American contemporary R&B group Joe Public, from Buffalo, New York, was formed in 1989, consisting of lead singer and bass guitarist Kevin Scott, keyboardist and guitarist Jake Carter, percussionist and drummer Dwight "Mr. Dew" Wyatt, and lead guitarist Joe "J.R." Sayles. The group evolved from the band Atension, which signed to Island Records in 1989. Their breakthrough came with their debut album Joe Public, released on Columbia Records in 1992. This album featured their hit single "Live and Learn", which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (number 3 on R&B chart). The group's follow-up single, "I Miss You", reached number 55 on the same chart. Joe Public was the first-ever R&B group to perform on MTV's Unplugged series, where they also served as the backup band for Boyz II Men and Shanice. They later released their second studio album, Easy Come, Easy Go, in 1994 under Columbia Records. Throughout their career, Joe Public acted as songwriters, contributing to tracks such as "Keep It Comin'" for Keith Sweat in 1991 and songs for Tyrese.
