R & B singer Mark Althavan Andrews, better known as Sisqó, was born November 9, 1978 in Baltimore, Maryland. As a teenager, he worked for pizza parlors, movie theaters and even for a candy store called Fudgery in Baltimore's Inner Harbor Shops. In Fudgery, employers like him were asked to perform a capella for the customers. He stopped these brief stints when his mother advised him to follows his passion.
In the early 90's, he became lead vocalist for the band Dru Hill, the singing group that produced hit songs like “Tell Me”, “In My Bed”, “Never Make a Promise”, “These are the Times”, “Five Steps”, “We're Not Making Love” and “How Deep is You Love.” The group disbanded in 1999 when each member realized they wanted to take their own musical paths.
Also in 1999, Sisqó and rapper/actor Will Smith worked together on the "Wild Wild West" song. He released his first solo album entitled Unleash the Dragon under DefSoul Records. A year after, the second single “Thong Song” became a major hit on the Billboard Hot 100. “Thong Song” got him nominated for the American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, MOBO Awards and the Soul Train Music Awards. It was proclaimed the Best Hip-Hop Video in the 2000 MTV Music Awards. This success was followed by another sensational song, “Incomplete.” He then produced his second solo album called Return of the Dragon, which contained the songs “Can I Live” and “Dance With Me.”
In 2000, Sisqó hosted a dance competition for MTV called Sisqó's Shakedown. He also guest-starred on episodes of Linc's and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. He has since then appeared on several films including Get Over It, Snow Dogs, Pieces of April and Surf School. In 2008, he joined CMT's reality TV show
Gone Country , where artists from different music genres compete to win a country music contract.
(Photo courtesy of CMT)