Groove Avenue - Saucin' (1994)

#90s #soulmusic #ai #aisong #Saucin #GrooveAvenue #90smusic
GROOVE AVENUE was an American R&B-Soul group that formed in 1994 with Baltimore natives AJ Thompson, Marcus Taylor, Brian Wilson, Jazzy Johnson, and lead singer (the short one) Rhythm Rob. The quintet burst onto the R&B scene with their debut single "Saucin'," a funky jam that quickly caught the attention of radio stations in the tristate area. With their infectious beats and smooth moves, Saucin' quickly climbed to #3 on the R&B & Hip-Hop charts with their subsequent dance mix reaching #1 just 5 months later in 1995.
Their debut album, "Where The Groove At?," solidified their status as the hottest new group that year. Tracks like "Funk U Up" and "Retro Love" kept fans dancing all night long, and the album reached #1 on the Billboard 200.
But fame and success come with their own set of challenges. In-fighting among the members and a copyright dispute with another band, Groove Theory, over their namesake led to some unexpected twists and turns for Groove Avenue. Thanks to a fist fight with members of Boyz II Men at the 1995 Soul Train Awards, the group elected to eject member AJ Thompson because he didn't jump in and "stand on business." (Rhythm Rob, 1996 Vibe Magazine)
Further setbacks ensured, including Beach Boys founder Brain Wilson suing Groove Avenue's Brian Wilson over their shared stage name. Brian (the Groove Theory one) was quoted in a January 1997 issue of Word Up! magazine stating, "How is that even possible? Is that in the constitution?"
Groove Avenue persevered, emerging stronger as 4 for 2 more albums. Their final album "Is Your First Name Groove? (Because Mine Is)" (1999) faced several delays due to creative differences with their label, namely the wack ass title. Groove Avenue called it quits in the late 2000s after never seeing the success from their Saucin' days.
Jazzy Johnson went on to produce for other artists, Rhythm Rob joined the second season of Surreal Life and was popular in the early days of VH1 reality TV. He went viral for a 2018 clip that showed him scuffling with security at Boyz II Men at one of their Las Vegas residency shows after trying to jump the stage and sing "One Sweet Day" offkey. Marcus Taylor relocated back to Baltimore, raising a family and working in the public education circuit. Brian Wilson decided to record country and pop songs beginning in 2002 to spite Brian Wilson after the lawsuit was dismissed. Not much is known about AJ Thompson's subsequent whereabouts and current career. He was last seen working a McDonalds drive-thru in early 2006.
~ PJ

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