9.9 was an American R&B

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

formed in the mid-1980s. The group consisted of members Margo Thunder, Leslie Jones (1962-2013), and Wanda Perry. The group formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. They signed to

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

and released their first album ''9.9'' and the single "All of Me for All of You". The single reached #5 on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart. 9.9's album reached #79 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and #15 on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

chart. 9.9 released a second single titled "I Like The Way You Dance." The group performed on ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

'', ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...

'', and ''Solid Gold''. They also provided backing vocals for a single with

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

titled "Shy". The group continued until 1987, when disputes over material, production and personal matters forced the group to disband. Leslie Jones died on July 5, 2013; she was survived by two children and four grandchildren. Wanda Perry is married with two children. She is also a minister and has recorded several gospel albums available on iTunes. Margo Thunder formed a female group named

Lady Soul ''Lady Soul'' is the twelfth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released in early 1968, by Atlantic Records. Background ''Lady Soul'' was Franklin's third R&B chart-topper and reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, tying w ...

, which recorded a song and video for the ''

Sister Act ''Sister Act'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Paul Rudnick (as Joseph Howard). It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to join a convent after being placed in a witness protection program. It ...

'' soundtrack titled "If My Sisters in Trouble". Margo is recording as a solo act and released a single titled "Mistreated".

Formation

Thunder was signed by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

in the 1970s and recorded the single "Expressway to Your Heart". Perry, Thunder and Jones were all friends and students at Madison Park High School, a school in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The trio were all in the same music class in the school. As a trio, the members performed on street corners and at

Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beacon ...

. Eventually, they answered an advertisement in the ''

Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' and ...

'' and began performing in clubs under the name Margo Thunder and Intrigue. Perry, Thunder and Jones were backing vocalists for

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fi ...

. Eventually, their debut album ''9.9'' was released in Summer 1985.

External links

* 9.9 on

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Musical groups established in 1985 RCA Records artists American girl groups Musical groups from Boston Musical groups disestablished in 1987 {{US-R&B-band-stub