Edge Rewrite
translate Source code View original
Jump to content

Michael McCary

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael McCary
McCary in January 2012
McCary in January 2012
Background information
Also known as
  • Bass
  • Mike Bass
Born
Michael Sean McCary

(1971-12-16) December 16, 1971 (age 54)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • producer
  • songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active1988–2003
Labels
Formerly of

Michael "Bass" McCary (born December 16, 1971) is an American musician known for being the former bass singer of the R&B group Boyz II Men, in which he was sometimes known as Mike Bass. He started having back spasms and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during his time with the group. He continued singing with the group despite his illness until his departure in 2003. The group has stated they fired McCary because he missed shows. Since 2024, McCary has occasionally joined the group onstage. McCary is also a producer and songwriter, having worked on songs for artists such as Johnny Gill and Keith Martin.

Early life

[edit source]

Michael Sean McCary was born on December 16, 1971.[1][2] Raised by a single mother,[3][4] McCary hailed from Logan, Philadelphia, and attended the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts with Boyz II Men members Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman.[2][4][5]

Boyz II Men

[edit source]
Boyz II Men in 1995.

At one point, McCary encountered Morris (Nathan), Morris (Wanya), Stockman, and former member Marc Nelson singing in the school bathroom, and harmonized with them, after which McCary became the group's bass singer.[2][6] Without Nelson, in 1989, the four snuck backstage at a New Edition concert and sang to Michael Bivins, who signed them to his production company and became their manager.[7] McCary was given the nickname Bass.[4][7][a][b] In 1991, they released their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony, which sold 7 million copies.[7][3] Boyz II Men would quickly start to climb music charts with songs such as "End of the Road" (1992) and "I'll Make Love to You" (1994).[3]

Multiple sclerosis and departure

[edit source]

"I stopped trusting the brothers when I was about 29. I went through a depression, and it just started to separate me more. [...] They knew I had all the symptoms of MS, still, but they didn't know MS. Giving it a label wouldn't have changed the symptoms.”

— Mike McCary on Iyanla: Fix My Life[9]

McCary had back spasms, which later went "full scale" when he was 22 years old.[10][11] Reviews of the group's shows in 1998 describe McCary as having a "back injury" (Daily Bruin),[12] and state that he "sat most of the time with a sore back" (Deseret News).[13] In 2004, Morris (Nathan) stated that during the album campaign for Full Circle, the group did shows without McCary because his back would not let him perform.[14] At age 28,[9] McCary was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but he kept the diagnosis a secret until 2016 when he disclosed his diagnosis on Iyanla: Fix My Life.[11][15] The diagnosis also stated that he has a locked nerve "around the sciatica" that could sever and cause paralysis.[11][15] McCary stated that the disease also made him fall into depression.[16] Beforehand, McCary's official reason for his departure in 2003 had been scoliosis,[17][18] with Morris (Wanya) stating in 2005 that five years prior they discovered McCary had a severe case: "At some point a bone grew into one of his nerves. We'd be on a tour bus or at sound check and all of a sudden he would start to have an attack."[19]

External videos
video icon Nathan Morris talks McCary's departure on the Tom Joyner Morning Show.
video icon Shawn Stockman talks about McCary on the Tammi Mac Late Show.

While news reports in 2004 attributed McCary's exit to a back problem, with Stockman having said that McCary left the group voluntarily and the group thought it was best for him to prioritize his health and that McCary was happy,[20][14][20] the group has since stated that they fired McCary. In 2014, Morris (Nathan) stated McCary "didn’t show up for shows or recordings" and that "he took it for granted" which led to his exit.[21] In 2016, Morris (Wanya) said that while McCary had "back issues" that could have been fixed, the group had to fire McCary because he "stopped coming to work", and that McCary was unhappy about their decision.[8][10] In a podcast interview in 2021, Stockman stated that McCary had developed scoliosis, and the group had to accommodate his condition. However, Stockman said that McCary started missing shows and stopped answering their calls, until McCary heard about an upcoming show in Japan which Stockman described as a "big payday". Stockman stated that McCary showed up at Wanya's house, asking when they would go to Japan, to which Stockman replied, "We ain't going nowhere." Stockman said that they then fought, and McCary slammed Stockman on a table and repeatedly tried to punch Stockman, after which McCary was fired from the group.[22] In April 2026, in a conversation with Bell Biv DeVoe in his podcast On That Note, Stockman added that the rest of the group was tired of McCary, and that he pleaded with McCary to come to work.[23] Stockman stated that McCary missing their show in Romania was the "straw that broke the camel's back", viewing it as "disrespectful": "We got to fly into fucking Eastern Europe with a promoter we never did work with before that may have us trapped in the fucking country. [...] 'I didn't pay for three, I paid for four.'"[23] Stockman also added that while McCary had a "really bad back issue", there were "things that just weren't adding up", such as him not being able to ride a plane but being able to take a "4 or 5, 6-hour drive" with a G-wagon.[23] On Iyanla: Fix My Life in 2016, McCary told host Iyanla Vanzant that the group abandoned him, and that he wanted to move on from it. He described his experience with the group as "betrayal, a broken bond", and stated that they no longer speak.[10][11]

