Boyz II Men

The group, known originally as Unique Attraction, was founded during 1986 at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, friends Nathan Morris and Marc Nelson organized several singing groups, all of which ended soon. Eventually, they recruited tenors Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman and bass Michael McCary. They found inspiration in New Edition's harmonies and routines, and eventually renamed the group "Boyz II Men", after one of New Edition's songs. In 1989, they snuck backstage after a concert performed by Bell Biv DeVoe, a New Edition spin-off group. Boyz II Men performed an acappella rendition of New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain" for New Edition/BBD member Michael Bivins. Bivins was impressed by the group, and began plans to contract them to Motown Records through a production deal with his Biv Ten Records company. But before the group began recording, Marc Nelson left because of personality conflicts, reducing the quintet to a quartet. Other early workings include work with Michael Jackson. A year before releasing their debut album, they made an appearance on a solo album by "Lil G" also know as Visam Ali Shariff Ahmed. They are listed in the credits as singing background vocals on the song "One Mile from Paradise" as "Boy's to Men".