pittsburgh connections Archives

Thanks to a reader (Hi Rachel!) for just pointing out that Shanice, who hit the Billboard charts in the late-80s and early-90s with songs like “I Love Your Smile” and “Saving Forever For You” is from the ‘burgh. Fact, she is from Hays Manor, in McKees Rocks, PA. So forget H-Town for your early 90s R&B needs, we got SHANICE! She just came out with an album in 2006 … check it out!

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This reminds me of another DIVA who grew up in the ‘burgh. Every few months I put the groovadelic very best of Deee-lite album in rotation. During its most recent pass-through my CD player, I found out that Lady Miss Kier was born in Youngstown, Ohio and then actually spent her childhood in Pittsburgh and Sewickley while her moms went to college here. But unfortunately:

“When she was nine, Kier designed her brownie outfit so that it would include brown bell-bottom pants. The troop rewarded her by kicking her out.”

Oh well. That’s okay because … (I can’t believe this), while doing this search, I found out that Snap! has Pittsburgh roots?! Huh? According to this site:

This Pittsburgh male/female dance duo had a huge international smash in 1990 with “The Power.” London-based rapper Turbo B and his cousin Jackie Harris teamed on “The Power,” with Harris’ curdling vocal elevating Turbo B’s pedestrian rap.

It’s true! Turbo-B was born in Pittsburgh, and was a session drummer for Maze and Chaka Chan; he toured with the Fat Boys. Thea Austin is also from here; she co-wrote some songs for Snap! is still busting out some wicked dance hits today.

I feel like I’ve been violated. How could I have lived my life not knowing that “Rhythm is a Dancer” or for God’s sakes – “I Got the Power!” – started with Pittsburgh angst? Let this code of silence now be broken!

So kids, what have we learned today? Pittsburgh + 90s = Represent. As Miss Kier would say, “Ooh la la, la la-la-la-la-la!”