Mary Davis
The S.O.S. Band (sometimes styled S.O.S. Band; shorthand for Sounds of Success) is an American R&B and electro-funk group formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1977. The original lineup featured Mary Davis (lead vocals), Jason Bryant (keyboards), Billy Ellis and Willie “Sonny” Killebrew (horns), Bruno Speight (guitar), John Simpson (bass), and James Earl Jones III (drums).
The group rose to prominence with their platinum debut single "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" in 1980—a post-disco, boogie-funk anthem that reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart, No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold. Their self-titled debut album S.O.S. also achieved gold status.
Their signature sound evolved when they began working with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in the early 1980s, leading to a string of hits such as "Just Be Good to Me", "Tell Me If You Still Care", and "The Finest".
Vocalist Mary Davis departed the group in 1987 to pursue a solo career; she was later replaced by Chandra Currelley, who led vocals on the albums Diamonds in the Raw (1989) and One of Many Nights (1991). The band's music has endured in influence and popularity; they remain recognized as key figures in 1980s R&B, alongside contemporaries such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Prince.
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