Jade (R&B group) facts for kids

Jade
From left to right: Joi Marshall, Di Reed, and Tonya Kelly
Background information
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	R&B new jack swing hip hop soul
Years active	1991–1997 2014 2021–present
Labels	Giant
Members	Joi Marshall Tonya Kelly
Past members	Di Reed

Jade is an American girl group known for their R&B music. The group was first made up of Joi Marshall, Tonya Kelly, and Di Reed. They became famous in the 1990s with popular songs like "Don't Walk Away."

History of Jade

Tonya Kelly, Di Reed, & Joi Marshall (1994)

The group Jade started with Joi Marshall, Angela Slates, and Debra Mitchell. They were first called JAD. A music producer named Vassal Benford sold a song called "I Wanna Love You." But the voices of Marshall, Slates, and Mitchell were not yet on the song.

To keep the song in the 1992 movie Class Act, Benford needed to record it again. He needed the real voices of the group members. When this didn't work, he asked the record company to change the group. Di Reed and Tonya Kelly, who had sung on the song, joined the group instead.

Tonya Kelly and Di Reed then signed with producer Vassal Benford. The group's name became Jade. Tonya grew up in Chicago and loved jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan. Joi Marshall was also from Chicago and listened to Motown music, especially Diana Ross. Di Reed grew up in Houston and sang gospel music.

First Big Hits

Jade's first big success was in 1992. Their song "I Wanna Love You" was on the Class Act soundtrack. This song became very popular. It reached the Top 10 on the R&B music charts. It also reached #16 on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Their next song, "Don't Walk Away," was their biggest hit. It went up to #2 on the R&B chart. This song sold so well that it was certified gold in 1993. This means it sold over 500,000 copies. The song sold 1.5 million copies around the world.

Other songs like "Looking for Mr. Do Right" and "One Woman" also did well. These songs helped their first album, Jade to the Max, become a huge success. It reached platinum status, meaning it sold over 1 million copies. This led to a long tour and performances on popular TV shows. They appeared on The Tonight Show, The Arsenio Hall Show, and the U.K.'s Top of the Pops.

Jade also performed on BET's Listening Party Live. This performance was recorded and released as a CD in 1993. Jade was the only group to have a BET Listening Party album.

Later Albums and Appearances

In 1994, the group was in the movie The Inkwell. They also released their second studio album, Mind, Body & Song. The group members helped write and produce songs on this album. Songs like "5-4-3-2 (Yo! Time Is Up)" and "Every Day of the Week" helped the album reach gold status.

Jade also appeared on the TV show Beverly Hills, 90210. They performed "Every Day of the Week" in an episode that aired in 1995. After this, Tonya Kelly left the group. However, she briefly rejoined Joi Marshall in 1997. They sang "Keep on Risin'" for the movie The Sixth Man soundtrack.

Jade also joined other famous female singers like TLC and SWV. They sang on the song "Freedom." This song was on the soundtrack for the 1995 movie Panther. The song "5-4-3-2 (Yo! Time Is Up)" was also used in an episode of the TV show New York Undercover.

Current Activities

Di Reed now tours the world as a singer for Rod Stewart. She also sings backup for many other famous artists. These include Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Elton John.

The first members of Jade (JAD) also became successful. Angela Slates became a music producer and earned a Ph.D. in education. Debra Mitchell (now Debra Mitchell-Adams) joined the group Vybe. She now owns a music company.

In February 2018, Joi Marshall released her own song called "Love Language."

As of 2022, Jade is touring again. The original members Joi Marshall and Tonya Kelley are performing. Myracle Holloway is also joining them as a guest singer.

Jade, 2022

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles

Featured singles

• Jade's songs became hits in the UK starting in March 1993. "Don't Walk Away" was the first, followed by "I Wanna Love You" in July, and "One Woman" in September 1993. "Every Day of the Week" did not chart in the UK until February 1995.

Awards and nominations