Biography
Yarbrough & Peoples launched their recording career through the million-selling single "Don't Stop the Music," a lean, synth-driven slice of R&B/funk whose forward-looking sound would shape later productions across several genres. The track occupied the top R&B position for five consecutive weeks before climbing to number 19 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1981. Between 1980 and 1985 the pair issued one album on Mercury and three more on Total Experience.
Calvin Yarbrough and Alisa Peoples first crossed paths as youngsters in Dallas, Texas, studying under the same music instructor and performing solos together in their local church choir. After finishing college, Peoples took a conventional job while Yarbrough handled keyboards and vocals for Grand Theft. During one of the group's performances, Tulsa musicians Robert, Ronnie, and Charlie Wilson heard the set and hired the keyboardist/singer for background vocals on an upcoming tour. When the dates ended, Yarbrough returned to Dallas and Grand Theft. Later, when the Wilson brothers—by then performing as the Gap Band—played in Dallas, Yarbrough played them a demo tape. Impressed, Charlie Wilson arranged for manager/producer Lonnie Simmons to hear the material as well. Simmons recommended a fresh demo and paired the duo with staff producer Jonah Ellis. They cut seven tracks, the final one being "When the Music Stops." Ellis viewed it as filler and planned to record it only if time remained. Yarbrough insisted, so Ellis laid down the basic track using both a drum machine and drummer Jonathan Moffett. Retitled "Don't Stop the Music" and co-written by Peoples, the song took over the number-one R&B slot from the Gap Band's "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" in February 1981. Their debut album, The Two of Us, earned gold certification, reached number 16 on the Billboard 200, and spawned the follow-up single "Third Degree," which peaked at number 74 R&B.
The subsequent album, Heartbeats, appeared on Total Experience in 1982. Its two singles, "Heartbeats" and "Feels So Good," landed at numbers ten and twenty, respectively, on the R&B chart and echoed the style of the earlier hit. Be a Winner, released in 1984 and produced by Yarbrough, Ellis, and Oliver Scott, delivered the number-one R&B single "Don't Waste Your Time," while the title track rose to number 20. Guilty, the duo's 1985 release, stands as their strongest album. Its title track, written and produced by Prime Time's Jimmy Hamilton and Maurice Hayes, climbed to number two R&B shortly after the album's arrival. The Hamilton/Hayes follow-up, the driving "I Wouldn't Lie," reached number six R&B, and the softer ballad "Wrapped Around Your Finger" peaked at number 46 R&B. Although their reputation rests on uptempo successes, Guilty demonstrated Yarbrough & Peoples' command of ballads as well. The pair also collaborated with fellow Total Experience artists, including the Gap Band and Pennye Ford; on Ford's Pennye album they co-wrote and produced the emotional ballad "Never Let Go."
The duo departed Total Experience in 1986, married soon afterward, and stepped away from the industry. They kept performing, mentored emerging artists, and appeared in an Off-Broadway musical. Most of their catalog received remastering and expanded editions during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Calvin Yarbrough and Alisa Peoples first crossed paths as youngsters in Dallas, Texas, studying under the same music instructor and performing solos together in their local church choir. After finishing college, Peoples took a conventional job while Yarbrough handled keyboards and vocals for Grand Theft. During one of the group's performances, Tulsa musicians Robert, Ronnie, and Charlie Wilson heard the set and hired the keyboardist/singer for background vocals on an upcoming tour. When the dates ended, Yarbrough returned to Dallas and Grand Theft. Later, when the Wilson brothers—by then performing as the Gap Band—played in Dallas, Yarbrough played them a demo tape. Impressed, Charlie Wilson arranged for manager/producer Lonnie Simmons to hear the material as well. Simmons recommended a fresh demo and paired the duo with staff producer Jonah Ellis. They cut seven tracks, the final one being "When the Music Stops." Ellis viewed it as filler and planned to record it only if time remained. Yarbrough insisted, so Ellis laid down the basic track using both a drum machine and drummer Jonathan Moffett. Retitled "Don't Stop the Music" and co-written by Peoples, the song took over the number-one R&B slot from the Gap Band's "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" in February 1981. Their debut album, The Two of Us, earned gold certification, reached number 16 on the Billboard 200, and spawned the follow-up single "Third Degree," which peaked at number 74 R&B.
The subsequent album, Heartbeats, appeared on Total Experience in 1982. Its two singles, "Heartbeats" and "Feels So Good," landed at numbers ten and twenty, respectively, on the R&B chart and echoed the style of the earlier hit. Be a Winner, released in 1984 and produced by Yarbrough, Ellis, and Oliver Scott, delivered the number-one R&B single "Don't Waste Your Time," while the title track rose to number 20. Guilty, the duo's 1985 release, stands as their strongest album. Its title track, written and produced by Prime Time's Jimmy Hamilton and Maurice Hayes, climbed to number two R&B shortly after the album's arrival. The Hamilton/Hayes follow-up, the driving "I Wouldn't Lie," reached number six R&B, and the softer ballad "Wrapped Around Your Finger" peaked at number 46 R&B. Although their reputation rests on uptempo successes, Guilty demonstrated Yarbrough & Peoples' command of ballads as well. The pair also collaborated with fellow Total Experience artists, including the Gap Band and Pennye Ford; on Ford's Pennye album they co-wrote and produced the emotional ballad "Never Let Go."
The duo departed Total Experience in 1986, married soon afterward, and stepped away from the industry. They kept performing, mentored emerging artists, and appeared in an Off-Broadway musical. Most of their catalog received remastering and expanded editions during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Albums
