N.E Heartbreak

Chapter 33

Chapter 33
Jacqueline

1999-2000

After their performing debut, the kids have lit up the charts with their debut albums. Each one only had five songs on it. Technically they should have been LPs but Mike and I got them to be albums. The girls actually got nominated for a Grammy and won the award for Best New Artist. They are the youngest to ever win a Grammy. We had never been so proud of anyone in our lives.

The guys actually cried as we watched our baby girls accept a Grammy. Most people have to wait a lifetime but they only had to wait nine years.

We of course won Best Pop and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. We have swept the categories every year since 1991 and we hope to do so for as long as we perform and live.

"I cannot believe I never had any of you on my show." Oprah Winfrey says to Steph, Cassie, and me. Yes. The Oprah Winfrey invited us to her show after our Grammy nomination and win.

"I can't believe you invited us to be on your show. We love you so much, Oprah. We watch your show every chance we get. Our uncle and aunt love you. They watch everyday." I say with a smile.

"Hey Uncle Eddie. Hey Auntie Aggie!" Cassie waves at the camera and the audience laughs.

"Please. I had to have you on here. Thank you for coming." Oprah smiles.

"Thank you for having us. This is truly a blessing. Not many people get to meet someone like you. Who is so quickly changing the world for women and black people. You're an amazing inspiration to us." Steph says and the audience cheers.

"Thank you, but, come on, this is supposed to be about you three. Not me," Oprah says. "So the first thing I want to ask is where are you from? How did you get into music? How did you meet the very handsome men of New Edition? What's your origins?"

"So many questions," I laugh. "So we were born in New Orleans in 1966 for Steph and 1967 for Cassie and me. Our mother was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts in the Roxbury area. We spent every summer from the time Cassie and I were two or three up until before all of our first year of high school. There, we played with the kids in the Orchard Projects. We've been friends with the guys of New Edition, except for Johnny of course, since before we could remember."

"And what about music? Is it something you've always wanted to do? Or did it just, like, pop up? Like the guys were like "Hey come to L.A and sing with us?"." Oprah asks and we laugh.

"We've always loved music. And our parents knew that. When we weren't in Boston, we were enrolled in music, dance, and theatre classes in New Orleans. And even in Boston we went to talent shows and sang on street corners for some pocket change. We have so much training and practice performing that it was almost like "Oh. You want to perform professionally? I'm so shocked"," Cassie jokingly rolls her eyes. The audience laughs. "But it was the guys that got us into the business."

"What do you mean, got you into the business?" Oprah asks.

"Meaning, they set it up for us to perform for MCA Records. Jheryl Busby, the president then, saw us singing our first number one hit song Schoolin Life and he signed us immediately. Since then we've been performing together as SJC for the last fifteen years." Steph says and the audience cheers.

"Fifteen years is a long time. Will you be doing something to celebrate those fifteen years?"

"We aren't sure. I think we want to wait for the twentieth because we're so focused on our kids and making sure they become established artists. So we'll all just have to see what God has planned for us." I say.