A&M (1986–1988) Motown (1990–1997) LaFace (1997–2000) Imajah / PlayTyme (2005–present) Heritage Music Group (2018–Present)
Musical artist
Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox[1] (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. Shanice had the Billboard hit singles "I Love Your Smile" and "Silent Prayer" in 1991 and "Saving Forever for You" in 1993. In 1999, Shanice scored another hit song with "When I Close My Eyes", which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She is recognized for her coloratura soprano voice and her ability to sing in the whistle register.[2]
Early life
Shanice Lorraine Wilson was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and she moved to Los Angeles with her mother Crystal and her aunt Penni. Her mother and aunt went to Los Angeles in pursuit of careers in the music industry. They shifted their focus to Shanice and formed the management company Crystal Penni to cultivate and promote her talents. Shanice was age nine when she appeared in a Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial with jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald.[2] In 1984, she was part of the regular cast in the first thirteen episodes of the children's program Kids Incorporated. Shanice competed on Star Search at age eleven, and later signed with A&M Records.[3]
Recording career
In 1987, at the age of 14, A&M Records released her debut album Discovery. It produced two top-ten R&B hits: "(Baby Tell Me) Can You Dance" and "No ½ Steppin'".[3][4] Shanice signed a deal with Motown Records in the summer of 1990, releasing Inner Child in late 1991, which included her best-known hit single "I Love Your Smile". It reached the top-ten in 22 countries, including the U.S. BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] The album also featured a cover of Minnie Riperton's 1974 hit "Lovin' You", a rendition that brought attention to her three-and-a-half octave vocal range.[5] In 1993, Kenny Loggins featured Shanice on his live album Outside: From the Redwoods.
Shanice occasionally does background vocals for other artists; she can be heard on Toni Braxton's "Come on Over Here" and "Un-Break My Heart",[6] as well as Usher's "Bedtime". In 2010, she performed vocals on the track "Behind the Mask" from Michael Jackson's posthumous album Michael. She recorded the song "A Midnight Rendezvous" for the 2012 Kinect game Rhythm Party. She also performed "Love Is the Gift", the English theme song for the video game The Bouncer. Shanice returned to recording after a five-year hiatus and released her album Every Woman Dreams on her own label Imajah (named for her two children).[7] The album peaked at No. 30 on the R&B Albums Chart.[4]
In addition to singing, Shanice is also an actress, first appearing in "Rock Enroll", a season five episode of Family Matters.[10] In 2001, she made an appearance as a singer on her husband Flex's TV show One on One. That same year, she starred in the TV movie One Special Moment,[11] an adaptation of Brenda Jackson's 1998 novel of the same name.
In 1997, Shanice became the first Black performer to star in the role of Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway.[12] In 2011, she joined Niecy Nash and Frenchie Davis for the 21st Annual "Divas Simply Singing" HIV/AIDS charity event.[13] Shanice and her husband, Flex, also starred in the reality show Flex & Shanice, which premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Network on November 1, 2014.
In 2021, Shanice appeared as herself, performing on the Ladies First tour with Kelly Price and Chanté Moore during season 2 episode 10 of the TV series First Wives Club.
Personal life
On February 19, 2000, Shanice married actor and comedian Flex Alexander.[14] They have two children, daughter Imani Shekinah Knox (born August 23, 2001) and son Elijah Alexander Knox (born March 5, 2004).[15]
The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards) — or Grammys – are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a widely viewed televised ceremony.
