Brandy

Though still in her teens, singer Brandy was among the biggest and brightest new stars to emerge during the 1990s; a multimedia sensation, she was a success not only on the pop and R&B charts, but also on television. Born in McComb, MO, in 1979, Brandy Norwood was raised in California, first attracting attention singing with area youth groups. From there she moved on to a series of television award shows and specials, and later co-starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom Thea. Brandy's self-titled debut LP appeared in 1994, launching a series of hits, among them "I Wanna Be Down," "Baby," and "Brokenhearted"; by now a major star, she returned a year later with the blockbuster "Sittin' Up in My Room," a cut from the soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale. "Missing You," from the soundtrack to 1996's Set It Off, was also a hit, but instead of immediately releasing a follow-up LP, Brandy returned to acting, starring in the acclaimed UPN sitcom Moesha and also appearing in the title role of the 1997 Disney telefilm Cinderella, one of the biggest success stories of the television season. Her long-awaited sophomore album, Never Say Never, was finally issued in mid-1998. Despite following four years later, Full Moon maintained her profile, spawning another handful of chart hits. Her fourth album, Afrodisiac, was released in 2004. Its lead single -- "Talk About Our Love" -- was produced by Kanye West. Although the reviews were positive overall, the album didn't sell as well as any of her previous efforts and Brandy left her label of 11 years, Atlantic. In December 2006, while driving on Los Angeles freeway, Brandy failed to stop when traffic suddenly slowed. She hit the car in front of her, which killed the driver and caused a four-car chain reaction. As she was working on her fifth album in mid-2007, she had not been charged with a crime but was being sued by two different people involved in the accident. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide