User:Gabriellesolange/sandbox

Fatty Koo was a multicultural group of singers, writers, and musicians originally based out of Columbus, Ohio consisting of six members. The first five members organically connected through inner city youth art programs. Ron Riley, Eddie Brickerson, Kiana (Valure) Allison, Marya Barrios, and Gabrielle Travis were signed to Sony Record once discovered on the John Lennon Education Tour bus. Later, the 6th member, Joshua Welton, auditioned and joined the band. The band starred in a hit reality show on BET and landed the theme song for the NBA Playoffs in 2005. They placed songs in the movies, Yu-Gi-Oh and Fat Albert, performed at the Billboard awards, and slowly made their way into the hearts of open-minded music lovers. But, truly ahead of their time, the band struggled to fit into the industry’s boxes as much of their original material drawn from life experiences was rejected and simpler more mainstream songs were requested. In spite of the behind-the-scenes battle to win over industry executives, their fan base organically grew nationally and overseas; yet, one opportunity after another fell through eventually leading to an abrupt end of the band’s career. After years of silence and many asking, "What happened to Fatty Koo?," Many of the members have resurfaced with music projects.