Najee said:

without a doubt i would say Ralph Tresvant..he had a great voice and i thought he would be huge when he went solo but it just didnt work out except for the hit Sensitivity
[Edited 1/21/07 18:13pm]

I would say that Mick Jagger had a really disappointing solo career. There were huge expectations for his album "She's The Boss" but it only had one really big hit, "Just Another Night."

Susanna Hoffs was considered the most marketable member of the Bangles due to her sexy eyes and gorgeous figure, yet when she released her first solo album after the Bangles had initially broken up, it stiffed big time.

Sisqo was on the verge of having a huge solo career, but when "The Thong Song" blew up, most people took him for a novelty act, especially those who weren't aware of his work in Dru Hill.

Jermaine Jackson was co-leadsinger of J5 and had some success as a soloperformer but given that he was compared to a young M. Gaye in the 70's I don't think his carrier turned out the way many expected.

Dee Dee Ramone

glenn hughes

Najee said:

yup good one....he has a GREAT voice...i bought his 1st 2 solo cd's

Najee said:

Yep. FWIW, I still like "Long Hot Summer Night."

Where'd the funk go mofo?!?!

Howard Hewitt---When he left Shalamar for a solo career,it looked like he was on his way to bigger and better things.There were a few hits,but he never really became the big solo superstar that many people predicted.

El DeBarge---Everybody thought that when he left DeBarge,he would become as big as Michael Jackson.It didn't happen.He released several albums,had a few hits but sadly,his popularity faded by the 90s.I think it's largely because of less-than-brilliant material.He needed a super producer like Quincy Jones...someone who could take him to the next level.

James 'JT' Taylor

Dawn Robinson of EnVogue

Philip Bailey---Despite the fact that he is an awesome vocalist,he never really established himself as a solo artist.Sure,he had that massive rock/pop hit "Easy Lover" with Phil Collins in 1984,but there weren't any other big hits after that,and he will forever be known as Earth Wind and Fire's lead singer.

SoulAlive said:

i always considered Maurice White to be EWF's lead singer.

my vote goes to Aaron Hall, the man could surely sing with his chocolate self. I always loved "Don't be Afraid", but his albums always fell short. I think he's on the same independent label as K-Ci now, with 0 promotion. Sad really.

Another vote goes to Raphael Saadiq too. No question, he was the ish with TTT and Lucy Pearl, but his solo efforts never quite got the shine they deserved. I do agree the first solo effort was way better than the second one (which wasn't that great), even with a grammy nod for the first album (i don't remember him winning it if he did), it didn't get airplay, at least where i lived it didn't.
[Edited 1/22/07 5:26am]

Oh yeah...Maurice was the lead singer of EW&F throughout most of their career.But he hasn't toured with the band since 1994 (due to health problems),so Philip is the current lead singer.

SoulAlive said:

yeah i gotcha. i was just looking at it from an "overall" point of view.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Yeah,his solo career didn't turn out quite as planned.After 'Can't Slow Down',it seemed like he would continue to have big hits and multi-platinum albums.But his career quickly crashed and burned.In 2000,he was the opening act act on Tina Turner's farewell tour.

speaking of Dawn Robinson...I recall a Vibe interview she did right before her first solo album was released.She was gloating at the fact that Envogue's recent CD flopped...but then her own CD was released out and sold about 5 copies,lol...


she's a funny character...talented but bitchy

some more...

Bobby Brown---Yes,'Don't Be Cruel' was a monster hit in 1988/89,but his follow-up albums went nowhere.If he hadn't married Whitney Houston in 1992,we wouldn't have even heard about in the media anymore.He would have faded away completely.

Coco from SWV---I bet most of you didn't even know that she had a solo career...lol...her solo album in 1999 flopped big time.It's a shame because she really is a good singer.It was a huge mistake for SWV to break up when they still popular.In recent years,they attempted a reunion but alas,it's too late.

Michael Cooper---former lead singer of Con Funk Shun

Exactly. Also Michael Cooper, Charlie Wilson, JT Taylor, and Howard Hewitt.

SoulAlive said:

Was she going on about how "EV3" flopped? I think that album under performed....hers flopped hard. But it's sad because after that, En Vogue was totally done for. It's sad that there doesn't seem to be any hope for R&B girl groups coming back. They are gone and forgotten after making huge waves in the 90s...The ninties was like the 60s when it came to girl groups!

I wouldn't go as far as to say that Chaka lost it. But she certainly lost a part of her forever that she didn't gain back when she became solo.

Thing is with the Rufus days, they played things that suited and complimented her voice,,,while Arif Mardin was a great producer, he didn't know what do with her, he kept her in that BUSY production which didn't do shit IMO. Her 1st 3 albums with him were good, but after 1982, she kinda lost something, and eventually started to go with the motions, being under WB wasn't a funny thing either becoz they exploited her talent.

I know the dumb bitch wanted to do the jazzy thing thats why she left the band, but I find her stuff with them FAAAAAR more improvisational than the stuff she did when she became solo IMHO.

Mazerati said:

I disagree. Sensitivity, Do What I Gonna Do, Stone Cold Gentlemen & Money Can't Buy You Love were hits too.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Agnetha's solo career outside of ABBA was the worst.


[Edited 1/22/07 16:26pm]

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Its right there on his moustache

SoulAlive said:

Sunshine was a minor R&B hit for Coco. But she couldn't cut it doing a Diana Ross at all.

TonyVanDam said:

Worth it just for "Under the Influence"....and when she is in the pirate hooker outfit? Hot!