TV One continues the profiles on its smash hit series “UnSung.” This weekend, the show comes to a “Klymaxx” as it features the 1980s girl-group of that name.
Klymaxx was made up of founder Bernadette Cooper, vocalist Lorena Porter (Shelby), bassist Joyce Irby, guitarist Cheryl Cooley and keyboardists Lynn Malsby and Robbin Grider, and made history as the first all-female R&B, funk and pop band in which every female member played an instrument.
The ladies commanded the radio waves with songs such as the 1985 hit “I Miss You” and “The Men All Pause” and “Meeting in the Ladies Room” and the hit “I’d Still Say Yes,” a couple years later.
The band’s break-up began in 1989, when Cooper wanted to go in her own direction, and the years passed with friction growing between Cooper and Cooley who later began touring under the unauthorized name of the band. (Read Cheryl Cooley’s side of the story, here, in part1.)
“UnSung” reveals the story behind the band’s break-up just as they were at the height of their popularity, leaving fans wondering what if.
“With all great bands, people outgrow situations,” Cooper said of the break-up. “It’s plain and simple. I think we were all equal in poverty in the beginning. We were all hungry, reaching for the same goal, going towards that light together, but as time [went] on – people wanted to have babies and get married – everybody starts separating and getting into their own thing.”
“And of course, within a group you have your friction, especially when one or two members that people focus on more,” she continued. “That’s one of the reasons – I won’t say the entire reason for the demise of Klymaxx. I was getting a lot of focus and that’s because I was so outrageous. If you didn’t notice me, I was going to make sure you noticed me.”
The Original Klymaxx
Cooper told EUR’s Lee Bailey that a lot of the other band members were bothered, maybe even a little envious that she, and co-lead singer Joyce Irby, got more attention.
“They felt like they equally put in as much time and weren’t getting the recognition. Of course I started to grow and my ego,” Cooper confessed. “In this business you can’t survive without some kind of an ego whether it’s mature or immature. So I started to feel myself. I started to notice I was a pretty good writer and I wanted to spread my wings out and I started to feel like I was being held back.”
Cooper said that although she wanted to stay in the group, the rift got bigger between her and her bandmates and the vision she had for the band was not becoming the reality.
“It was unfortunate because it did affect everyone’s life, but what does one do?” she posed. “I think about if I would have stayed, where would we be? This was my baby, this was my vision, and I started to think that this group was going in a different direction than where I wanted them to go. So I felt like I was stifled. I was hot, and I wanted to move forward. Would I change things if I could go back? Maybe.”
As for the recap in the latest “UnSung” episode, Cooper said she was a little apprehensive about being a part of it. However, she was so impressed with previous episodes of the show, she agreed to participate.
“They gave me the choice, but they couldn’t continue without me being involved,” she said, “but I love the production company and I love their work. So I said, ‘This is a story that needs to be told and it’s probably going to be great closure for a lot of the girls.’”
Plus, the show also offers up a history lesson about the pioneering career of the group and, as Cooper put it, and opportunity for people to “give them their props.”
“We were revolutionary in creating not only an all-girl band, but we were the first ones talking about we’re looking good and designer clothes. Now everybody’s saying that,” she said. “We were the first ones telling women, ‘Love yourself. Be sexy.’ But unfortunately, you look back and there are a lot of different versions about how it went down. Even my version could be a little scattered.”
Cooper’s version is that Cheryl Cooley aggressively went after the name Klymaxx without any regard for the other members of the band (an accusation Cooley denies). Now, the two factions are in litigation, with Cooley challenging Cooper’s exclusive right to the name Klymaxx and awaiting a settlement or some sort of agreement between the two parties.
“She’s still out there doing her thing. I can understand where she’s coming from,” Cooper said of Cooley, “but she’s disgracing the name. She’s going out as Cheryl Cooley’s Klymaxx doing cover shows at any little show that you pay $10 to get in. That’s disgracing the legacy of Klymaxx. It shouldn’t be cheapened like that.”
Cooper reported that her Klymaxx band just did a show along with 80s funkateer Morris Day at the legendary Greek Theater in Los Angeles, while Cooley defended that her Klymaxx had just come off a huge tour with hot old school acts such as Tone Loc and Lisa Lisa.
“But I love everyone in the group, even Cheryl Cooley,” Cooper digressed. “They were all part of making Klymaxx. This thing that I created, they were a part of nurturing and making it into the Klymaxx that became popular.”
Klymaxx is featured on “UnSung” this Sunday at 8 & 11pm (ET) on TV One. Bernadette Cooper will be “tweeting” live on www.twitter.com/klymaxxfansite during the show.
