Jean Norris-Baylor

Jean Norris was one-half of the 1990s R&B group Zhané. Jean and Renee Neufville met while they attended Temple University, and after working with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince in 1991 on their track “Ring My Bell,” they were persuaded to become a group. With some help from Naughty By Nature producer Kay Gee, they released their debut album Pronounced Jah-Nay in 1994 featuring the Top 40 singles “Hey Mr. D.J.,” “Groove Thang,” and “Sending My Love.” The album went Platinum as it peaked at #37 on the Billboard 200 and #8 on the R&B Albums chart. After appearing on songs for Busta Rhymes (“It’s a Party”) and De La Soul (“4 More”) in 1996, the duo released their second album Saturday Night in 1997. This album yielded the singles “Request Line” and “Crush” but the album ended up being the last from the group. One of their last collaborations was on the hook for Naughty By Nature’s hit single “Jamboree” in 1999.

Jean wrote and produced some of the group’s songs over their two albums and she went on to release two solo albums in 2011—Testimony: My Life and the Christmas album Light Up the World—with some help from her husband, musician Marcus Baylor.