It might not be the end of the road for the original Boyz II Men quartet.
Twenty-one years after leaving Boyz II Men due to health issues, Michael McCary, the fourth member of the famed R&B group, was back onstage with his “brothers” on Friday night, Aug. 30. Although he didn’t perform with the group during the penultimate show of their Las Vegas residency, he hinted that a reunion could be coming.
“There will be another day that we’ll all be onstage together, trust me,” McCary, 52, told the crowd gathered inside the Cosmopolitan’s Chelsea Theater. “It’s coming, and I love these guys.”
For two decades, McCary was plagued by back issues, and he was eventually diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. His health and rumored in-fighting caused him to leave the band in 2003, and he’s largely retreated from the public spotlight.
McCary shared his diagnosis during a 2016 appearance on the reality show Iyanla, Fix My Life, per Vibe.
From left: Michael McCary, Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman in 1991.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty
On Friday, Shawn Stockman attempted to squash the rumors that have long surrounded McCary’s exit.
“Let me tell you something, all of that s— is wrong. All of it [is] inaccurate, 100%,” he said before inviting McCary onstage. “Yes, have we had our disagreements? Yes. Have we had our share of differences? Yes. But this man is still our brother and will always be our brother ’til the day we die.”
In rare public appearances, McCary has been seen using a cane, but he walked onto the stage unassisted on Friday before hugging Stockman, 51, and fellow Boyz II Men members Wanya Morris and Nathan Morris.
In March 2022, McCary and Wanya, 51, had a mini-reunion backstage during the New Edition concert in Vegas, but Friday marked what is believed to be McCary’s first public reunion with the entire group.
From left: Shawn Stockman, Michael McCary, Wanya Morris and Nathan Morris in 1989.
Raymond Boyd/Getty
Stockman put rumors of in-fighting to rest. “You’re witnessing a brotherhood, a bond forever that is forever,” he told the Las Vegas crowd on Friday.
“This will never ever change, no matter what we go through, no matter what decisions we make, no matter what we do in our lives. We’re men, and sometimes men have to go [in] different directions,” he added.
Stockman continued: “That’s what happens in life. All you people who have something bad to say, stop acting like you don’t have your own problems with your own thing with your own people. This is our brother.”
Still, some rumors appear to have some truth. In 2021, Stockman claimed that McCary slammed him on a table during a fistfight. He also implied that McCary lacked the motivation and work ethic of the trio.
“Let me start this soundbite off by saying, we’ve loved Mike, we always love Mike, he is our brother for life. He is always frat, okay? Let’s get that out of the way,” Stockman told the FAQ Podcast in 2021, claiming McCary was pulling no-shows at concerts.
“Again, I love Mike, but I had it,” he continued. “It was like, dude, you can’t keep doing this to us. So to make a long story short, we got into it, we fight.”
