Ex Girlfriend was an American
girl group whose line-up comprised Monica Boyd, Julia Robertson,
Stacy Francis, and Tisha Hunter. The group was originally formed in the mid-1980s under the group name Petite, consisting of
Kimberly Davis, Monica Boyd, Julia Robertson, and Tisha Hunter. Shortly after the release of their debut album ''Teens'' (1986), the group experienced a lineup change as Davis departed from the group. The group was reformed as Ex Girlfriend in 1989 in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York by
new jack swing group
Full Force
Full Force is an American music group of hip hop and R&B singers and producers from Brooklyn, New York.
Members
*B-Fine (Brian George) - drums and drum programming, backing vocals
*Shy Shy (Hugh Junior Clark) - bass guitar, backing vocal ...
, with the members adopting the surname "X" as part of their dynamic.
In 1991, Ex Girlfriend was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their debut album, ''X Marks the Spot'', which contained the singles "Why Can't You Come Home" and "You (You're the One for Me)". Following the release of their second album ''It's a Woman Thang'' (1994), the group disbanded in 1995 and pursued solo endeavors.
History
1984β1988: Early beginnings and Petite
In 1984, Kimberly Davis, Julia Robertson, Monica Boyd, and Tisha Hunter formed a female group known as Petite. The group met during their attendance at
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. In 1985, they were signed to York's Records in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. Later that year, they released their first single "So Fine". The single peaked at number 86 on
''Billboard'''s
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. They released their debut album ''Teens'' in 1986. After the album failed to chart or generate a mainstream recognition outside of
New York, the group began doing session work and became temporary background vocalists. Davis left the group and pursued a solo career after feeling creatively restricted within the group. She was replaced by Kennethia "Kenne" Pierce in 1988. Later that year, Kenne released a single "What Is He To You?", which featured Petite. In 1989, Pierce left the group.
1989β1992: Ex Girlfriend and ''X Marks the Spot''
In 1989, Petite attracted the attention of male group
Full Force
Full Force is an American music group of hip hop and R&B singers and producers from Brooklyn, New York.
Members
*B-Fine (Brian George) - drums and drum programming, backing vocals
*Shy Shy (Hugh Junior Clark) - bass guitar, backing vocal ...
. They were managed by Full Force and signed to the group's Forceful Records, a subsidiarity label of
Reprise Records in late 1989. Shortly after adding Stacy Francis to the lineup, the group changed their name to Ex Girlfriend. The group members adopted the surname 'X' as part of a group concept of "female militarism".
[Hogan, Ed]
Ex Girlfriend Biography
, 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 databa ...
. Retrieved June 14, 2016[Reynolds, J. R. (1994)]
A New 'Thang' From Ex Girlfirend
, '' Billboard'', May 21, 1994, p. 20. Retrieved June 14, 2016 They performed background vocals for
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam were an urban contemporary band and one of the first freestyle music groups to emerge from New York City in the 1980s. Cult Jam consisted of vocalist Lisa Lisa (born Lisa Valez), guitarist/bassist Alex "Spanador" Moseley, ...
on the song "
Just Git It Together" (1989) and on
Jasmine Guy
Jasmine Guy (born March 10, 1962) is an American actress, director, singer and dancer. She is known for her role as Dina in the 1988 film ''School Daze'' and as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne on the NBC ''The Cosby Show'' spin-off ''A Different World'', ...
's single "
Try Me" (1990).
In mid-1991, Ex Girlfriend released their debut single "Why Can't You Come Home". The single peaked in the top-five on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
[Ex Girlfriend Chart History](_blank)
billboard.com. Retrieved June 14, 2016 The success of the single invited them to perform on various TV shows including
Soul Train. In October 1991, they released their album ''X Marks the Spot'' which peaked at number thirty-nine 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 ...
chart.
The album's second single "You (You're the One for Me)" peaked at number thirty-five on the R&B chart. The album's final single "With All My Heart" failed to chart.
In October 1992, Ex Girlfriend released a single "Colorless Love" which appeared on the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...
for drama film ''
Zebrahead''.
1994β1995: ''It's a Woman Thang'' and disbandment
In mid-1994, Ex Girlfriend released "X In Your Sex". In August 1994, Ex Girlfriend released their second album ''It's a Woman Thang''. The album failed to chart. After the second single "You for Me" failed to chart, the overall project ultimately became a commercial failure. In 1995, the group dissolved and each member pursue solo endeavors.
Reunion and aftermath
After their formal disbandment, all members pursued solo careers and have each experienced different levels of success. Francis landed several leading role in theatre plays including ''
Mama, I Want To Sing!'' and the
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production of ''
Footloose
Footloose may refer to:
* ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film
** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack)
** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins
* ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film
** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...
''. Hunter sang background vocals and created the vocal arrangements for
Yvette Michele
Yvette Michele (born Michele Yvette Bryant; 1972 in New York) is an American R&B singer.
Career
Michele released her debut album, ''My Dream'', on August 26, 1997 on the RCA record label. From 1996-1998 she released three Top 20 singles on th ...
's "
DJ Keep Playin' (Get Your Music On)" (1997). Boyd became a professional makeup artist.
In July 2008, Ex Girlfriend briefly reunited for the remainder of the year. In 2009, Hunter released a single "Kick Out the Jams". In 2011, Francis became a finalist in
first season of ''
The X Factor USA
''The X Factor'' is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on t ...
''.
In May 2016, Robertson released a duet single "Body Rush" with singer-songwriter Norm Adams. They released another single "Home Tonight" in 2017, followed by a holiday song entitled "My Kinda Christmas" in 2018.
On May 5, 2023, Julia Robertson released her long-awaited solo debut single "HEAT" co-written and produced by Erick "Mr. Major" Shervington. Currently, Julia is co-writing and putting the finishing touches on her debut solo album, βThe Audio-Biography of Julia Robertson" with Mr. Major helming all production duties.
Discography
Albums
Singles
References
External links
Ex-Girlfriendat
MySpace
{{Authority control
African-American girl groups
American girl groups
American musical quartets
American pop girl groups
American contemporary R&B musical groups
Musical groups disestablished in 1995
Musical groups disestablished in 2008
Musical groups established in 1989
Musical groups reestablished in 2008
Musical groups from Brooklyn