Sounds of Blackness

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Sounds Of Blackness is a Grammy Award-winning vocal and instrumental ensemble from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota who perform music from several genres of African-American music including gospel, R&B, soul, and jazz, and who scored several big hits on the Billboard R&B chart and Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the 1990s. The group has received three Grammy Awards, four Stellar Awards, one Emmy nomination, the International Time for Peace Award, the International Dance Music Award and an NAACP Image Award nomination. The chief lead singer of the group was Ann Nesby until 1995 when Nesby left the group to pursue a solo career.

The group was founded in 1969 by Russell Knight at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the group was called the Macalester College Black Voices. It was in 1971 when current director Gary Hines took leadership over the ensemble, and the group name was officially changed to Sounds of Blackness (SOB). The group had acquired local celebrity status throughout the years though never signed with a record company because of various reasons including the fact that many companies were not comfortable with the group's name. Some companies even suggested to Hines that the group's name be changed to "The Sounds of Music."

Mega-hit producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who are also from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, had become familiar with the group and used their talent as back-up in a few of their productions in the mid 1980s. It was not until January 1989 when Jam and Lewis finally made their decision to sign the group to their new record label, Perspective Records. Janet Jackson, who worked heavily with Jam and Lewis, was a major factor in the pair's decision after the two brought Jackson to an SOB concert in early 1989, and Jackson enthusiastically encouraged Jam and Lewis to sign them.

The Sounds of Blackness' first album, The Evolution of Gospel, released in 1991, was a major success and spawned the hit singles, "Optimistic," "Testify," and "The Pressure." The single "Optimistic" became the group's biggest hit of all time peaking at #3 on the Billboard R&B chart. The group hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1991 with "The Pressure Pt. 1." The song was later featured in the Disney movie "First Kid". The immense success of The Evolution of Gospel culminated in a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album by Choir or Chorus in 1992.

The Night Before Christmas: A Musical Fantasy was released in 1992, and also in 1992, the group contributed to the Grammy Award-winning Handel's Messiah: Soulful Celebration album and the Mo' Money soundtrack with the track "Joy," produced by Jam and Lewis.

In 1994, SOB released their third album Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum on Perspective Records to much critical acclaim. They topped the dance chart again with "I Believe", which also scraped into the Hot 100, peaking at #99. Singles "Everything is Gonna Be Alright," "I'm Going All the Way," and "The Harder They Are, the Bigger They Fall" also charted. Also in this year, the group performed for the World Cup. It was after this album that Ann Nesby, lead singer, parted from the group to begin her solo career. Jam and Lewis, the producers responsible for many of the group's greatest hits, also ended their production work with the group after this album.

Sounds Of Blackness released Time for Healing on Perspective Records in 1997 and charted on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart (#70) with "Spirit", a collaboration with hip hop artist Craig Mack. The single "Hold On (Change is Comin')" also charted. After seven years with Perspective Records, SOB and director Gary Hines decided to part with the label in 1998. In 1999, the group released Reconciliation on Zinc Records and performed at the White House for a Christmas party.

In 2001, A&M Records released a greatest hits compilation entitled The Very Best of Sounds of Blackness. The group formed their own record label in 2002, Sounds of Blackness Records, and released Soul Symphony which was hailed by many as a triumphant comeback for the group.

The ensemble released a remake of their Christmas album in 2004 called The Night Before Christmas, Vol. 2 on Atomic K Records. The next year, SOB released Unity on Lightyear Records with the return of Ann Nesby on lead vocals for two songs. The group continues to perform internationally. According to Gary Hines, the Sounds' newest album to be entitled Kings and Queens will be released in June 2007.