Subsequent reunions

[edit source]
January 5, 2012. McCary stands with Boyz II Men as the group receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[24]

In 2011, McCary was set to appear on the group's retrospective anniversary album Twenty, but was not featured in the record.[25] Morris (Nathan) stated that they approached McCary for the record, but said that McCary "just completely got lazy" and did not want to put effort to reunite with them. He recorded McCary's bass parts.[25] In 2012, McCary stated his interest in returning to the group, but declined to sign a contract that provided protection for the other three members should he exit the group. Morris (Nathan) stated that the contractual agreement was to ensure "he was going to be there for everything."[17] He also said that McCary changed his mind because he would not be a "full" fourth member.[17] In a YouTube interview, McCary stated that the reunion did not proceed because the others wanted to split the payment three ways instead of four, and described the payment for him as similar to that of a baggage handler, which to him did not make sense.[26]

"You've seen the four of us join back together. Needless to say, we good. And I want everybody to know that. Yes, we went through all of those things. We had our little struggles and beefs or whatever you wanna call it. But at the end of the day, we're still brothers.”

— Shawn Stockman, 2026[23]

On August 30, 2024, McCary came onstage at the penultimate show of Boyz II Men's Las Vegas concert residency, and told the audience the possibility of a future reunion: "It's coming, and I love these guys."[27] A year later, at the group's August 9, 2025 show in Vegas, McCary performed with Boyz II Men for the first time since leaving the group in 2003, performing their hit songs "In the Still of the Nite" and "I'll Make Love to You".[28] In 2026, McCary joined Boyz II Men at the New Edition Way Tour stops in Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and Houston, during which he performed "End of the Road" for the first time since his departure from the group.[29][30][31][32]

Other pursuits

[edit source]

McCary produced and co-wrote four songs on Voices of Theory's self-titled album.[33] He has also produced and written for Keith Martin,[34] Janita, and Johnny Gill.

McCary has acted in films such as Def Jam's How to Be a Player and Hoodlum. In Hoodlum, McCary's film debut, he portrayed an "explosives expert".[35]

He was shown in the pilot for a talk show with Paula Poundstone called A Pound of Paula, which was not picked up.[36]

Personal life

[edit source]

McCary and his then wife lived in Marlton, New Jersey.[37] The two had three children. After fourteen years of marriage, the two divorced.[38] In 2016, McCary stated on Iyanla: Fix My Life that his children helped him through his depression.[39]

R&B and jazz singer Will Downing is McCary's stepbrother.[40]

McCary uses a cane.[27][32] According to Morris (Wanya), in the beginning McCary used it "for style", and only later came to need it to help with his condition.[41]

Artistry

[edit source]

Voice

[edit source]

"Mike was kind of always the odd guy in a sense. Obviously he was a freak of nature vocally. There's nobody that we've encountered outside of Melvin [Franklin] from The Temptations that actually spoke the way that he sang. Like, he was a true bass. You got guys that act like basses and sing like basses but aren't basses.”

— Shawn Stockman to Marc Lamont Hill, 2014[17]

McCary provided bass for Boyz II Men's first six albums.[42] Richard Harrington of the Washington Post described McCary's voice as "following the tradition" of Barry White and Isaac Hayes,[4] while Geoffrey Himes of the same publication in his 1995 review of one of their shows referred to McCary as "the best R&B bass singer since the Temptations' Melvin Franklin."[43] Mya Abraham of Audacy also compared Mike's bass to Franklin's, saying that it rivals his.[44] Rock critic Rob Harvilla in his book 60 Songs That Explain the '90s described McCary's voice as "sonar-depth", an "invaluable listener-orienting device", and "trascendently earthbound", and called McCary's bridge on "End of the Road" his masterpiece.[42] In Tom Breihan's review of "I'll Make Love to You" for Stereogum, he stated that despite not having a solo in the track, he appreciated McCary's "murmurs" that "are essentially part of the rhythm section" and enrich the track.[45]

Discography

[edit source]

Production/songwriting discography

[edit source]

McCary is also credited as a composer, lyricist, and producer in several Boyz II Men albums.

