SWV facts for kids

Quick facts for kids SWV
Left to right: Taj, Coko and Lelee performing in 2014
Background information
Also known as	Sisters with Voices
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Genres	R&B new jack swing soul hip hop hip hop soul
Years active	1988–1998 2005–present
Labels	RCA Mass Appeal Entertainment/E1 Music
Members	Cheryl "Coko" Gamble Tamara "Taj" George Leanne "Lelee" Lyons

SWV (which stands for Sisters with Voices) is an American R&B music group. The trio is from New York City. Its members are Cheryl "Coko" Gamble, Tamara "Taj" George, and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons.

SWV started in 1988 as a gospel music group. They quickly became one of the most popular R&B groups in the 1990s. They had many hit songs, like "Weak", "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)", "I'm So into You", and "You're the One". The group stopped making music together in 1998. They wanted to work on their own projects. But they got back together in 2005. SWV has sold over 25 million records around the world. This makes them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

The Story of SWV

How the Group Started

SWV was first formed by Cheryl "Coko" Gamble and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons. Coko then asked Tamara "Taj" Johnson to join them. There was also a fourth member named Samantha, who later left the group.

The group worked hard to create a demo tape. Their manager, Maureen Singleton, sent these tapes to record companies. They even sent bottles of Perrier water with the tapes to get attention! In 1991, SWV sang live for RCA executives. They were then offered a big record deal for eight albums.

Big Hits and First Albums (1992–1995)

SWV's first album was called It's About Time. RCA Records released it on October 27, 1992. The album sold over two million copies. This earned it a "multi-platinum" award.

Their first song, "Right Here", came out in late 1992. It reached No. 13 on the R&B music charts. Their next song, "I'm So into You", was even more popular. It went to No. 2 on the R&B charts and No. 6 on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song "Weak" became a huge hit. It reached No. 1 on both the R&B and Hot 100 charts. Another popular song was "Right Here/Human Nature". This was a new version of their first single. It used parts of Michael Jackson's song "Human Nature". This song was No. 1 on the R&B charts for seven weeks. It was one of the longest-running hit songs of 1993.

After this success, SWV had more Top 10 R&B hits. These included "Downtown" (No. 2) and "You're Always on My Mind" (No. 8). Their first album reached No. 8 on the US Billboard 200 album chart.

In 1994, SWV sang on the soundtrack for the movie Above the Rim. Their song "Anything" became a Top 10 R&B hit. It also reached No. 18 on the Hot 100 chart. That same year, SWV released The Remixes, which quickly sold a lot of copies. In 1995, they sang on Blackstreet's song "Tonight's the Night". SWV also recorded "All Night Long" for the movie soundtrack Waiting to Exhale.

New Music and More Success (1996–1997)

New Beginning was SWV's second album. It came out on April 23, 1996. The first song from it, "You're the One", became one of their most famous songs. It reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.

The second song, "Use Your Heart", was produced by The Neptunes. This song reached No. 22 on the Hot 100. It also went to No. 6 on the R&B chart. The album sold over 1,000,000 copies in the U.S.

Release Some Tension was SWV's third album. It was released on July 29, 1997. Many famous artists appeared on this album. These included E-40, Puff Daddy, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Lil' Cease, Lil' Kim, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Redman. The album had popular songs like "Rain" and "Someone". It also included "Can We", which was first on the Booty Call movie soundtrack. The album sold 500,000 copies in the U.S.

On November 18, 1997, SWV released a holiday album called A Special Christmas. It had both new songs and classic Christmas songs. This was one of the last albums the group made before they took a break.

Taking a Break and Getting Back Together (1998–2010)

The group decided to take a break in 1998. Each member started to work on their own music. Coko released her first solo album, Hot Coko, in August 1999. Her song "Sunshine" was for her son, Jazz. It reached the Top 40 on the R&B charts. However, her solo music did not become as popular as her songs with SWV. Coko later focused more on her family. She married gospel producer Mike "Big Mike" Clemmons.

Coko also released a gospel album called Grateful on October 31, 2006. It did very well on the independent albums chart. The album featured other R&B singers like Faith Evans and Fantasia Barrino.

SWV members Taj and Lelee performing in 2005

In 2005, SWV decided to get back together. They planned to record a new album, but it didn't happen right away. In 2007, the group performed concerts with other famous artists. Taj also appeared on a TV show called I Married a Baller. This show was about her life with her husband, former NFL player Eddie George. Coko and Lelee also appeared on some episodes.

