Phyllis Nelson
{{Short description|American singer (1950–1998)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Phyllis Nelson
| background = solo_singer
| birth_date = {{birth date|1950|10|3}}
| birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1998|1|12|1950|10|3}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| instrument = Vocals
| genre = Dance, R&B, freestyle
| occupation = Singer
| years_active = 1981–1998
| label = Hallmark Records, Carrere
}}
Phyllis Nelson (October 3, 1950 – January 12, 1998) was an American singer, most famous for her 1985 song "Move Closer", which topped the chart in the United Kingdom. Her son is the singer and record producer Marc Nelson, who was a member of Boyz II Men.{{cite web|last1=Hogan|first1=Ed|title=Artist Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/phyllis-nelson-mn0000333842/biography|website=AllMusic |access-date=November 11, 2021}}
Career
Nelson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and a member of family group Nelson Five. She was later a backup singer for Major Harris and Philly Cream. She worked and recorded for several years from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Her records were mostly dance oriented. She also recorded numerous records during the disco era.
In 1984, she recorded a self-written ballad entitled "Move Closer". It was a complete departure from the type of music she had been recording. The lyrics of "Move Closer" were based on a long-term love affair she had with a much younger man in Philadelphia, who was struggling to start his own computer business. They lived together for several years, raising Nelson's two children (Marc and Kenya) that she had from previous relationships.
While "Move Closer" failed to find an audience in her native United States, it was successful in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart in April 1985. The song remained on the chart for almost six months, and became one of Britain's best selling singles of the year.{{cite web|title=13 of the greatest 1980s one hit wonders|url=https://www.smoothradio.com/features/1980s-one-hit-wonders/|website=Smooth Radio|access-date=November 11, 2021|date=June 12, 2018}}
Based in France, she recorded a single with the French actor Alain Delon: "I Don't Know". It was included in the original soundtrack of the 1985 French film Parole De Flic (Cop's Honor). Her subsequent releases failed to make any impression (except "I Like You" which made No. 81),{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/22303/phyllis-nelson/|title=Phyllis Nelson - full Official Chart History|publisher=Official Charts Company|accessdate=April 17, 2012}} and she is remembered as a one-hit wonder.
In the United States, she had success on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, where her song "I Like You" peaked at No. 1 in 1985 and No. 61 on the Hot 100.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/335966/phyllis-nelson/chart?f=379|title=Phyllis Nelson - Chart history - Billboard|website=Billboard.com|accessdate=July 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312072718/http://www.billboard.com/artist/335966/phyllis-nelson/chart?f=379|archive-date=March 12, 2017}} "Move Closer" returned to the UK chart in 1994, reaching the top 40, after being featured in a television commercial for anti-perspirant.{{cite web|title=One Hit Wonder: Phyllis Nelson – Move Closer|url=https://www.classicpopmag.com/2019/03/one-hit-wonder-phyllis-nelson-move-closer/|website=Classic Pop|access-date=November 11, 2021|date=March 1, 2019}}
Death
Nelson died in January 1998 at the age of 47 from breast cancer in Los Angeles, California, where she had been living since her divorce.{{cite web|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1998.html|title=The Dead Rock Stars Club 1998 - 1999|first=Doc|last=Rock|website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com|accessdate=July 7, 2018}}
Her son Marc Nelson also enjoyed a recording career, being a co-founder member of the group Boyz II Men.{{cite book|first=Graham|last=Betts|year=2004|title=Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004|publisher=Collins |isbn=978-0007179312}}
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Title !colspan="3"| Chart positions !rowspan="2"| Record label |
| width="40"|AUS !width="40"|NZ !width="40"|UK |
|---|
| 1984
|Move Closer |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|29 |align="center"|Carrere Records |
| 1985
|I Like You |align="center"|88 |align="center"|39 |align="center"|— |align="center"|Hallmark |
| colspan="6" align=center style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Title !colspan="8"| Chart positions !rowspan="2"| Certifications !rowspan="2"| Album |
|---|
| width="40"|US Hot 100 {{cite web|title=Phyllis Nelson Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Phyllis+Nelson.art|website=Music VF|access-date=November 11, 2021}} !width="40"|US Dance !width="40"|US R&B !width="40"|AUS !width="40"|BEL !width="40"|NL !width="40"|NZ !width="40"|UK |
| 1981
| "Don't Stop the Train" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|20 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | | I Like You |
| rowspan="2"|1983
| "Stop Don't Do This to Me" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | | rowspan="3"|Move Closer |
| "Take Me Nowhere" (France only)
| style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | |
| rowspan="3"|1985
| "Move Closer" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|15 | style="text-align:center;"|34 | style="text-align:center;"|47 | style="text-align:center;"|23 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | |
| "I Don't Know"
| style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | | N/A |
| "I Like You"
| style="text-align:center;"|61 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|65 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|17 | style="text-align:center;"|81 | | I Like You |
| 1994
| "Move Closer" (re-issue) | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|34 | | Move Closer |
| colspan="12" align=center style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Phyllis+Nelson Discography] at Discogs
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Phyllis}}
Category:20th-century African-American women singers
Category:American contemporary R&B singers
Category:American dance musicians
Category:American disco musicians
Category:Deaths from breast cancer in California
Category:20th-century American singers