BOYZ MAKE NOISE
Boyz II Men have won four Grammy awards and sold more than
16 000 000 recordings. Nickelodeon Magazine talked with Shawn Stockman, who
spoke for Boyz II Men. We asked him to set the record straight about one of
the world's most popular music groups.
Nickelodeon Magazine - How did you guys meet?
Shawn Stockman - All of us were vocal majors at the same performing arts High School
in Philadelphia. Nate, Wanya and I were singing together as a group already,
but we hadn't met Michael. One day, the three of us were in the bathroom, practicing our singing.
Michael happened to come into the bathroom and added a bass note to our song.
We all thought, "Hey, it'd be really nice to add michael to the group." And we did.
That was in the fall of 1988.
Nick. - Do you remember what song you were singing in the bathroom?
Shawn - "Can you stand the rain" by New Edition
Nick. - Were you always called Boyz II Men?
Shawn - The first name we had for the group was Unique Attraction.
Nick. - How did you get the name Boyz II Men?
Shawn - Nathan and I were trying to think of a name and we were listening to
the radio at the same time. All of a sudden, New Edition's song "Boys to Men" came on,
and I thought it would be a great name.
Nick. - Why?
Shawn - It sounded good, and we couldn't find anything better.
Nick. - why did you change the name?
Shawn - Unique Attraction had been Nate's first group. We didn't think the name
fit us.
Nick. - Where did you first perform in public as Boyz II Men?
Shawn - It was in the winter of 1988 at this little club in northern
Philadelphia called The Impulse. We sang "Can You Stand The Rain" and two
doo-wop songs, "A Thousand Miles" and "What's Your Name".
Nick. - If a kid wanted to start his or her own musical group, what would be your
advice?
Shawn - To try to find someone who's just as hyped about wanting to put a group
togetherand who loves music. It might be hard at first. We had some tough times when
we were starting out. We weren't really best friends, and had to work on respecting each other
and dealing with each other's habits. It's somewhat like being in a family,
because you're together almost all the time. But if you remember to keep your music
as common ground, you'll be okay.
Nick. - Who inspired Boyz II Men's music?
Shawn - Take 6. That's a group we all looked up to. We tried to imitate their harmonies because
they were so intricate and pretty. Also, a lot of the old Motown music inspired
us.
Nick. - What's the funniest thing that has happened during a show?
Shawn - When Nate fell off the stage. He was on the edge, and he tripped and
fell right into the crowd! I didn't even see it. My back was to the audience,
but when I turned around, I saw Nate in the crowd. Security had caught him,
and Michael and Wanya were cracking up.
Nick. - when you first started touring and you weren't famous, did you share a
hotel room?
Shawn - Yes, the two eldest shared one room, and the two youngest shared another.
So Nate was with Mike, and Wanya was with me.
Nick. - Do you still share rooms?
Shawn - No, now we each get our own.
Nick. - How many people do you bring with you when you're on tour?
Shawn - Too mant to count. We even have people just to take care of the clothing!
Nick. - What do you have more of on your tour: people or outfits?
Shawn - Definitely people.
Nick. - Who picks out your clothes?
Shawn - We do, along with a stylist who goes out and buys our clothes.
Nick. - Do you dress alike, even when you're not together?
Shawn - No, when we're hanging, we each have our own vibe.
Nick. - What do you do in your free time?
Shawn - We like to play basketball.
Nick. - Which place has the best fans?
Shawn - Australia. We did appearances at record stores there where we thought
only 5 000 people would show up, and then 20 000 people came.
Nick. - When you're on tour, do you spend every moment of the day together?
Shawn - We're together about half of the day. That's when we're rehearsing or performing.
the rest of the time, we'rer chilling out in our rooms before the show.
Nick. - What's the best part of being a star?
Shawn - The attention.
Nick. - If there was a Boyz II Men sandwich, what would be on it?
Shawn - Grilled chicken with mozzarella cheese and banana pudding on toasted white bread.
Those are things we all like.
Nick. - Would you eat it?
Shawn - No!
If you have any suggestions, comments (even criticisms) please, feel free to
e-mail me.
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