Az Yet

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Az Yet is an American R&B group from Philadelphia, best known for their hits, "Last Night" and a remake of "Hard to Say I'm Sorry".

1 Biography
2 Current members (group 1)
3 Current members (group 2)
4 Former members
5 Discography
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Biography

Formed in 1989 initially as a duo with Shawn Rivera and Dion Allen, they were later joined by Kenny Terry who they found singing in the lobby of the Wyndham Hotel. Darryl Anthony was added six years later.

A demo by the group found its way into the hands of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds through his mother-in-law, Jacqueline McQuam who held later various showcases to highlight their work. Impressed by their sound, Edmonds asked them to perform at a concert with After 7 and El Debarge and subsequently added Boyz II Men founding member Marc Nelson.

Az Yet released their self-titled debut in 1996 on LaFace Records. The album featured a who's who of musical heavyweights including David Foster, BabyFace, Sheila E.,and Brian McKnight. The first single, "Last Night" reached #1 on the R&B charts and #9 on the Hot 100, achieving platinum status. The group's second single, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (a cover of the Chicago hit), was nominated for a Grammy award (Best Performance by a Duo or Group) reached #8 on the Hot 100 and achieved platinum status. Driven by these two singles, the album reached RIAA platinum status in 2002.

Marc Nelson was removed from the group due to "personal differences" and pursued a solo career. Nelson was replaced by Tony Grant as lead singer who was subsequently replaced by Ledon Bishop.

During Tony Grant's brief tenure with Az Yet, the most significant recording he made with the group was an appearance on the popular remake of "You're The Inspiration" with Chicago's Peter Cetera in 1997. The group continued to tour for several more years, experiencing exceptional success in Europe, Australia and Japan.

There are two groups using the name "Az Yet". The first group is composed of original group members Dion Allen, Shawn Rivera, Kenny Terry, and Marc Nelson. The second group is original member Darryl Anthony and three new members: LeDon Bishop, Kris Gilder, and "Dante 7" Harper.

The first group released an album titled "Back Home 2007" in December 2006 and was available by download only and featuring vocals of Marc Nelson. In an internet radio interview, Shawn Rivera and Dion Allen expressed their disappointment about Darryl Anthony forming another group using the name "Az Yet" and fraudulently using some of their vocals on their EP "That B U" as their own.

Darryl's group released an EP entitled "That B U" in 2004. The group toured Australia, Asia and New Zealand. They were are also attendees at numerous high-profile events (2007 - Philadelphia 76ers, televised performance of the National Anthem, 2006 - Detroit Lions televised performance of the National Anthem, House of Blues Performance with Stevie Wonder, 2005 - MTV Real World Philadelphia performance, Soul Train Awards). In 2007, the group recorded "Keep On Pushin'", written and produced by Darryl Anthony and LeDon Bishop. The song was chosen as the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's theme song for the Power To End Stroke Campaign.