In 2008, SWV made a special appearance at the BET Awards. They sang "Weak" with Alicia Keys. They also performed "Waterfalls" with other R&B groups, En Vogue and TLC. Taj was also a contestant on the TV show Survivor: Tocantins. SWV appeared on The Mo'Nique Show in 2010. They sang Patti LaBelle's song "If Only You Knew".

New Albums and TV Show (2011–Present)

In 2011, SWV signed a new record deal. On June 10, SWV was featured on a remix of Chris Brown's song "She Ain't You". This song used parts of their hit "Right Here/Human Nature". SWV released a new song called "Co-Sign" in December 2011. This was the first song from their fourth album, I Missed Us.

VH1 ranked SWV as one of the "100 Greatest: Women in Music". Billboard magazine also named SWV a top R&B act of the 1990s. The album I Missed Us was released on April 17, 2012. It quickly became No. 1 on the iTunes R&B albums chart.

On November 4, 2012, SWV performed at Black Girls Rock!. This event celebrates and inspires young black girls. In July 2013, SWV announced they would have their own reality TV show. The show was called SWV Reunited. It showed their lives as a group and as individuals. It also talked about why they broke up in 1998 and how they reunited.

SWV Reunited started on January 16, 2014. The show explored the trust issues between the group members. It showed their efforts to rebuild their friendships and their music career. It also showed their challenges with touring and recording new music. Coko's thoughts on singing gospel music, Taj's health, and Lelee's family life were also part of the show. A song they recorded on the show, "Ain't No Man", was released in August 2015.

SWV performing in 2018

In November 2015, Coko announced that SWV Reunited was canceled. She also said that SWV's next album would be called Still. It was released on February 5, 2016.

In 2017, SWV worked with the group Bell Biv DeVoe on their song "Finally". SWV also received the "Lady of Soul Award" at the 2017 Soul Train Music Awards. In 2019, SWV partnered with the hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa for a new reality show called 'Ladies Night'. This show premiered on BET on April 30, 2019.

In May 2021, SWV had a special online music battle with the group Xscape. This event was part of the popular Verzuz series.

Meet the Members

• Cheryl "Coko" Gamble (born June 13, 1970, in The Bronx, New York) is the lead singer of SWV. She is known for her unique high voice and amazing vocal skills. Coko lives in Virginia Beach.
• Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George (born April 29, 1971, in Brooklyn, New York) sings the mezzo-soprano parts. She has a voice that sounds more like jazz and blues. Taj lives in Nashville.
• Leanne "Lelee" Lyons (born July 17, 1973, in The Bronx, New York) also sings mezzo-soprano. Even though her voice is lighter, she often sings the lower parts in the group. Lelee lives in Atlanta.

Music Albums

Studio albums

• It's About Time (1992)
• New Beginning (1996)
• Release Some Tension (1997)
• A Special Christmas (1997)
• I Missed Us (2012)
• Still (2016)

Concert Tours

SWV has performed in many tours around the world:

• Weak (1993 in the UK)
• Budweiser Superfest (1993 in the US)
• SWV Live (1994 in the UK, South Africa, Canada, US)
• SWV World Tour (1996 in the US, Europe, South Africa, Asia, New Zealand)
• Release Some Tension (1998 in the US)
• New Jack Swing Tour (2005 in the US and Canada)
• Billboard Live Tour (2008 and 2009 in Japan)
• SWV and Faith Evans (2010 in the United Kingdom)
• Fresh Music Festival (2012 in the US)
• SWV Comeback Tour (2013 in London and US)
• Ladies Night Tour (With Salt-N-Pepa) (2018, US)
• Summer Block Party (with Jodeci and Dru Hill) (2023, US)

Opening for Other Artists

SWV has also been the opening act for other artists' tours:

• 2017: Three Stripes Tour (for Bell Biv DeVoe with En Vogue)
• 2018: The Great Xscape Tour (for Xscape)
• 2019: As Long as I Live Tour (for Toni Braxton)

Groups SWV Helped Start

SWV helped many other successful female groups by having them open their shows. These groups included:

• Xscape
• Jade
• Total
• 702
• Destiny's Child

Awards and Nominations

SWV has been recognized with many awards and nominations throughout their career:

See also

• List of bestselling music artists
• Top Heatseekers
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of performers on Top of the Pops
• Girl group