Early Life
Wanya Morris was born Wanyá Jermaine Morris on July 29, 1973, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and performed in the school choir alongside his future Boyz II Men bandmates, who were in a group called Unique Attraction at the time. Morris joined the group during his freshman year of high school.
Career
Boyz II Men signed with Motown Records in 1991, and their debut album, “Cooleyhighharmony,” reached #3 on the “Billboard” 200 chart and #1 on the “Billboard” Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was eventually certified 9× Platinum in the U.S., and the singles “Motownphilly” and “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” went Platinum. Their second studio album, 1992’s “Christmas Interpretations,” was certified 2× Platinum, and they followed it with 1994’s “II.” That album topped the “Billboard” 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts as well as the charts in France and New Zealand, and it went 12× Platinum. The album featured the 3× Platinum single “On Bended Knee” and the 4× Platinum single “I’ll Make Love to You,” which both reached #1 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 chart. Their 1997 album “Evolution” reached #1 on the Billboard" 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts and was certified 2× Platinum. That same year, the group collaborated with Mariah Carey on the single “One Sweet Day,” and it topped the charts in several countries and went 4× Platinum in the U.S. The single stayed at #1 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 chart for 16 weeks. Boyz II Men then released the 2000 Gold album “Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya,” followed by “Full Circle” (2002), “Throwback, Vol. 1” (2004), “The Remedy” (2006), “Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA” (2007), “Love” (2009), “Covered: Winter” (2010), “Twenty” (2011), “Collide” (2014), and “Under the Streetlight” (2017). In 2021, Morris appeared in the ABC special “A Very Boy Band Holiday,” performing the songs “A Very Boy Band Holiday,” “Give Love on Christmas Day,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Let It Snow,” and “This Christmas.” In 2022, he appeared on the Fox mystery music game “I Can See Your Voice.”
Personal Life
Wanya married Traci Nash on May 11, 2002. The couple has six children together, four sons and two daughters. Their sons formed the R&B group WanMor in 2022 and were the first artists signed to Mary J. Blige’s Beautiful Life Productions. In 2019, Morris wed Amber Reyes before becoming legally divorced from Nash. Wanya previously dated singer/actress Brandy, but they split up in 1997, reportedly because Morris fell in love with another woman.
Awards and Nominations
Boyz II Men has earned more than a dozen Grammy nominations, winning for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Cooleyhighharmony” (1992), “End of the Road” (1993), and “I’ll Make Love To You” (1995) and Best R&B Album for “II” (1995). They have won nine American Music Awards: Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist (1992), Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group (1993, 1995, 1996, and 1998), Favorite Pop/Rock Song for “End of the Road” (1993) and “I’ll Make Love to You” (1995), Favorite Soul/R&B Single for “I’ll Make Love to You” (1995), and Favorite Soul/R&B Album for “II” (1996). Boyz II Men has won “Billboard” Music Awards for Top Hot 100 Artist (1992), Top Hot 100 Song for “End of the Road” (1992), and the “Billboard” Music Special Hot 100 for “One Sweet Day” (1995), their collaboration with Mariah Carey. They have won several “Soul Train” Music Awards as well: Best New R&B/Soul Artist (1992), Song of the Year for “End of the Road” (1993), Best R&B Music Video for “End of the Road” (1993), Best R&B Single – Group, Band or Duo for “Please Don’t Go”(1993), R&B/Soul Album Group, Band or Duo for “II” (1995), R&B/Soul Single Group, Band or Duo for “I’ll Make Love to You” (1995), and Entertainer of the Year (1996). In 2023, they received a Children’s & Family Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program for “The City of Brotherly Love” from the YouTube series “Jam Van.”
Real Estate
In 1997, Morris purchased a four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home in Voorhees, New Jersey. In 2008, the home went on the market for $649,900.
