{{short description|American R&B singer and actress (born 1965)|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = | name = Tyler Collins | background = solo_singer | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = October 29, 1965 | death_date = | origin = Harlem, New York | instrument = Vocals | genre = R&B, pop, adult contemporary | occupation = Singer, songwriter | years_active = 1987–present | label = RCA Records<br/> Warner Bros. Records | associated_acts = Stevie Wonder, Digital Underground, Tevin Campbell | website = | current_members = | past_members = }}

'''Tyler Collins''' (born October 29, 1965) is an American R&B singer and actress. Her song "Girls Nite Out" was a hit in 1990.

==Biography== Collins was born in Harlem, New York and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Collins began taking lessons in dance and theatre, and performing with the children's theatre group Willow Opera Workshop in Los Angeles, California.<ref name="disneybio">{{cite web|url=http://disney.go.com/DisneyRecords/Biographies/Collins_Bio.html|title=Biography of Tyler Collins|publisher=Disney Online}}</ref>

Her professional music career began singing lead for an R&B group called The Boys Next Door. The group signed with Jermaine Jackson's label, Work Records, which later folded.<ref name="disneybio"/> Tyler eventually signed with RCA Records and released her debut album ''Girls Nite Out''. She co-wrote the lead single "Whatcha Gonna Do" which peaked at #8 on the Billboard R&B chart. The music video for "Whatcha Gonna Do" was directed by Michael Bay and edited by Scott C. Wilson. The 1990 follow-up single "Girls Nite Out" also topped out at #8 on the Billboard's R&B charts, as well as #6 on its Pop charts.

Collins appeared on singer Tevin Campbell's debut ''T.E.V.I.N.'' on the song "Lil' Brother". She also appeared in the music video for the single "Goodbye".<ref>{{cite web|title=SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Tevin Campbell 'T.E.V.I.N.'|url=http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2011/11/soulbounces_class_of_1991_tevin_campbell_tevin/|work=article|date=21 November 2011 |publisher=soulbounce.com|accessdate=2014-05-16}}</ref>

Collins' songwriting came to the forefront for her second album ''Tyler'', which was a decidedly more pop-oriented effort than ''Girls Nite Out''. The set featured the singles "It Doesn't Matter" (co-written by Siedah Garrett) and "Just Make Me The One." Tyler has also written songs for Celine Dion, Shanice, and Jeffrey Osborne.

She also took part in the group recording ''Freedom (Theme From Panther)'' in 1995 featuring scores of young female R&B artists including Aaliyah, En Vogue, TLC, and others. Also in 1995, Tyler Collins recorded ''Never Alone (Eeyore's Lullaby)'' for the Winnie the Pooh tribute album. ''Take My Hand: Songs from the Hundred Acre Wood''; it reached #48 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for two weeks.

Her work with Prince lead to a solo recording contract at Warner Bros. Records. Though a full-length release never materialized, the deal did yield Collins' recording of the Top 20 Adult Contemporary song Thanks to You, produced by Clif Magness, the theme song to the Paramount Pictures' film ''Andre''. A music video for the song is included at the end of the movie.

Apart from her singing career, Collins has also appeared in several television shows and motion pictures. She played the role of Tina in the 1991 film ''A Rage in Harlem'', starring Gregory Hines and Forest Whitaker. She also starred in another film entitled ''Why Colors?'' and played her highest-profile role as Cinderella on a first-season episode of ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''. Collins was previously married to Bobby Smith Jr., screenwriter for the urban drama ''Jason's Lyric''.

She currently resides in Los Angeles with her daughter.

==Discography== ===Albums=== *''Girls Nite Out'' (RCA, 1989) - Billboard R&B #22, Pop #85<ref name="allmusic albums">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tyler-collins-mn0000170180/awards|title=US Album Charts > Tyler Collins|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=2013-06-22}}</ref> *''Tyler'' (RCA, 1992)

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="30"| US<br><ref name="allmusic singles">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tyler-collins-mn0000170180/awards|title=US Singles Charts > Tyler Collins|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=2013-06-22}}</ref> ! width="30"| US<br>R&B<br><ref name="allmusic singles"/> ! width="30"| US<br>Dan<br><ref name="allmusic singles"/> ! width="30"| CAN<br><ref name="can">{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1285&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=l5m1seb52b31e6tegb1q0e0pk4|title=RPM 100 Singles > Tyler Collins|publisher = RPM Magazine|accessdate=2013-06-22}}</ref> |- | rowspan="1"|1989 | align="left"| "Whatcha Gonna Do" | &mdash; | 8 | &mdash; | &mdash; | align="left" rowspan="3"| ''Girls Nite Out'' |- | rowspan="2"|1990 | align="left"| "Girls Nite Out" | 6 | 8 | 33 | 65 |- | align="left"| "Second Chance" | 53 | 30 | &mdash; | &mdash; |- | rowspan="3"|1992 | align="left"| "Just Make Me the One" | &mdash; | 52 | &mdash; | &mdash; | align="left" rowspan="2"| ''Tyler'' |- | align="left"| "It Doesn't Matter" | 88 | 93 | &mdash; | &mdash; |- | align="left"| "Thanks to You (Andre (Soundtrack))" | 79 | 96 | &mdash; | &mdash; |- | rowspan="1"| 1995 | align="left"| "Never Alone (Eeyore's Lullaby)" | 48 | &mdash; | &mdash; | &mdash; | align="left" rowspan="1"| ''Take My Hand: Songs from the 100 Acre Wood'' |- | colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p12586}} *{{IMDb name|id=0172730}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Tyler}} Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Manhattan Category:Actresses from Manhattan Category:People from Harlem Category:American expatriate musicians in Canada Category:American businesswomen Category:American television actresses Category:American film actresses Category:20th-century African-American actresses Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century African-American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Singers from Detroit Category:20th-century African-American women singers Category:20th-century American women singers Category:20th-century American singers Category:1965 births Category:21st-century African-American women singers Category:21st-century American women singers