Splender

In 1990 guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Waymon Boone partnered with bassist James Cruz to launch the alternative pop/rock quartet Splender. After several lineup shifts, the New York-based ensemble settled on drummer Marc Slutsky and lead guitarist Jonathan Svec as its final members. The still-developing outfit then undertook a lengthy European festival tour supporting nu-metal titans Korn while also performing numerous local shows throughout New York City. Bandleader Waymon Boone, son of a professional R&B/disco singer, frequently traveled with his mother and thereby observed the difficulties inherent in a musician’s career. Those challenges failed to discourage him or his bandmates, who ultimately secured a Columbia Records contract after winning a contest that named them best band. Their persistence culminated in a collaboration with musician and producer Todd Rundgren for the 1999 debut album Halfway Down the Sky. The release yielded two modest crossover hits, “Yeah, Whatever” and “I Think God Can Explain,” yet fell short of commercial expectations. In 2001 the group aligned with legendary music mogul Clive Davis’s J Records, and a year later issued To Whom It May Concern.