Just as their name might suggest, Atlantic Starr rose to fame by securing a fan base along the north Atlantic coast, then quickly ascended to star status when they notched a couple of adult contemporary hits in the early 1980s. Originally formed in White Plains, New York, Atlantic Starr's nine-member lineup consisted, at first, of three Lewis brothers, David Lewis (lead vocals/guitar), Wayne Lewis (lead vocals/keyboards), and Jonathan Lewis (trombone/percussion), as well as Sharon Bryant (lead vocals) , William Sudderth (trumpet), Damon Rentie (saxophone), Clifford Archer (bass), Porter Carroll, Jr. (drums), and Joseph Philli (percussions/flute).

The group began performing as early as 1976, but had to work the smaller venues along the East Coast for a couple of years until they finally found a lineup and a sound that would crossover into mainstream appeal. Atlantic Starr's first record, a self titled debut effort that was more funky than their later albums, came out in 1978 and included a minor hit called "Stand Up." After a follow-up album with A&M Records (Straight to the Point) increased the band's potential for a breakout hit, the band hired a new producer and came out with 1981's Radiant, the record that is generally seen as the turning point for the band, the work that took them to a new level of pop music success.

Radiant was a shining example of how well Atlantic Starr could sell records when they capitalized on the natural entertainment capacities of their lead female vocalist, Sharon Bryant. When she left Atlantic Starr in 1984 after the band had come out with yet another hit record in Yours Forever, the group added Barbara Weathers (who was later replaced by Porscha Martin) and switched up some of the other personnel. Atlantic Starr found success easy enough to come by- no matter who was playing with the team- as they landed a No. 3 Billboard Hot 100 hit in "Secret Lovers" in 1986, and a No. 1 hit with 1987's "Always."