Sharissa
Sharissa Dawes was born in 1976 in Brooklyn, New York and is American/Jamaican. From a young age, she sang both in Brooklyn where she was born and in the Bronx wher she grew up. Her dad called her "Little Stevie Wonder," as she sang to her neighbors in the Edenwald Projects.
She went on to become a member of the group Triple Dose. In 1995, she joined the group 4Kast and released the album Any Weather as part of the group.
After 4Kast broke up, Sharissa went on to do background vocals for Wyclef Jean, Father MC and Carl Thomas. She was signed to Motown and in 2002, released her album No Half Stepping. The title track of the album peaked at #78 on the R&B charts. The album's biggest hit was "Any Other Night" which reached #72 on the Hot 100 and #23 on the R&B charts.
Sharissa had a falling out with Motown and moved to Virgin Records. In 2005, she put out a second album titled Every Beat of My Heart which featured a single "In Love With a Thug" which featured R Kelly. However, while the album was released in Japan on October 25, 2005, it never saw an American release.