SWV, short for Sisters With Voices, was formed by three friends, Cheryl Gamble, Tamara Johnson, and Leanne Lyons, who loved to sing.  They put together a five-song demo and sent it to recording companies across the United States.  They were contacted by Teddy Riley at RCA Records, and they signed a contract in 1992.

SWV

Through our organization, we host fundraisers and speaking to women and children affected by domestic violence. That subject is very dear to me because I was a victim of domestic violence in my childhood and with a couple of past boyfriends.

Early Years

SWV, short for Sisters With Voices, was formed by three friends, Cheryl Gamble, Tamara Johnson, and Leanne Lyons, who loved to sing.  They put together a five-song demo and sent it to recording companies across the United States.  They were contacted by Teddy Riley at RCA Records, and they signed a contract in 1992.

Their debut album, It's About Time, produced multiple Top 10 hits and certified triple platinum.  The first single, Right Here, peaked at #16 on the R&B chart; the second single, So Into You, went to #2; and the third single, Weak, went to #1 on both the R&B chart and the Hot 100.  A remix of Right Here that included snippets of Michael Jackson's Human Nature gave SWV another #1 hit on the R&B chart.  SWV toured the United Kingdom to support the album.

Staying on Top

In 1996, SWV's follow-up album was titled New Beginnings, and debuted at #3 on the R&B chart.  The album certified platinum.  The first single, You're the One, went to #1 on the R&B chart, and the second release went to #6.  You're the One was the debut for super producers The Neptunes.  They launched the SWV World Tour, performing in the United States, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.  

In 1997, Release Some Tension was recorded and released.  The album included guest appearances from multiple artists, including E-40, P. Diddy, Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Redman.  The album only reached #19 on the R&B charts, but certified gold with sales of over 500,000 copies.  Also in 1997, SWV released A Special Christmas.

The End and the Beginning

After the release of A Special Christmas, SWV disbanded, as each member went on to work on  their own solo efforts.  From 1998 to 2004, five compilation albums were released.  In 2005, SWV reunited and announced that they would begin working on their next album.  They launched the New Jack Swing Tour in the United States and Canada.  They toured again in 2007, accompanied by After 7, Bobby Brown, New Edition, and Blackstreet.  

As yet, no new album has been released; however, SWV continues to perform together.  Cheryl also recently confirmed on her blog that there will be a new album and it will be released some time in 2010.  Their hit singles are all available at various music sites for streaming or for download.

Did you know . . .

1. SWV was the first female music group of any genre to reach the #1 spot on the Hot 100 Pop Charts.

2. SWV is ranked #100 on the Top 500 Pop Artists of the Past 25 years.

3. SWV contributed the single, Anything, to the soundtrack for the 1994 film, Above the Rim.

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