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Dazz Band music biography continued...

of the Cleveland jazz fusion band Bell Telefunk, composed of lead guitarist/songwriter Mike Calhoun, percussionist Kenny Pettus, drummer Isaac "Ike" Wiley, Jr., and his brother bassist Michael Wiley. Originally called Kinsman Dazz, the band released two albums off 20th Century Records, but they didn't put much of a dent in the charts. After becoming just Dazz band in 1980, the group expanded and signed to Motown. Dazz's first album for Motown was Invitation to Love (1980), a self-produced set, whose title track, the ballad "Invitation to Love", began a string of hits for the band starting in March 1981. The group's next album, Let The Music Play (1981), featured the minor hit single "Knock! Knock!" reaching the Top 50. The group's biggest breakthrough came with the album Keep It Live (1982), containing the hit "Let It Whip" — which reached # 1 on the R&B charts and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. They would later score R&B hits with the songs "Party Right Here" (1983), "Joystick" (1984), and "Let It All Blow" (which was also their biggest UK single, peaking at #12) (1984). The group would go on to record several more albums for Motown and other labels without repeating their previous success. However, when the 90s saw a renewed interest in classic R&B groups, a successful tribute band was formed which played many of Dazz's hits and introduced the funk group to a whole new generation of listeners.