Phyllis Nelson

Phyllis Nelson (October 3, 1950 – January 12, 1998)<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> was an American singer, most famous for her 1985 song "Move Closer", which topped the chart in the United Kingdom.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> Her son is the singer and record producer Marc Nelson, who was a member of Boyz II Men.<ref name="AllMusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

Nelson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and a member of family group Nelson Five. She was later a backup singer for Major Harris and Philly Cream. She worked and recorded for several years from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Her records were mostly dance oriented. She also recorded numerous records during the disco era.

In 1984, she recorded a self-written ballad entitled "Move Closer". It was a complete departure from the type of music she had been recording. The lyrics of "Move Closer" were based on a long-term love affair she had with a much younger man in Philadelphia, who was struggling to start his own computer business. They lived together for several years, raising Nelson's two children (Marc and Kenya) that she had from previous relationships.

While "Move Closer" failed to find an audience in her native United States, it was successful in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart in April 1985.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> The song remained on the chart for almost six months,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> and became one of Britain's best selling singles of the year.<ref name="One">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Based in France, she recorded a single with the French actor Alain Delon: "I Don't Know". It was included in the original soundtrack of the 1985 French film Parole De Flic (Cop's Honor). Her subsequent releases failed to make any impression (except "I Like You" which made No. 81),<ref name="chartstats">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and she is remembered as a one-hit wonder.<ref name="One"/>

In the United States, she had success on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, where her song "I Like You" peaked at No. 1 in 1985 and No. 61 on the Hot 100.<ref name="VF"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Move Closer" returned to the UK chart in 1994, reaching the top 40,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> after being featured in a television commercial for anti-perspirant.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Death

Nelson died in January 1998 at the age of 47 from breast cancer in Los Angeles, California, where she had been living since her divorce.<ref name="Dead">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Her son Marc Nelson also enjoyed a recording career, being a co-founder member of the group Boyz II Men.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Discography

Albums

Year	Title	Chart positions			Record label
		AUS <ref name=aus/>	NZ <ref name="nz">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>		UK <ref name="chartstats"/>
1984	Move Closer	—	—	29	Carrere Records
1985	I Like You	88	39	—	Hallmark
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions								Certifications	Album
		US Hot 100 <ref name="VF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	US Dance <ref name="VF"/>	US R&B <ref name="VF"/>	AUS <ref name=aus>Template:Cite book</ref>	BEL <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	NL <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation			CitationClass=web }}</ref>	NZ <ref name="nz"/>	UK <ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="chartstats"/>
1981	"Don't Stop the Train"	—	20	—	—	—	—	—	—		I Like You
1983	"Stop Don't Do This to Me"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Move Closer
	"Take Me Nowhere" (France only)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1985	"Move Closer"	—	—	—	15	34	47	23	1	BPI: Gold<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	"I Don't Know"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		N/A
	"I Like You"	61	1	65	—	—	—	17	81		I Like You
1994	"Move Closer" (re-issue)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	34		Move Closer
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

See also

• List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• List of performers on Top of the Pops

External links

• Discography at Discogs