with a commemorative renaming after them . Meanwhile , they ’ ve been on the road on “ The Total Package Tour ” with the NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK and PAULA ABDUL , who made a brief appearance and announced the group ’ s entrance .
Originally a quartet , Boyz II Men has appeared as a threesome since 2003 when MICHAEL MCCARY , who supplied the bass-end of the thick harmonies , stepped down due to health issues . It was apparent at moments that some of the famously densely voiced choruses were supplemented with a prerecorded backing , perhaps to fill in the gap from his absence . Whereas , this might normally bother some , there was something respectable about a band considering their member to be irreplaceable in that way .
Boyz II Men played a short set of just five songs , opening with “ On Bended Knee ” and then “ It ’ s So Hard to Say Goodbye .” Then they sung an extended “ I ’ ll Make Love to You ” while going into the audience to hand-out roses . It turns out this particular brand of flower is actually an endorsed product of Boyz II Men , but most of the crowd was too captivated by the romantic swooning of the ballad to realize the intermingled promotional effort . “ End of the Road ,” the first of three songs by this group to break a record on Billboard ’ s Hot 100 list , is a song that will almost always cause every person in the room to feel compelled to join together a cappella . In this case we had 100,000 people doing it . Even the news anchors , directly neighboring the photo pit , were swaying arm-in-arm singing it . It ’ s a song that has that effect , especially when sung at home . They rounded out the set with what couldn ’ t have been left out , “ Motownphilly .”
In the years after Boyz II Men ’ s initial successes , many male vocal groups came and went under the guise of “ boy bands ”. These men were something on a different echelon though , tapping into a richer music soul and performing on a higher level . And regardless of whether they have any recent hits , these guys still have that talent and they are loved more than ever in their hometown and beyond .
The night of ground-breaking R & B leaders continued with another history-making performer , MARY J BLIGE . Having received more Grammy nominations than any other artist , she won nine and had eight multi-platinum albums , among countless other awards . Even though her greatest successes took place in the 90 ’ s , Blige isn ’ t sitting still . In addition to multiple acting performances on TV and in film , her latest album “ Strength of a Woman ” is receiving critical acclaim and has had some presence on Billboard charts . Released back in May , it is considered one of her most emotional efforts , demonstrating her resolve as she bounces back from a tough and highly-publicized divorce that took place one-year ago . But strength has been central to Blige ’ s life dating back to her difficult childhood in the Bronx -- through when she dropped out of high school but was able to put out a record-setting debut album at just 21 years old .
Mary J . Blige brought that power to Philly this July 4th , both in music and presence . From the first note , she was fierce in delivering her powerful blend of R & B vocals intermixed with hip hop . Her energy never ceased throughout the long set of over 20 career-spanning songs , including four from her latest album . Blige clearly showed a passion for her music , demonstrating that she ’ s more determined than ever . Philadelphia reciprocated – loving every beat that Mary J Blige led in front of an incredibly tight band . For the city ’ s proudest celebration of the year , this is how Philadelphians want to celebrate – with passion and with an attitude .