Boyz II Men discography

[edit source]
Albums
Title Album details
Cooleyhighharmony
Christmas Interpretations
  • Released: October 5, 1993
  • Label: Motown
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette
II
  • Released: August 30, 1994
  • Label: Motown
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette
Evolution
  • Released: September 23, 1997
  • Label: Motown
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette
Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya
  • Released: September 12, 2000
  • Label: Universal
  • Format: CD, cassette
Full Circle
  • Released: June 11, 2002
  • Label: Arista
  • Format: CD, cassette
Singles
Year Single
1991 "Motownphilly"
"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
"Uhh Ahh"
1992 "Please Don't Go"
"End of the Road"
1993 "In the Still of the Nite (I'll Remember)"
"Let It Snow" (featuring Brian McKnight)
1994 "I'll Make Love to You"
"On Bended Knee"
1995 "Thank You"
"Water Runs Dry"
"Vibin'"
"I Remember"
1997 "4 Seasons of Loneliness"
"A Song for Mama"
1998 "Can't Let Her Go"
"Doin' Just Fine"
"I Will Get There"
2000 "Pass You By"
"Thank You in Advance"
2002 "The Color of Love"
"Relax Your Mind" (featuring Faith Evans)

Filmography

[edit source]

Film

[edit source]
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Hoodlum Osgood
1997 Def Jam's How to Be a Player Self
2007 Beyond the Pretty Door Mr. Henry Callman
2007 The Mannsfield 12 Herold

See also

[edit source]

