15 Years Later: Where Are All Of Santana's Supernatural' Collaborators Now?
Carter Beauford
[Photo: Getty Images]
Cee Lo Green
[Photo: Getty Images]
Dave Matthews
[Photo: Getty Images]
Eagle-Eye Cherry
[Photo: Getty Images]
Eric Clapton
[Photo: Getty Images]
Everlast
[Photo: Getty Images]
Lauryn Hill
[Photo: Getty Images]
Rob Thomas
[Photo: Getty Images]
Mana
[Photo: Getty Images]
The Product G&B
[Photo: Getty Images]
The year was 1999 and like we learned, it was a year in music where anything goes, including the Latin explosion. Thanks to acts like Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, pop music was infused with a Latin flare. Hot on the heels of their success was the return of Carlos Santana. The Mexican-born guitar player and his band returned to the scene in a big way. Fusing Latin, rock, pop and hip-hop, the band not only transformed their sound but dominated the charts for over a year with Supernatural. Thanks to the genius idea to pair Santana with a number of popular musicians at the time — something that has been replicated by a number of aging rockers — the group was suddenly relevant to a generation of millennials that consumed music through TRL. And the formula worked. Supernatural went 15x Platinum and won eight Grammy Awards.
But as the group aged, so did the collaborators on Supernatural. On the fifteenth anniversary of the alumb, wanted to look back on the "hot artists at the time" that contributed to band's success and figure out where they are now. (Check out the gallery above to see how your favorite musicians have aged.)
Unfortunately for mostly everyone involved, things have not panned out to well. Let's break it down track by track:
"Love of My Life" featuring Dave Matthews and Carter Beauford
Dave Matthews in 1999: Frontman of the Dave Matthews Band and in between two 3x Platinum albums, Before These Crowded Streets (1998) and Everyday (2001).
Dave Matthews in 2014: The band's success has cooled, with the 2012 album, Away from the World, certified Gold and got more attention for dumping waste on a boat of tourists in the Chicago River. In addition to two solo albums, Matthews has dabbled in acting (FOX's House) and formed the side group, The Nauts with Jakob Dylan.
Carter Beauford in 1999: Drummer of the Dave Matthews Band. (See above.)
Carter Beauford in 2014: He still plays for DMB. (See above.)
"Put Your Lights On" featuring Everlast
Everlast in 1999: The singer was coming off the success of Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which went 3x Platinum and produced the chart-topping single, "What It's Like." The singer also got into a heated feud with Eminem that resulted in diss tracks from both artists.
Everlast in 2014: The five albums following Whitey Ford sold less and less with each release including 2013's The Life Acoustic. In 2006, he joined (and later left) the hip-hop group La Coka Nostra.
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"Smooth" featuring Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas in 1999: Thomas was still the frontman of Matchbox 20, which was in between two successful albums, Yourself or Someone Like You (1996) and Mad Season (2000).
Rob Thomas in 2014: By 2005, Thomas went solo. Eventually both the success of the band and his solo career cooled. Thomas has since poked fun at his career with appearances on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Funny or Die.
"Do You Like the Way" featuring Lauryn Hill and Cee Lo Green
Lauryn Hill in 1999: Hill was riding high thanks to the uber successful The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Following the album, she collaborated with other singers, including Santana, Mary J Blige and concocted a duet with Bob Marley.
Lauryn Hill in 2014: In the late-'00s, Hill became something of an enigma with a head-scratching Unplugged performance and seeming disinterest in recording new music or paying her taxes. In 2013, Hill was sentenced to three months in prison for tax evasion.
Cee Lo in 1999: Green took a break from Goodie Mob to contribue to Supernatural. The group had steady, increasing success with each of their albums up to 1999.
Cee Lo in 2014: Following his appearance on the album, Green found success going solo and teaming up with DJ Danger Mouse to form Gnarls Barkley. In 2010, "Fuck You" became an international hit and he joined The Voice in 2011, becoming one of the rotating judges on the show.
"Maria Maria" featuring The Product G&B
The Product G&B in 1999: A prodigy of Wyclef Jean, the group only appeared on the record after Jean's prodding.
The Product G&B in 2014: The group experienced minor success following "Maria Maria" with "Cluck Cluck" but never released another album.
"Corazon Espinado" featuring Mana
Mana in 1999: The Mexican rock band was just coming off its Grammy-winning album when they appeared on Supernatural. The group even toured with Santana in the summer of 1999 in support of the group's hit record.
Mana in 2014: In 2011, the group released their eighth studio album after a number of delays. The first single reached number one on the Billboard Latin Songs chart. The group has produced two more records since.
"Wishing It Was" featuring Eagle-Eye Cherry
Eagle-Eye Cherry in 1999: After the success of "Save Tonight," Cherry contributed songs to several soundtracks, including Go and Best Laid Plans.
Eagle-Eye Cherry in 2014: Cherry experienced limited success following Supernatural. He released three additional albums, only managing to chart in Sweden (where he was born) and some European countries.
"The Calling" featuring Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton in 1999: Already a legend, Clapton was experiencing renewed success with the 1998 album, Pilgrim, and the duet LP, Riding with the King, in 2000.
Eric Clapton in 2014: Clapton has released a number of albums since Supernatural, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and became the only person inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame three times.
[Photo: Getty]