Boston Urban Archive

9.9, a group from Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood topping the music charts in 1985.

Consisted of three women: lead singer Margo Thunder, Leslie Jones, and Wanda Perry. They met while attending Madison Park High School and gained local notoriety by performing on corners in Boston’s Downtown area in the late 1970s and early 1980s before transitioning to performing at shows. It’s reported they went under the names Steppin Out, Intrigue, and Thunder until settling on the official name “9.9”, once signed.

In 1985, they achieved significant success with their hit song “All of Me for All of You,” which topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was featured as a regular BET rotation and they performed on popular TV shows like American Bandstand, as seen in this clip.

For reference, the #1 top-selling song on the 1985 charts in its category was Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You.” They reached the #7 position on their release week in July!! By November they remained in the Top 100 Billboard Charts.

Their producer, the renowned singer Richard “Dimples” Fields, known for his 1982 hit “If It Ain’t One Thing, It’s Another,” discovered the group while looking for local vocalists for background singers during his performance with The Whispers in Boston.

Their debut album, titled 9.9, reached #79 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and #15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 1985.

They disbanded in 1987. Sadly, Leslie Jones passed away in 2013, while Margo Thunder continued with successful solo projects. Wanda Perry, on the other hand, dedicated her talent to vocal coaching and education in Boston.

Clip Source: American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark, was a weekly live show that featured audience involvement in rating performances, dancing, and interacting with artists. RCA Records. Billboard.