Biography

Though interrupted by a few years, Skool Boyz was a continuation of Flavor; the same members -- Stan Sheppard (lead), Chauncey Matthews (vocals and keyboards), and Fred Brown (vocals and guitar) -- comprised Flavor, with William "Billy" Sheppard (vocals and bass guitar), Stan's brother, the new kid on the block. Stan sung with Triple S with Steve and Sterling Rice between his stints with Flavor and Skool Boyz. Billy and Stan are the sons of R&B legend Bill "Bunky" Sheppard. At least two singles appeared on Destiny Records: "Can We Do It Again" occupied the A-side of their November 1981 debut and the B-side of their February 1982 parting shot, "This Feeling Must Be Real." A short spell on Crossroad Records produced "Before You Go" (October 1983), followed by "Breakin' Out" in 1984. A major break came in 1984 when Columbia Records took them on, but after four singles -- debuting with "Slip Away" -- and two albums, the situation dissolved disappointingly. Their self-produced debut album Skool Boyz had some fine ballads "Nothin' Like a Slow Dance," "Before You Go" (the Destiny single), "You Are the Best Thing in My Life," and some rhythmic up-tempo numbers, but the sales didn't equal the glowing reviews. The album, in part, was initially released on Destiny Records and contained, like a subsequent CBS album, new material and some from their Crossroad stint. The girl watching "Superfine (From Behind)" came out in 1985, but fizzled after a hopeful start. A follow-up fared no better, nor did a final album entitled This Is the Real Thing. The group disbanded and went their separate ways, guitarist Billy Sheppard ended up in By All Means, a Los Angeles trio that recorded on 4th & Broadway Records in 1988. His brother, Stan, assembled the group and produced their recordings. Stan got off into producing, writing, and arranging for many others, including Gerald Alston, the Temptations, the Pointer Sisters, Dazzie Dee, Troy Hinton, and Gene Rice, who is kin to Stan's old cohorts, the Rice twins. Matthews and Brown worked behind the scenes as session men and backing vocalists after the breakup. ~ Andrew Hamilton, Rovi