The Jets are a Tongan Americanpop and R&B family band from Robbinsdale, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota.[1] The Jets are composed of brothers and sisters LeRoy, Eddie, Eugene, Haini, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana Wolfgramm, who perform pop, R&B, and dance music.[2] They started performing as a family band in 1977. The group enjoyed worldwide success in 1985–1990, performing three world tours, and producing five top-10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Member Eugene Wolfgramm died on April 15, 2024, at the age of 57.[5]
Career
The original members of the Jets had a number of Billboard Hot 100 hits, five of which reached the top ten, including the 1986 single "Crush on You",[3] which peaked at No. 3 in July 1986 (No. 5 UK, No. 4 US R&B, No. 4 US Dance). They are also known for the singles "You Got It All", "Cross My Broken Heart", "Rocket 2 U", and "Make It Real". "Sendin' All My Love", which peaked at No. 88 on the Hot 100, reached No. 1 on the Billboarddance chart. "You Got It All" and "Make It Real", both ballads featuring lead vocals by Elizabeth Wolfgramm, were No. 1 hits on the Billboardadult contemporary chart.[6] The band was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1988 for the song "Rocket 2 U" that featured lead vocals by Haini Wolfgramm. The Jets also performed the theme song for Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers in 1989.
On April 9, 2010, all of the original members except Eugene performed at the State Theatre in Minneapolis. It was billed as their 25th-anniversary reunion show.
In 2015, the band celebrated its 30th anniversary with performances in Manila and Cebu, Philippines.[4]
The Jets were featured on the TV One music documentary Unsung on March 17, 2019.[7]
In 2021, the original drummer Rudy went on to produce a documentary called "The Jets: Making It Real" with the help of director Kels Goodman, who also produced the YouTube sensation "Will it Blend".
Line-up
The Jets' original lineup consisted of eight of the siblings.
LeRoy Wolfgramm (born July 19, 1965) – vocals, electric guitar
Haini Wolfgramm (born January 25, 1968) – vocals, bass guitar
Rudy Wolfgramm (born March 1, 1969) – vocals, drums
Kathi Wolfgramm (born September 6, 1970) – vocals, keyboards, percussion
Elizabeth Wolfgramm (born August 19, 1972) – vocals, keyboards, percussion
Moana Wolfgramm (born October 13, 1973) – vocals, keyboards, percussion[3]
Spin-off
In 1988, Eugene Wolfgramm (who reverted to his birth name[5] of Eugene Hunt) and Joe Pasquale formed the duo Boys Club, which recorded for MCA Records.[3] Boys Club released the song "I Remember Holding You", which reached No. 8 on the Hot 100.[3] Eugene later reunited for the album The Best of the Jets (1990), but he and other siblings (Eddie, Elizabeth, Kathi) eventually left the band in succession. The band was also featured on the soundtrack for The Disney Afternoon, on which they performed the Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers theme song. They also appeared on the soundtracks for Burglar (1987) ("Tough Guys"), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) ("Cross My Broken Heart"), The Karate Kid Part III ("Under Any Moon"), and The Family Man (2000) ("La La Means I Love You").
Influence
American pop singer Britney Spears recorded a new version of "You Got It All" in 1997,[8] which appears on international editions of her 2000 album Oops!... I Did It Again. Musical artists Arnee Hidalgo, Pinay, and MYMP have also covered the song. "Crush on You" is featured as the base sample for the French house anthem "Intro" by Alan Braxe and Fred Falke (2000).
Pop singer Aaron Carter included "Crush on You" on his first album, which became a top-10 single in Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom in 1997. Singer Nayobe recorded a version of "Make It Real" that became a hit in Latin America. Exposé recorded a version of "The Same Love" on their 1992 self-titled album. More recently, the UK electronic music act Nero sampled "Crush on You" on their 2011 track of the same name.
The Jets and the Jets Original Family Band
As of 2022, there are two touring groups of Jets, which include original members:
