Shanice Lorraine Wilson (born May 14, 1973) is an American R&B singer. Usually simply credited as Shanice, she hit it big on mainstream radio with her 1991 hit "I Love Your Smile". She also scored another Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 single in 1993 with "Saving Forever for You".

Biography

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wilson relocated to Los Angeles with her mother and aunt who were interested in pursuing careers in the music industry. At the age of eight, she starred in a KFC commercial with the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. In 1984, she appeared as a regular on Kids Incorporated, and performed on Star Search. Shortly after her appearance on Star Search, she was signed to A&M Records.¹²

On Valentine's Day in 2000, Wilson married actor Flex Alexander ³. They have two children, a daughter Imani Shekinah and a son Elijah. ⁴⁵

Music career

In 1987, Wilson released her debut album, Discovery, at age 14. The album produced two top ten R&B hits, "(Baby Tell Me) Can You Dance" and "No 1/2 Steppin'" ¹⁶.

Wilson went on to sign a record deal with Motown Records in 1991 and released Inner Child, her first Motown effort later that year. The album included Wilson's hit single "I Love Your Smile", which reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 ⁶. The album also featured a cover of Minnie Riperton's 1974 hit "Lovin' You". Wilson's rendition brought attention to her five octave vocal range ⁷.

After Inner Child, Wilson continued to record albums, including 21… Ways to Grow in 1994 and 1999's Shanice. While she has not achieved significant commercial success with her later albums, she has contributed various tracks for films including Boomerang and The Meteor Man. Wilson also found success with her top ten hit "Saving Forever For You", from the Beverly Hills 90210 soundtrack ⁶.

She also sings backup and does studio sessions and can be heard on Toni Braxton's song "Come On Over Here" and "Un-Break My Heart" ⁸.

In addition to singing, Wilson has also appeared on Broadway. In 1997. she played the role of Eponine in the musical Les Misérables ⁹. She has also lent her voice to the video game The Bouncer.

After a five year hiatus, Wilson released her fifth studio album Every Woman Dreams, on her own label Imajah (named for her two children) ¹⁰The accompanying single of the same name peaked at #62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks ⁶.

Discography

Main article: Shanice discography

Awards

• 1993: Golden Lion Award for Best International Artist

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Faces to Watch: Shanice Wilson". ew.com (1992-01-31). Retrieved on 2008-08-07.
2. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Shanice Biography". vh1.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.
3. ^ Dougherty, Steve (2003-10-06). "Flex Appeal", People. Retrieved on 7 August 2008. 
4. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005413/bio Shanice's imdb bio
5. ^ "10 hottest couples", Ebony (2007-02). Retrieved on 7 August 2008. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d} "Shanice: Singles Chart History". billboard.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.
7. ^ Dyson, Michael Eric (1992-03-19). "Shance: Inner Child Album Review". rollingstone.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.
8. ^ Hogan, Ed. ""Un-Break My Heart" Song Review". allmusic.com.
9. ^ Shanice at the Internet Broadway Database
10. ^ "Shanice Wilson Interview". imissthe80s.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.

External links

• Official site
• Shanice at MySpace
• All about Shanice
• Shanice at the Internet Movie Database
• Shanice at TV.com