Jean Baylor graduated from Temple in 1993 after studying jazz as a vocal performance major. But her fame initially came from R&B.
While at Temple, Baylor met Renee Neufville, and the pair formed the duo Zhané. Their single “Hey, Mr. DJ” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the duo a contract with Motown Records in 1994. Their debut album produced two Top 40 hits. Zhané released a second album in 1997 before splitting in 1999.
Baylor played jazz shows throughout her career, including gigs in Philadelphia while at Temple. She released her first jazz recording, “The Journey,” with her husband Marcus on Feb.