Cameo

Larry Blackmon's voice was once described by a critic as "a robot talking with a mouth full of peanut butter", but it nevertheless made a formidable mark as the instantly identifiable feature which made Cameo such a compelling and influential R&B/dance act through the 1980s. Originally singing with Black Ivory, Blackmon put together a 23-piece group, New York City Players, which gradually evolved into the disco act Cameo, filling their early albums Cardiac Arrest, Ugly Ego and We All Know Who We Are with pure dance tracks. They had a big hit with Find My Way after it was featured in the movie Thank God It's Friday, adopting a more eclectic style with the hit single Shake Your Pants and subsequent albums Cameosis (1980), Knights Of The Sound Table (1981) and Alligator Woman (1982). However, their biggest success came in 1986 when Blackmon moved to Atlanta, Georgia, introduced synths into a stripped-down sound and, partly inspired by hip hop, released the international chart-topper Word Up! Other hits like Candy and Back & Forth followed but their popularity waned in the 1990s, Blackmon's right hand man Kevin Kendricks quit and Cameo haven't been heard since releasing Sexy Sweet Thing in 2000.