string of hit singles and albums in the 1990s and early 2000s. Her influence was felt quickly by other…

Getting her start as a dancer on the TV show IN LIVING COLOR, Jennifer Lopez first found stardom as an actress, then as a pop/dance singer. By the turn of the century, Lopez was one of the world's biggest celebrities. As both of her careers skyrocket…

Precocious R&B vocalist/pianist Alicia Keys was hand-picked by Clive Davis as one of the flagship artists for his post-Arista label, J Records. No doubt he was as impressed by her multitude of skills (Keys took a large role in the writing, arranging,…

Britney Spears proved that the same goldmine that Madonna and Cyndi Lauper mined in the 1980s was again ripe for the picking, and she was immediately followed up the charts by another female teenybop sensation, Christina Aguilera. Closely aligned wit…

Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue started out as an actress, working on the TV show NEIGHBOURS, whose UK popularity eventuated the young singer taking up with megapop production team Stock, Aitken & Waterman (who also made Rick Astley a success). W…

b. Netherlands. One of the first Euro dance music vocalists to make an impact in the USA in the mid-90s, Amber rose to prominence when her single, "This Is Your Night", became a Top 40 hit for Tommy Boy Records. Unlike most Euro crossover hits, the a…

Urban R&B outfit Dru Hill took their name from the historic Druid Hill Park complex in Baltimore, USA, where all four members were raised. They began their rise to fame in the mid-90s, largely through the intervention of Island Records' Hiriam Hicks …

It was Angie Stone's vocal talent that shot Vertical Hold's urban dance hit, "Seems You're Much Too Busy," to the upper reaches of the charts in 1993. But it wasn't until 1999 that Stone got around to issuing her first solo album, BLACK DIAMOND, whic…

Formed in the late 80s by O-Jay (b. Olaf Jeglitza, Germany), Real McCoy are among Germany's most successful dance acts. Under the name MC Sar And The Real McCoy, his debut record, the anthemic "It's On You" (1991) became a number 1 hit in 12 countrie…

Hailing from Chattanooga, TN, Usher Raymond (best known by his given name) emerged in the '90s as a young R&B singer full of promise. The stars must have been aligned correctly for him, as he snagged Puffy Combs as a producer for his eponymous 1994 d…