Boyz II Men

When, where: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Northern Quest Casino

Tickets: Sold out.

Boyz II Men's origin is spelled out in the lyrics of the group's 1991 debut single, "Motownphilly":

"Back in school we used to dream about this everyday/Could it really happen? Or do dreams just fade away?/Then we started singing and they said it sounded smooth/So we started a group and here we are/Kickin' it just for you."

From the group's humble beginnings in Philadelphia, being discovered by New Edition off-shoot, Bell Biv Devoe, and becoming a trailblazer in New Jack Swing, a sub-genre bridging of rap and R&B, Boyz II Men has come a long way.

Two decades later, with 60 million records sold, Boyz II Men show no sign of yet reaching the end of the road, as the Grammy winning R&B quartet continues to sell out shows, just like the sold-out concert that takes place Saturday at Northern Quest Casino.

At this stage in the game, any plays on the group's name have long since worn out their welcome, but there's no denying Boyz II Men's growth.

This isn't merely some 1990s pop phenomenon. This is Boyz II Men --  which, based on record sales, is regarded as the best-selling R&B group of all-time, with stats that the group in the company of Elvis Presley, The Beatles and even Mariah Carey.

Boyz II Men is fourth behind those three legends for staying on the number-one spot for a cumulative total of 50 times. And aside from Elvis and The Beatles, Boyz II Men was the third artist to replace themselves at atop Billboard Hot 100. Those are just a couple of reasons Billboard Magazine named Boyz II Men the most successful musical group of the '90s.

Beyond the '90s, Boyz II Men continued to send arenas full of fans swooning with signature multi-lead harmonies and gentlemanly romance, even though the band has been one-less voice for the better half of the last decade with the absence of Michael McCary, the "bass" of the band who left the group due to health issues, in addition to other reasons, according to the band.

Even with three-fourths the original lineup Boyz II Men -- now down to Shawn Stockman and the Morris brothers Nathan and Wanya -- managed to collect Grammy nominations in 2009 for the second set of studio covers, "Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA."

Last year there were rumors spreading that the band would once again re-unite with McCary in time to release a 20th anniversary/re-union album, but later the band issued a statement that it was at a stalemate with negotiations.

"What we were willing to offer (McCary) -- which was more than fair for being gone for 7 years -- versus what he wanted was so far apart that we've decided to carry on without him... again," reads a statement issued by Boyz II Men on the band's web site, www.boyziimen.com.

While Boyz II Men recently wrapped up what was billed as a 20th anniversary tour of the band's 2007 album of covers, "Love," the group has been relatively guarded about its 20th anniversary album, promised to be released before the end of the year.

On BoyzIIMenTV, the trio's YouTube Channel, Stockman said of the forthcoming album, "We think a lot of people are going to be surprised at the concept of the record."

The group hasn't revealed much beyond that, except that it will be another collaboration with superproducer Randy Jackson, of American Idol fame.