Wanyá Jermaine Morris is presently a member of the R&B group Boyz II Men. Additionally, he is well-known for his appearance on season 22 of ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ As a boy who grew up in a broken household, Morris had experienced challenges, but music always provided him with the essential respite. During his time at the famous Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), he sang in the school choir with his future bandmates. In 1987, he joined the group’s earliest incarnation, Unique Attraction. Over the course of the next few months, this group of young and gifted singers went through a series of name changes, ultimately adopting New Edition’s “Boys to Men” as their official moniker. Since then, the band has become one of the most legendary in R&B history, releasing 12 albums and receiving four Grammy Awards. Morris is also active as a solo artist. In June of 2007, he released the mixtape Unreleased.
Wanya Morris’s Career
In 1987, Wanya Morris became a permanent member of Unique Attraction. Unique Attraction was founded in 1985 by CAPA classmates and friends Nathan Morris, Marc Nelson, George Baldi, Jon Shoats, and Marguerite Walker. Following their graduation, Baldi, Shoats, and Walker left the group within a few years and were replaced by Shawn Stockman and Michael McCary.
They were highly influenced by the Boston-based R&B group New Edition. So it was only right that they rebranded themselves as Boyz II Men, taking inspiration from New Edition’s song “Boys to Men” from their 1988 album “Heart Break.” Nelson, a founder member, quit the group owing to the delay in recording their own songs and alleged issues with others, resulting in the formation of a quartet. McCary left his position in 2003 owing to chronic back issues.
Their debut album, “Cooleyhighharmony,” was released by Motown Records in 1991. Produced by New Edition member Michael Bivins, it was certified 9x Platinum by the RIAA and won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Boyz II Men has subsequently published the albums ‘II’ (1994), ‘Evolution’ (1997), ‘Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya’ (2000), ‘Full Circle’ (2002), ‘Throwback, Vol. 1’ (2004), ‘The Remedy’ (2006), ‘Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA’ (2007), ‘Love’ (2009), ‘Twenty’ (2011), and ‘Collide’ (2014). Their most recent studio album is ‘Under the Streetlight’ which was released on October 20, 2017.
Their most successful studio album to date is titled “II.” In addition to being certified 12 times Platinum by the RIAA, it also topped the US Billboard 200 and US R&B charts upon its debut. It was awarded the first Grammy for Best R&B Album in 1995, and one of its tunes, ‘I’ll Make Love to You,’ won the award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Boyz II Men was at the forefront of the drive to reintroduce R&B music to the mainstream in the 1990s. Their hip-hop beats were unremarkable, but by focusing mostly on harmony, they brought in developments that forever altered the music industry.
Morris and professional dancer Lindsay Arnold placed fourth overall in season 22 of the dance reality show ‘Dancing with the Stars
Disputes and Scandals
Due to his purported relationship with the then-minor R&B artist Brandy, Wanya Morris garnered tremendous criticism and anger. There were rumors that Brandy, who was 15 at the time, was dating Morris, who is six years her senior, but they were both adamantly denied.
Their respective management teams diligently concealed their relationship for the next two years. They apparently broke up a month before her nineteenth birthday. Nevertheless, they collaborated on her album Never Say Never (1998). Since then, Brandy has acknowledged that the duet helped her “come into her own.”
Wanya’s Personal Life
Wanya Morris was born in Philadelphia on July 29, 1973, to parents Carla Morris and Dallas Thornton. His parents never married and divorced when he was little. His single mother reared him along with his three siblings. As a young lad, he developed a keen interest in music. In his youth, he was also interested in art and drawing in addition to music.
He married designer Traci Nash on May 11, 2002, and they have children together. Currently, the family resides in New Jersey. Morris is a follower of the Hebrew Israelite religion, which permits polygamy, among other things.
He has apparently been having an affair with Australian Dora Gutierrez for a considerable amount of time, and the former groupie is now considered by many to be his spiritual wife.
Estimated Net Worth
American R&B singer Wanya Morris has a net worth of $60 million. In July of 1973, Wanya Jermaine Morris was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best recognized as a member of the group Boyz II Men. Wanya attended the High School for Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia.
Trivia
As Boyz II Men performs annually at The Mirage Resort and Casino, Morris becomes an annual visitor to Las Vegas.