En Vogue to Play Ohio Theatre, 4/5

Fusing style, sophistication, sass, and sex appeal, Grammy-nominated super group En Vogue has sold more than eight million albums with their long line of red-hot R&B/pop megahits including "Hold On," "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)," "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," "Free Your Mind," and "Whatta Man."

The Columbus Symphony presents En Vogue at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.) on Saturday, April 5, at 8pm. Tickets are $25-$68 and can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 228-8600 or (800) 745-3000.

En Vogue; Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones and Cindy Herron-Braggs.

In total, En Vogue recorded five albums-Born to Sing (1990), Funky Divas (1992), EV3 (1997), Masterpiece Theatre (2000), and The Gift of Christmas (2002). There have also been several compilations released including Best of En Vogue (1999) and The Very Best of En Vogue (2001).

In addition to being featured on Elmo's compilation CD, Elmopalooza!, the group also appeared on the soundtracks for Simply Mad About the Mouse, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, and Set It Off which produced the number one hit, "Don't Let Go." Group member Terry Ellis also released a successful solo album, Southern Girl (1995).

Since En Vogue's 1990 debut, the ladies, who were the brain child of production team Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, set a standard for female R&B and pop acts. While En Vogue may have been trendsetters for those who followed them, the group itself began receiving comparisons to The Supremes, especially after internal differences caused original member Dawn Robinson to exit the group in 1997. Fellow member Maxine Jones followed suit and left the group in 2001.

But unlike The Supremes, En Vogue never disbanded. Instead, the group continued to record and perform. The remaining original members, Cindy Herron-Braggs and Terry Ellis, revamped En Vogue and added new member Rhona Bennett.

Although embarking on their musical journey nearly 20 years ago, En Vogue's appeal is now greater than ever. From performing at major events such as NFL Superbowls and the Kentucky Derby, the girls keep adding unique and global projects to their already impressive resume. In 2011, the girls visited and performed at a number of US Military Bases in Iraq.

Cindy Herron-Braggs, Terry Ellis, and Rhona Bennett are now touring worldwide as well as embarking on some film and television projects. Having grown musically, emotionally, professionally, and creatively, the ladies have no plans to ever let go.

Photo credit: D'Andre Michael

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