“If I Ever Fall in Love” was released as the first single from their debut album of the same title, and peaked at #2 in the U.S. The next two releases from the double-platinum album, “Comforter” and “Baby I’m Yours,” each peaked #10.
The group had a few albums, but they never matched the success of the first. Then it seemed they disappeared from the scene.
Garfield A. Bright is probably one of the most recognizable faces of Shai and he has now added a new title to his name, he’s now a professor at Atlanta’s Georgia State University, where he’s been teaching for quite a few years now.
But for the record, Bright hasn?t given up his singing career and ‘Shai’ is still a major factor in his life, even today.
Details below…
Garfield Bright spends the bulk of his time is educating young adults at GSU, while also studying to earn his PhD in Educational Policies. Garfield also spent two years (2008-2010) as a high school Geography/History teacher in Lawndale, California and he was a co-teacher of The Politics Of Hip Hop at California State University at Northridge in 2007.
He earned a Masters Degree in African American Studies at Georgia State in 2012 and last year he headed a program at GSU called I.C.M.E. (I Create My Experience) that focused on helping Black and Latino males, ages 16-24, understand cultural awareness, digital/media literacy, and helping them counter negative images of men of color in the media.
VIDEO: Garlfield Speaks on his passion for teaching?
Don?t get it twisted though, he and original member, Darnell (pictured below left) are still performing as Shai and have added two more members- Dwayne Jones and George Spencer III- to the group.
Darnell says the other two original members left after recording the last Shai album in 1996. While he preferred not to name names, he said that ‘the industry’ went to their heads and they all decided to go their separate ways.
?One dude thought he would be the man. He allowed the industry to come between us. ? Those people don?t really have the talent, that?s why they do that.
It?s almost like a manual; it?s the same story. Every group has one guy who?s that.?
VIDEO: If I Ever Fall In Love… (SHAI)
While it’s been years, a new Shai album is reportedly in the works.?It ain?t over for ‘Shai’ and they plan on introducing their smooth sound to today’s younger audiences.