Formed in 1993, 4 the Cause was a Germany-based R&B and gospel quartet originally from Oak Park, Illinois. The band featured Shonna ‘Miss Lady’ Edwards, Bennie ‘BJ’ Edwards Jr., Jason ‘J-Man’ Edwards, and Reshona ‘Shorty’ Edwards. Originally called Young Warriors 4 the Cause, the quartet landed their record contract when they won the Apollo Style talent contest in 1995. At the request of their management, the band members shortened their name to 4 the Cause. Their first hit was a 1998 cover of the Ben E. King classic “Stand by Me”, which hit the Top 10 in many countries including Germany, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, and Switzerland, where it hit Number 1. The album Stand by Me was released in 1998 and reached Number 20 in Switzerland. The album also included the hits “Let Me Be” and a cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”. 4 the Cause split up in 2000.
