Andy Stokes

Active since the early '80s, Andy Stokes is a soul-rooted R&B songwriter and vocalist whose powerful but composed style recalls the Gap Band's Charlie Wilson and Enchantment's Emanuel Johnson. The Portland, Oregon native got his start in 1983, when he joined Cool'r, formed by ex-members of Pleasure. The band released the independent Let's Talk About It (1986) and the A&M-issued follow-up Cool'r (1989). During this period, Stokes was among the vocalists for the claymation retro-R&B act the California Raisins. Once Cool'r split, Stokes went solo, first with the single "Test of T...