Alright y’all, been digging into some old school R&B lately and En Vogue popped up hardcore. Remember them? Absolutely crushed the charts back in the 90s. Got me thinking: where the heck are those powerhouse singers now? Figured I’d dive deep, see what I could dig up.
The Starting Point: Totally Clueless
Honestly? Started this with basically zilch. Knew they were big with “Hold On” and “My Lovin’,” knew the harmonies were killer, but no clue about the lineup changes or the drama. Just remembered the group name and a couple hits. My search bar got filled with simple junk like “En Vogue today” and “what happened En Vogue singers.” Predictable crap came up first – nostalgia lists, old videos. Annoying.
Hitting Brick Walls and Weird Twists
Started trying to piece it together like some messy puzzle. Kept hitting dead ends. Why? Cause the members shifted SO much over the years. Found this:
- Like, the OG crew – Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, and Dawn Robinson – were legendary for a hot minute.
- Then boom, around ’97, Cindy and Terry bounce? Or wait… Maxine and Dawn left first? Sources totally conflicted. Had to tab back and forth like crazy trying to verify dates. It was messy.
- Dawn Robinson – definite original. Found her exit first around 2001. Solo stuff? Barely made a dent, though she popped up on other people’s tracks occasionally. Kinda sad.
Got sidetracked BIG time finding Maxine Jones acting! She did a play called “The Vagina Monologues.” Wasn’t expecting that. Made a note – gotta check if she still does theatre.
The Revelation: Basically Disbanded? Not Quite.
Digging deeper, the pattern was depressingly familiar. Record deals dried up, internal spats happened, people left. The group name “En Vogue” kinda became a brand held onto, but the classic squad was long gone. Found out Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron basically kept the group alive with new faces rotating in and out. Wild. Rhona Bennett joined later – actually had some chart action with them again briefly, surprise surprise! Then she faded too? Seems like.
Tracking Them Down Today
Okay, mission time: Find each of the big four NOW.
- Terry Ellis: Seems like she’s stayed closest to the En Vogue grind. Still touring under the name, handling the business side mostly? Pretty low-key otherwise.
- Cindy Herron Braggs: Also still performing with En Vogue sometimes, but way more focused on faith-based work and family stuff. Found her talking about gospel music initiatives.
- Dawn Robinson: Had to chase this one down. She did not stick with the group vibe. Solo tracks here and there? Sure. Guest spots? Yeah. Major solo success? Nope. Random fact: found a clip of her doing live singing lessons! Weird.
- Maxine Jones: Drama trailed her for a bit – saw some old articles about suing the other members over the group name years back? Oof. Now? Seems quieter. Acting popped up occasionally, some random reality TV appearances ages ago, but nothing huge. Definitely off the main music radar.
Total kicker? Found Rhona Bennett! She popped up teaching music business stuff at Berklee College? Would NOT have guessed that path.
The Big Takeaway: A Sad Pattern
Feeling kinda bummed now, not gonna lie. En Vogue were giants. Seeing how the members drifted apart, how the fame faded into solo struggles or constant touring just to keep the name relevant? It’s rough. Classic 90s story: mega fame, lineup implosion, solo careers that never took off the same, and the group name survives as a shell. Feels like everybody kinda ended up doing whatever stuck – touring the old hits, teaching, indie projects, or just stepping back. No huge, dominant solo stars emerged from that split. Just the grind.
Hard work digging? For sure. So much conflicting info out there! Makes you appreciate how messy band histories really are. Wild ride. Respect for the OG voices though, always.
