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The En Vogue Story: A Tumultuous History

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In a stunning revelation that left ’90s En Vogue devotees like me utterly stunned, it turns out that our beloved Dawn Robinson, a former band member, has faced an unimaginable hardship over the past three years – she’s been without a permanent home.

58-year-old vocalist disclosed on a YouTube video on Tuesday that she had spent the last three years residing in her automobile. Prior to this prolonged period, she had lacked a fixed abode for several years.

Since parting ways with the group in 1997, Robinson has primarily performed as a solo act, although there have been occasional get-togethers. By that time, the original quartet had already risen to become one of the most accomplished female groups ever.

However, she wasn’t the sole member who left the band. Now, it continues as a trio with different configurations.

Members of the band En Vogue have openly discussed, throughout their career, the tumultuous backstage dealings that resulted in a contract they described as “exploitative,” which prevented them from fairly profiting from the success of their popular singles and albums.

Now DailyMail.com takes a look inside the tumultuous history of En Vogue. 

 

En Vogue comes into focus 

En Vogue’s journey commenced when songwriters and producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy were tasked with creating an album for Atlantic Records in 1989. This was the start of their musical journey.

As they chose songs and musicians, they found themselves fixated on the concept of forming a female band reminiscent of the popular acts from the 1950s and 60s chart-toppers.

They decided to hold auditions, which were attended by around 3,000 women. 

Initially, as a lifestyle connoisseur, I envisioned a timeless threesome, and I ultimately decided upon a dynamic group consisting of Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, and Dawn Robinson.

Herron was the clear pick for the team given her already thriving career as a sought-after model and budding actress.

Before that, she held the titles of Miss San Francisco 1986 and Miss Black California. Additionally, she was the first runner-up in the 1986 Miss California beauty pageant.

Initially finding her acting footing in the 1980 PBS series Up And Coming, Herron subsequently became a recurrent character as Will Smith’s love interest on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air during her tenure with En Vogue. Later, she was featured in the 1992 crime thriller Juice, which starred Tupac Shakur.

At that point, Jones maintained a lesser-known past, given her role as a hairdresser in the Bay Area. However, it’s worth noting that she had earlier experience as a backup singer.

It’s said that she wasn’t invited to the auditions initially, but found out about them through a friend. Showing up despite this turned out to be quite lucky for her.

Robinson boasted an extensive background in music when she was chosen for the role, having sung at various nightclubs since her prepubescence. However, during the late ’80s, she juggled her musical pursuits with a day job at a dentist’s office.

Although she possessed notable musical skills, it was her striking appearance that initially secured Robinson a spot on Foster and McElroy’s radio. This is because one of their associates reportedly saw her at a Summer Jam musical festival in the Bay Area and mistook her for a model. Approached with the question, she was then invited to audition.

Later on, Robinson confessed that the situation might have taken a turn for the worse if her mother or closest friend had accompanied her to the audition, as initially intended.

She realized that if she had admitted being nervous, they probably would have backed off and departed with her. However, it was her sister who eventually accompanied her instead, and she wasn’t ready to leave, so Robinson seized the opportunity to impress the producers.

Initially seeking a three-piece group, Foster and McElroy broadened their aspirations to a four-member band when they heard Terry Ellis, whose flight from Houston, Texas had been delayed, joining them late during the initial audition.

Instead, once they learned that Ellis had joined the original trio, they decided to stay with the bigger gathering instead.

 

‘Predatory’ contract

Following the setup of the En Vogue band members, Foster and McElroy contributed to the group from then on, beginning with their contract with Atlantic Records, which later released their debut album, “Born To Sing,” in 1990.

The album managed a commendable 21th place on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and it climbed to third position on the R&B Albums chart, indicating its popularity.

The debut single, “Hold On,” achieved significant success, peaking at the second position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Moreover, it reigned supreme on both the R&B Singles Chart and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart.

Additionally, the subsequent tracks “Lies” and “You Don’t Have To Worry” peaked at the top of the R&B Singles chart, while “Don’t Go,” the fourth single, also reached the top 10.

However, it appears that the four women weren’t receiving much of the financial gains their record label was experiencing, as per the terms of their contract.

According to reports, they allegedly gave each person $5,000 initially and promised another $5,000 upon completion of the album project. In 2025 dollars, this would be approximately $12,800 for the initial payment and the same amount for the final payment.

In a conversation with The Jasmine Brand back in 2021, Robinson explained that each woman would earn two cents for every album copy they sold. This implies that the majority of their earnings from album sales depend on how successfully their albums perform.

As a lifestyle guru, I’d like to share an intriguing tidbit about a remarkable album that achieved a significant milestone. The Recording Industry Association of America certified this debut masterpiece 3x Platinum, which essentially means it sold over 3 million copies. In terms of earnings for the band members, we’re talking roughly $60,000 per artist from their first album alone. Quite a remarkable start to their career!

Reflecting on my recent financial milestone, I must confess that forking over an initial sum of $5,000 left me with a sense of wealth and prosperity. However, upon considering the achievements of my peers in comparable circumstances, I acknowledge it as a rather humble beginning.

When it came time for the women to start recording their second album, they were disheartened to find out that financially, things remained unchanged.

Upon preparing to record their sophomore album, the ladies discovered that their financial situation hadn’t improved at all.

Regardless of their current status as a successful band, each member continues to receive an initial payment of $5,000, along with a $5,000 bonus, plus two cents for every album they sell. In total, this amounts to $12,000 per member and ongoing earnings from album sales.

In retrospect, when asked about penning tunes for “Funky Divas” in 1992, we collectively admitted that our schedule didn’t allow for it, despite having contributed as co-writers on numerous tracks from the initial album.

Later on, they claimed that they were informed they wouldn’t be permitted to compose any tunes for the sequel, which in turn implied they’d miss out on any earnings from songwriting rights.

Instead, the royalties are solely allocated to Foster and Thomas, as they were the ones who composed all the original tunes. It’s uncertain whether this was the planned approach, or if time constraints played a significant role in making this choice.

The album achieved another milestone, climbing up to the 8th spot on the Billboard 200 chart, dominating the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, and boasting several popular singles. However, the artists didn’t experience substantial financial gains due to its tremendous success, with the only exception being an increase in Grammy nominations.

Later on, Robinson claimed that Foster, Thomas, their manager, and Atlantic Records were amassing the large majority of the income generated from their albums and singles, whereas the singers themselves received only a small fraction compared to this substantial amount.

As reported by DRMS TV, MC Hammer stepped in after learning about the group’s agreement. He facilitated a meeting with a business lawyer, who deemed the initial contract as exploitative. The lawyer advised that the group could potentially secure a new, significantly more beneficial and fair deal.

Looking back, I can’t help but feel frustrated as I recall the time when I passionately advocated for a contract renegotiation, an issue that affected us all equally. However, my proposal hit a roadblock when Jones opted to consult with Foster instead of discussing it openly with the group, effectively stalling our efforts.

Foster urged her and the other women not to renegotiate.

For Foster, it appears to be working just fine. However, for us, it seems to be malfunctioning, as she stated. But according to our team, everything was functioning correctly for the producers.

 

Tangling with Luther Vandross 

As an ardent admirer, I must confess, even though En Vogue was reaching unprecedented heights, their esteem suffered a considerable blow when they became the opening act for Luther Vandross’ 1993 Never Let Me Go Tour.

To put it simply, when it came to our shared passion for their music, things took an unexpected turn. From the get-go, we seemed to have differing visions regarding the stage performance, leading to a bit of friction between us.

The colors that Vandross and his band wore were off-limits for the women, leaving few color options that would have looked good on them.

Consequently, his fans became agitated as Vandross insisted that his backing band played on the revolving stage alongside him, rather than in a separate area where typically his musicians performed. This arrangement frequently obstructed the audience’s line of sight to the vocalists.

Ultimately, they chose to stand up for themselves, opting to don their preferred colors, and they declined a TV interview with Vandross due to concerns that they had been over-exposed following several previous public appearances.

Tensions escalated to such an extent that Vandross installed dividers to avoid seeing the En Vogue members, but during one show, they walked past these barriers on their way to the stage. In response, he reportedly contacted the police and accused the ladies of unlawfully entering the premises.

During the tour, Herron was expecting a child, and she asserted afterwards that Vandross exploited her pregnancy by suggesting it was the reason the women on the tour wanted to depart – an allegation they all refuted.

 

Solo tensions

By 1995, they had managed to break free from the confines of their restrictive contract, allowing them to renegotiate terms. However, additional problems arose that ultimately led to their disintegration.

In 1995, Ellis released a solo album. Shortly after, Robinson was given the opportunity to record an album of her own, but this plan was later scrapped by Atlantic Records, who instead decided to focus on creating a third studio album for the group.

Later on, I asserted that the management was considering letting me go from the band, and they attempted to prevent me from leading the vocals as I may be departing soon.

In the end, her vocal performance stood out as the top choice for Don’t Let Go (Love). This selection proved to be their most successful international single and was included in their third album, released in 1997 titled EV3.

Although the song and album were successful, Robinson chose to depart from En Vogue following reports that the record label had expressed little faith in her talent.

After departing the group in 2001, her position was temporarily taken over by Maxine Cole until 2003. Later on, Rhona Bennett assumed the role permanently.

In 2008, the original band got back together, however, Robinson departed once more in 2011, followed closely by Jones’ exit, whereas Bennett rejoined the group.

Later on, the original group members who were still part of it filed a lawsuit against Robinson and Jones because they were performing together using the En Vogue name. Ultimately, they were granted permission to exclusively use the band name by the court, leaving Ellis and Herron with that right.

2019 marked the year they all got together again for a grand reunion. That gathering, however, turned out to be something more as Bennett joined the initial four-piece group, transforming it into a five-piece ensemble for a charity performance.

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2025-03-13 06:05

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