For Real
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
For Real is a quartet from the United States specializing in R&B and soul genres, established in 1990. Towards the end of the 1990s, they earned nominations for both a Billboard Music Award and a Soul Train Music Award. The ensemble reunited in 2018 and recommenced touring activities.
Biography
The group landed their recording contract by chance when an A&M Records scout overheard them performing a cappella at an airport while meeting their manager, which led to their signing.
Their first album, It's a Natural Thang (1994), included production input from Brian McKnight and received positive reviews, including a four-star rating from Rolling Stone. The album’s success was driven by singles such as "You Don't Wanna Miss" (peaking at #28 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) and "You Don't Know Nothin'" (#88 on the Billboard Hot 100). It sold over one million copies and reached #80 on the Billboard 200. Additionally, "You Don't Know Nothin'" charted in the UK, reaching #54.
In 1995, For Real was featured in Italian Vogue, toured alongside Stevie Wonder, and contributed to Martin Scorsese’s film Grace of My Heart. They also appeared in the Showtime movie Shake, Rattle and Rock!. Their participation in "Freedom (Theme from Panther)" with artists including Aaliyah and TLC attained a position within the US Top 20. Furthermore, they recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder for the Marvin Gaye tribute album Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye and contributed tracks to the soundtracks of Waiting to Exhale and Fled.
After transitioning from A&M to Dallas Austin’s Arista-affiliated Rowdy Records in 1996, For Real released their sophomore album, Free, which featured singles like "Like I Do" and "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard". They also provided three songs for the acclaimed soundtrack of Grace of My Heart.
In 1997, For Real won an American Music Award for "Love Will Be Waiting at Home" from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack and received a Soul Train Award nomination for Album of the Year (Group) for Free.
By 1999, Wendi Williams lent her singing voice to Halle Berry’s character in the Emmy-winning film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.
Members pursued solo endeavors thereafter: Josina Elder-Epps began releasing music online starting in 2007 and collaborated with producer CoryLavel on an album by 2009. Necia Bray-Gates independently launched her solo album "Love Letters" in 2010.
On July 25, 2018, all original members reunited for an exclusive “Unplugged” performance held in Los Angeles.
Discography
- It's a Natural Thang (1994)
- Free (1996)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Nominated | Billboard Music Award | Best Clip – R&B | Template:Center |
| 1998 | Nominated | Soul Train Music Award | Album of the Year (By a Group, Band or Duo) | Template:Center |
External links
- SingingFool.com Access streaming videos for "Like I Do" and "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard"
- Allmusic Comprehensive discography, artist biographies, and image gallery
- IUMA Band photographs, song lyrics, discussion forums, audio samples, and biography
- Google Details on albums, artist images, and song lyrics