Welcome all, to the next edition of LEGENDARY! Class is officially in session. We’ll begin today’s lesson with a quick definition:
GRATEFUL: Feeling or showing an appreciation for something done or received
We all have those people we have a deep and genuine appreciation for, and those we are immensely grateful for. When it comes to music, the ladies of En Vogue are right at the top of my list. Like many, I’ve watched these ladies represent women, and urban culture, like no other. They been an amazing light in so many lives in so many ways. Today, we show out gratitude in paying respect to the En Vogue for their musical contributions.
I remember it just like yesterday, being in the seventh grade and hearing “Hold On” for the first time. It was like nothing I had heard before, and I absolutely loved it, much like the rest of the world. With no hesitation, the single rushed to the top of the charts, and made them a household name. As the lead single for their debut, “Born to Sing”, it rang true in the essence that they were absolutely built for this. That song alone inspired so many fans, and so many in music. It’s been sampled more than 40 times by various artists; the most recent sampling being on 2007’s “Blue Magic”.
Their career has been much the same, groundbreaking, and monumentally inspirational. In other ways, they’ve inspired people like myself to follow my dreams, no matter what it took. Surely, it’s something that I’ve heard many times over, but to see these ladies, giving their all, despite the troubles, heartaches, and problems that inevitably come along in anything you’re doing, one can only be inspired by watching their level of success. They’ve laughed in the face of line-up changes that would have rocked the core of any group. Anyone who follows music knows that when changes like these begin to happen, it’s almost the beginning of the end. They weren’t letting the worst happen, though. Through the fire, they stood strong. They stood graceful. They stood united, and the world was watching. It’s why they’re here today.
In our conversation, Terry Ellis and I talk about so much, from how the blessing even happened for them to follow their love and passion of music, to how they were able to make it through the line-up changes. There’s a lot more fun in between; though, and Ellis opens up about the past twenty-six years of En Vogue. When I look at En Vogue, I think of so much their music was able to