Ann Nesby

Ann Nesby (born Lula Ann Bennett; July 24, 1955) is an American R&B, gospel, and dance music singer and actress. She is the former lead singer of Sounds of Blackness; a songwriter with credits including hits sung by Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight; plus she co-starred in the 2003 romance musical The Fighting Temptations with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles. Nesby had various appearances on the hit television series American Idol. In 2000, she duetted with Al Green on "Put It On Paper". Nesby has been nominated four times since her departure from the Sounds of Blackness, most recently for her 2007 album This Is Love; plus the lead single "I Apologize" was nominated for a Grammy at the 2008 Grammy Awards.

Career

Nesby joined Sounds of Blackness in the late 1980s. The Sounds of Blackness were awarded two Grammys in 1991 and 1993, and Nesby sang on a number of their tracks including "I Believe," "Optimistic," "I'm Going All The Way," "Soul Holiday," and "The Pressure." In 1991, she provided backing vocals to Alexander O'Neal's album All True Man.

I'm Still

"I'm Still" is a song performed by American contemporary R&B group LeVert. The song is the opening track from the group's debut album I Get Hot and was issued as the album's first single. The song was produced by lead singer Gerald Levert, and it peaked at #70 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1985.

Chart positions

References

Sounds of Blackness

Sounds of Blackness is a Grammy Award-winning vocal and instrumental ensemble from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota who perform music from several genres music including gospel, R&B, soul, and jazz. The group scored several hits on the Billboard R&B chart and Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the 1990s. Cynthia Johnson of Lipps Inc. fame and Grammy winner Ann Nesby are the group's most prominent alumni.

History

Origins

The group was founded in 1969 by Russell Knighton 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."

I Apologize

I Apologize may refer to:

See also