References

[edit source]
  1. ↑ Pennsylvania Biographical Dictionary: L-Z. Somerset Publishers. 1999.
  2. 1 2 3 Harris, Laurie Lanzen (December 1996). "Boyz II Men". Biography Today, Annual Cumulation 1996: Profiles of People of Interest to Young Readers. Omnigraphics, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-7808-0070-0.
  3. 1 2 3 John, Christopher (September 5, 1994). "POP: Boyz II Men: No Grunge, No Gangstas". Time Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Harrington, Richard (July 15, 1995). "OH, BOYZ! HOW BOYZ II MEN CAME TO BE THE HOTTEST SINGING GROUP IN THE COUNTRY". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  5. ↑ Rapa, Patrick (August 28, 2021). "Why, 30 Years Later, the World Still Loves Boyz II Men". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  6. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan (July 1992). "Let's Hear It For the Boyz". Spin. Vol. 8, no. 4. Spin Media LLC. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 DiMartino, Dave (March 13, 1992). "Boyz II Men are riding high". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "'A broken bond': how Michael McCary's health led to split from Boyz II Men". CBC News. October 31, 2016. Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Why Michael McCary Kept His Multiple Sclerosis a Secret". Oprah.com. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 Callahan, Yesha (October 31, 2016). "Former Boyz II Men Member Michael McCary Reveals He Has Multiple Sclerosis". The Root. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Kaufman, Gil (October 31, 2016). "Former Boyz II Men Member Michael McCary Reveals He Has MS". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  12. ↑ Daily Bruin Staff (May 18, 1998). "Boyz II Men back on stage with smooth, soulful sound". Daily Bruin. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  13. ↑ Iwasaki, Scott (June 2, 1998). "Boyz II Men please with shakers and cuddlers". Deseret News. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Dawson, Kylee (November 18, 2004). "Boyz II Men are back again". Arizona Daily Wildcat. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  15. 1 2 Muhammad, Latifah (October 30, 2016). "Former Boyz II Men Member Michael McCary Has Multiple Sclerosis". Vibe. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  16. ↑ Capretto, Lisa (October 30, 2016). "Ex-Boyz II Men Member Reveals He Has Multiple Sclerosis". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Branch, Chris (October 30, 2014). "Boyz II Men Dishes On Mike, Their Estranged Fourth Member". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Second Cup Cafe: Boyz II Men". CBS News. December 10, 2009. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  19. ↑ Tyler, Raymond (August 18, 2005). "Motown Philly Back Again". Atlantic City Weekly. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  20. 1 2 Morales, Tatiana (August 23, 2004). "Boyz II Men Back With 'Throwback'". CBS News. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  21. ↑ Davis, Rhea (October 26, 2014). "Boyz II Men Stop By The Tom Joyner Morning Show For In Studio Performance". AllHipHop.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2026. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Shawn Stockman - Speaking his Truth". FAQ Podcast (Podcast). September 20, 2021. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Shawn Stockman (April 15, 2026). "Bell Biv DeVoe | The Rise & Fall of New Edition — The Birth of BBD". Shawn Stockman's On That Note (Podcast). Event occurs at 54:24. Archived from the original on April 18, 2026. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  24. ↑ Merrill, Cristina (January 6, 2012). "Boyz II Men Get Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (PHOTOS)". International Business Times. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  25. 1 2 New York Daily News (October 14, 2011). "Boyz II Men releases retrospective album 'Twenty,' mixing classics ' Down on Bended Knee,' new songs". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Ex Boyz II Men Member on Why He Left the Group — Says, "It All Came Down To Money"". BlackNews.com. January 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 5, 2026. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  27. 1 2 Gray, Mark (August 31, 2024). "Boyz II Men Reunite with Rarely Seen Former Member Michael McCary and Tease Reunion: 'It's Coming' (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  28. ↑ "All Four Members of Boyz II Men Surprise Vegas Crowd With Impromptu Performance". Hot 100.9. Archived from the original on August 14, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Michael McCary Rejoins Boyz II Men on Stage in a Surprise Las Vegas Performance [Video]". Baller Alert. Archived from the original on February 4, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  30. ↑ Wellington, Elizabeth (March 16, 2026). "After years of trying to get the magic back, New Edition finally strikes gold with a little help from Boyz II Men". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  31. ↑ Douglas, DeVaughn (April 5, 2026). "New Edition Way Tour Comes to a Close in Houston". Houston Press. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  32. 1 2 Guerra, Joey (April 5, 2026). "The 'New Edition Way Tour' closes in Houston with Toni Braxton and an emotional Boyz II Men reunion". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 10, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  33. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Voices of Theory - Voices of Theory". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  34. ↑ Esquire Philippines (March 25, 2022). "Keith Martin, American R&B Crooner Who Made the Philippines His Home, Dies at 55". Esquire Philippines. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  35. ↑ Craddock, Jim; Connors, Martin, eds. (August 1999). Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever 2000. Visible Ink Press. p. 432. ISBN 9781578590421.
  36. ↑ "A Pound of Paula Promo". YouTube. January 2008. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  37. ↑ Strauss, Robert (November 3, 2002). "QUICK BITE/Cherry Hill; Soul Food in a Suburban Strip Mall". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Michael McCary Breaks Down over Not Seeing His Kids in 7 Years". Oprah.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2025. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Michael McCary: "My Kids Helped Me Through My Depression"". Oprah.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  40. ↑ Sickler, Linda (January 24, 2017). "Rhythm and blues star Will Downing to appear at Lucas Theatre". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  41. ↑ Gomez, Luis (March 21, 2012). "Interview: Wanya Morris explains Boyz II Men's matching outfits, cardigans and, yes, the cane". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  42. 1 2 Harvilla, Rob (November 7, 2023). 60 Songs That Explain the '90s. Twelve. ISBN 9781538759462.
  43. ↑ Himes, Geoffrey (January 12, 1995). "BOYZ' LIVELY NIGHT OUT". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  44. ↑ Abraham, Mya (May 28, 2021). "Run That Back: Jodeci's 'Forever My Lady' vs. Boyz II Men's 'Cooleyhighharmony'". Audacy. Archived from the original on June 6, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  45. ↑ Breihan, Tom (March 9, 2022). "The Number Ones: Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love To You"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on August 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2026.

Notes

[edit source]
  1. ↑ According to the Cooleyhighharmony liner notes, each member identifies with a unique nickname, devised from a collaboration with Michael Bivins. Wanyá was "Squirt," Shawn was "Slim," Michael was simply "Bass," and Nathan assumed the name "Alex Vanderpool".
  2. ↑ McCary was also referred to as Mike Bass.[8]
[edit source]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_McCary&oldid=1367838831"