TCA: Boys II Men in Early Days: ‘We Didn’t Even Like Each Other’

Singer says the group brought together by music

Boys II Men singer and "The Sing-Off" judge Shawn Stockman said his group was brought together more by music than friendship.

"When me and the guys first started singing, we sounded so good, like, we didn't even like each other," he said at the Television Critics Association summer press tour Monday. "Seriously: We were singers before we were friends. But we sounded, to us, so good together that it was addictive. We wanted to sing together all of the time."

Stockman described the early days of his group to make a point about the power of music.

He and fellow judges Ben Folds and new Sara Bareilles agreed that the acapella music featured on the show can be less lucrative than other musical forms — so the people who do it, do it for love of their art.

Stockman said Boys II Men used to sing together in subways for the acoustics — and turn people down when they tried to give them money.

"The harmonies would go for miles and people would try to give us money and we were like, we don't want it. It wasn't about money," he said.

"The Sing-Off" returns for its third season in the fall.

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