Phyllis Nelson facts for kids

Phyllis Nelson was an American singer born on October 3, 1950. She became very famous for her 1985 song "Move Closer". This song reached the top of the music charts in the United Kingdom. Phyllis Nelson's son, Marc Nelson, is also a singer and record producer. He was a member of the popular music group Boyz II Men.

Phyllis Nelson's Music Journey

Phyllis Nelson was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She started her music career as a member of a family group called Nelson Five. Later, she sang backup for other artists like Major Harris and Philly Cream. She worked and recorded music for many years, starting in the late 1970s. Most of her early songs were dance tracks. She also made many records during the disco music era.

In 1984, Phyllis Nelson recorded a song she wrote herself called "Move Closer". This song was a big change from her usual dance music. It was a slow, emotional song known as a ballad. The words of "Move Closer" were inspired by a real-life love story. It was about her relationship with a younger man in Philadelphia. They lived together and raised her two children, Marc and Kenya.

While "Move Closer" was not a big hit in her home country, the United States, it became very popular in the United Kingdom. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in April 1985. It stayed on the charts for almost six months. "Move Closer" became one of the best-selling songs in Britain that year.

Phyllis Nelson also recorded a song with the French actor Alain Delon. This song was called "I Don't Know." It was part of the music for a French movie from 1985 called Parole De Flic (Cop's Honor). After "Move Closer," most of her other songs did not become as popular. However, her song "I Like You" did reach number 81 on the UK charts. Because of her huge success with "Move Closer," she is often remembered as a one-hit wonder.

In the United States, Phyllis Nelson had success on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Her song "I Like You" reached number one on this chart in 1985. It also reached number 61 on the main Hot 100 chart. "Move Closer" became popular again in the UK in 1994. It reached the top 40 after being used in a television advertisement for anti-perspirant.

Later Life and Legacy

Phyllis Nelson passed away in January 1998. She was 47 years old. She died from breast cancer in Los Angeles, California. She had been living there since her divorce.

Her son, Marc Nelson, also had a successful music career. He was one of the founding members of the famous R&B group Boyz II Men.

Phyllis Nelson's Music

Phyllis Nelson released several albums during her career. Her album Move Closer came out in 1984 and reached number 29 on the UK charts. Another album, I Like You, was released in 1985.

She also released many singles. Some of her notable singles include "Don't Stop the Train" (1981) and "Stop Don't Do This to Me" (1983). Of course, her most famous single was "Move Closer" (1985), which was a huge hit in the UK. Another popular song was "I Like You" (1985), which topped the US Dance charts. "Move Closer" was re-released in 1994 and became popular again.

See also

• List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• List of performers on Top of the Pops