Phyllis Nelson (3 October 1950 – 12 January 1998) was an American soul, R&B, and dance singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, Florida. She began her career performing with the family group the Nelson Five before working as a backing vocalist for artists including Major Harris and Philly Cream. After launching her solo career in the early 1980s, she achieved her first chart success with the dance single "Don't Stop the Train", which reached number 20 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Phyllis Nelson's international breakthrough came in 1985 with the self-penned ballad "Move Closer." The single topped the UK Singles Chart, reached number 15 in Australia, and became one of the biggest-selling singles in the UK that year. It also made her the first Black woman to reach Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart with a self-written solo composition. The song enjoyed a successful reissue in 1994 after being featured in a television advertising campaign, returning to the UK Top 40. Her debut album, Move Closer (1984), was followed by I Like You (1985). The title track "I Like You" became her biggest U.S. hit, reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 65 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. She also recorded the duet "I Don't Know" with French actor Alain Delon for the 1985 film Parole de flic. Although she remained best known for "Move Closer," Phyllis Nelson continued recording throughout the second half of the 1980s and earned a lasting reputation as a leading voice in sophisticated soul, quiet storm, and dance music. She died of breast cancer on 12 January 1998 at the age of 47. Her son, Marc Nelson, went on to become an R&B singer and was an original member of Boyz II Men before joining Az Yet.
