In their prime, the supergroup Boyz II Men, could do no wrong. They sang some of the most recognizable love anthems and even Christmas songs. From songs like “On Bended Knee”, “Cooleyhighharmony”, and “End of the Road” to “Let It Snow”, the foursome have been sharing some of the best music during the 1990’s. So it was surprising to many fans when the quartet went down to three members in recent years.
Former Boyz II Men singer Michael McCary revealed the reason behind his decision to take a step back from the popular ’90s R&B collective. In case you missed it, in October 2016 the now 50-year-old crooner appeared on “Iyanla Fix My Life,” where he got candid about his multiple sclerosis (MS), in addition to how his diagnosis put a strain on his relationship with the group.
According to McCary, he’s been battling the disorder — an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body – for more than 25 years. “It sent me into like a depression,” McCary said of why he’s been so coy about his battle.
Although the cause of MS is still unknown – researchers believe “the disease is triggered by unidentified environmental factors” in an individual who is generally inclined to respond, says the National MS Society.
“When I first saw of the ailments start to happen, it was like little back spasms at first and it would get stronger and stronger,” McCary revealed of the sickness targeting at least two to three times more women than men, between the ages of 20 and 50. “Once I was about 22, it started going full scale.”
To put “full scale” into perspective, McCary revealed that doctors told him he had a “locked” nerve in his back that could potentially sever and leave him paralyzed. “They were saying that I have a nerve around the sciatica that was locked in place that could sever if I stepped wrong,” he said.
Watch Michael’s revealing clip below.
Of course, not all symptoms of MS cause paralysis. Because MS wreaks havoc on the CNS (central nervous system) basic functions including vision, taste, and mobility may be altered.
Unfortunately for McCary, his failing health wasn’t the only area of his life he took a hit. The musician went on to disclose that over time, his illness caused a rift in his relationship with group members, Nathan and Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman. In fact, McCary claims his former band mates turned their back on him despite working “300 days out of every year for over 15 years,” once his diagnosis came to light.
“I want to get over the hurt and abandonment that I feel from the group that I’ve been with for so long and gave my life to,” he said. “I want to be able to go in a room with them and not feel like I want to choke them.”
“That’s what I mean by I felt abandoned and it makes me want to choke them,” he added. Though it’s evident that McCary’s admission was difficult to say the least, Vanzant argued that owning his truth was a step in the right direction. “His openness here today shows his willingness to fix his heart,” she said.
Before stardom, the group was originally known as Unique Attraction and was started by friends Nathan Morris and Marc Nelson at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA). The original group had fellow schoolmates George Baldi, Jon Shoats, and Marguerite Walker in 1985.
In 1987, Wanya Morris, who sang in the school’s choir along with the members of Unique Attraction, joined the group and became a permanent member when he was only a freshman. In 1988 Baldi, Shoats, and Walker all left the group due to graduation. They then recruited Shawn Stockman after seeing him perform a solo in the school’s choir. One day, Nate, Marc, Wanya and Shawn were practicing harmonies in a school bathroom and in walked Michael McCary who started singing along with the group and eventually became the group’s new bass singer.
Now with a permanent lineup of members, the group rehearsed in the high school’s bathrooms, due to the excellent acoustics, and on the corners of their schools and local hangouts. They found inspiration in New Edition’s harmonies and routines, and eventually renamed the group “Boyz II Men”, after one of New Edition’s songs, “Boys to Men”, from their 1988 album Heart Break. After performing at a Valentine’s Day party at school in 1989 they got their big break when they snuck into a concert put on by local radio station Power 99 at the Philadelphia Civic Center. Their plan was to find Will Smith backstage and perform for him.
But while looking for Smith, they happened to cross paths with New Edition member Michael Bivins, who along with fellow groupmates Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe just announced they were forming a New Edition spin-off trio Bell Biv DeVoe. After they sang New Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain” for him, Bivins and everyone in attendance including other celebrities were impressed. He then gave the group his number and told them to give him a call. Nate eventually called him, and he agreed to manage and helped produce the group.
The delay before recording their own material and reported personality conflicts led founding member Marc Nelson to leave the group, making Boyz II Men into the quartet that found international fame: Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman.
