En Vogue Celebrates 35 Years and Reveals the Surprising Story Behind Their Iconic Name

After 35 years in the game, legendary girl group En Vogue is still turning heads—and now, they’re opening up about how it all began, including the unexpected way they got their name.

Sitting down on The Jennifer Hudson Show on May 15, members Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, and Rhona Bennett celebrated their milestone anniversary and took fans on a trip down memory lane.

Terry Ellis, now 61, shared that the group originally had a totally different name in mind. “We put names in a pot and we settled on the name Vogue,” she said. “But then of course, we couldn’t use Vogue because of Vogue magazine.”

Maxine Jones, 63, jumped in with another twist: “There was already a group called The Vogues, too.”

So what did they do? “Our producers came up with the idea to add the E-N,” Ellis continued. “And we loved it.”

Host Jennifer Hudson, 43, was clearly impressed. “Baby, ain’t nothing like you, that is for sure,” she said with a smile.

The ladies also opened up about the girl groups that inspired their own sound. Among their musical heroes? The Pointer Sisters, The Supremes, The Shirelles, The Emotions, The Jones Girls, and Patti LaBelle.

“We’re just grateful that we were put in a position and had the level of success that we had, to inspire others,” Ellis said while reflecting on their legacy.

One of the biggest highlights of their anniversary year was the return of Maxine Jones, who rejoined the group after a 13-year break. So what brought her back?

“We had been in talks for a couple of years,” Jones explained. “And then we were just waiting for the right opportunity. It just felt right for the NBA All-Star run reunion.”

Her comeback happened during a special halftime show performance at the NBA All-Star Game in March 2025—marking a powerful full-circle moment for the group and their fans.

En Vogue first shot to fame in 1990 with their smash hit “Hold On,” which won a Grammy for Top R&B Single. They followed it up with a string of unforgettable hits like “Free Your Mind,” “Don’t Let Go (Love),” “Give It Up, Turn It Loose,” and the Salt-N-Pepa collab “Whatta Man.”

Three decades later, En Vogue is still proving they’ve got staying power—and their story is far from over.