PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS… SHALAMAR
Legendary R&B group Shalamar tells their turbulent story on TV One’s “Unsung.”
Presented by Electronic Urban Report.
Shalamar was a group that was hastily put together and despite success, had tremendous difficulty staying together.
With major hits like: “Second Time Around,” “Night to Remember,” and “This is For The Lover in You,” audiences heard the good. TV One’s acclaimed bio-show “Unsung” will air the ups, downs, and explosions that caused the group to disband. “They had superstardom written all over them; they were a unique act…they had the whole package,” Dick Griffey says of Shalamar.
Griffey, owner of Solar Records, merged Shalamar together in the late 1970s. Within two years the group had two hits and two lead singer changes. When the group solidified, Howard Hewett joined Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley who had originally been dancers on the popular show “Soul Train.”
Though the trio connected musically, they experienced personal conflicts that escalated throughout Shalamar’s near ten year run.
“It was constantly tension; constant drama,” Griffey says. Respect seemed to be one of the major factors that disrupted the group.
“You can’t keep people where they were; respect everybody for how they evolve, and if you don’t, it blows up,” Hewett says. Yet, in the “Unsung” episode, both Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley point out Hewett’s lack of respect for the group.
“For whatever reason, we didn’t hit it off right away; the respect wasn’t always there,” Watley says.
“Howard had a talk with Jody and myself and he told us, ‘Well, I’m the leader of the group,’” Daniel said.
The comments and egos caused friction within the group. Added to that, there were financial issues. Griffey says that artists have a “demented” view about the money they should be getting. He cited a discussion between himself and Hewett, who was asking why he hadn’t received any royalties. Griffey said he had given Hewett an extremely large advance, which meant, Hewett was receiving advance royalties. Even though the group was inwardly divided with personality conflicts, they had a common question about money. Daniel said their bank accounts were empty and they didn’t own anything. Watley also felt she was being taken advantage of financially. She said no amount of fame or popularity could…
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