Biography
Jasmine Guy headlined the NBC-TV series A Different World, a spin-off from The Cosby Show that ran from 1987 to 1993. Her portrayal of Whitley Gilbert, marked by a snooty attitude and thick Southern drawl, stood out as a highlight throughout the run. She also scored three R&B hits with the singles “Try Me,” “Another Like My Lover,” and “Just Want to Hold You.”
Born March 10, 1964, in Boston, MA, Guy spent her childhood in Atlanta, GA. Early on she performed as a dancer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe and later joined the cast of the 1980s NBC-TV series Fame, itself drawn from the successful film. Additional stage work included multiple off-Broadway productions, and she appeared with Lawrence Fishburne in Spike Lee’s School Daze.
Placement on a spin-off of a landmark, widely celebrated television series opened doors for Guy to launch a recording career. She signed with Warner Bros., and Full Force wrote and produced her first single, “Try Me.” The provocative video received heavy promotion and first aired immediately after an episode of A Different World. In fall 1990 the track reached number 14 on the R&B chart. Her self-titled debut album climbed to number 38 on Billboard’s R&B chart later that year.
Critics singled out her steely-eyed, menacing turn in the 1989 film Harlem Nights, which featured Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Della Reese, and Arsenio Hall. She supplied a voice for the 1997 animated feature Cats Don’t Dance and toured with Ben Vereen in Chicago the Musical during the late 1990s.
Born March 10, 1964, in Boston, MA, Guy spent her childhood in Atlanta, GA. Early on she performed as a dancer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe and later joined the cast of the 1980s NBC-TV series Fame, itself drawn from the successful film. Additional stage work included multiple off-Broadway productions, and she appeared with Lawrence Fishburne in Spike Lee’s School Daze.
Placement on a spin-off of a landmark, widely celebrated television series opened doors for Guy to launch a recording career. She signed with Warner Bros., and Full Force wrote and produced her first single, “Try Me.” The provocative video received heavy promotion and first aired immediately after an episode of A Different World. In fall 1990 the track reached number 14 on the R&B chart. Her self-titled debut album climbed to number 38 on Billboard’s R&B chart later that year.
Critics singled out her steely-eyed, menacing turn in the 1989 film Harlem Nights, which featured Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Della Reese, and Arsenio Hall. She supplied a voice for the 1997 animated feature Cats Don’t Dance and toured with Ben Vereen in Chicago the Musical during the late 1990s.