Sammie

Miami's preteen R&B singer Sammie was exposed to music even before he was born. His mother,
a former professional singer, sang in the church choir while she was carrying him. Fittingly,
Sammie's first singing triumph also occurred at church; at age four, he received a standing ovation
for his performance of "Troubles Don't Last Always." Music was never far from Sammie's mind,
even at school; teachers would catch him singing under his breath during classes, but encouraged his
talent. Eventually, a music teacher from Charles Drew Elementary, a nearby magnet school with a
special performing arts program, heard of Sammie's vocal gifts and he transferred there at the start
of third grade. Soon after, he formed a vocal group, the Wonder 3, with two junior high boys.
Sammie's music teacher was so impressed with their performances that she sent a videotape of
them to the television program Showtime at the Apollo, which led to an audition for the group and
a 1998 solo performance for Sammie. Ultimately winning the show's finals, Sammie and his mother
were contacted by Joyce Irby, an agent connected to Atlanta-based producer/songwriter Dallas
Austin, who has worked with Monica and Another Bad Creation. Austin brought Sammie to his
studios for some demos and almost a year later, had him return to record his debut album, From
the Bottom to the Top, which was released in early 2000 by Capitol Records