Morris Day

Morris Day, born on December 13, 1957 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is an American musician and composer. He is best remembered music as the charismatic lead singer of The Time, which also launched the careers of famous producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

Career

Jam & Lewis, founders of The Time, hired Day as the frontman through his professional relationship with Prince. This connection increased the band's exposure and presented their pop-funk sound to a larger mainstream audience.

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Their most prolific and visible period came during the 1980s when Day played the antagonist to Prince in his film musicals, which helped establish Day's playboy stage presence. Typically escorted by his manservant, "Jerome" (Jerome Benton), Day's exaggerated vanity ("Jerome bring me my mirror!") and strutting bravado won him many fans as a comic foil to Prince's romantic, sensitive lead. This persona was further exploited on The Time's records — to comic effect — on songs such as "Chili Sauce" and "If The Kid Can't Make You Come" from the album Ice Cream Castle.

Related Topics:
1980s - Prince - Film - Musical - Jerome Benton - The Time's - Ice Cream Castle

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That album (the group's most popular) is best remembered for the infectious singles "Jungle Love" and "The Bird". With their palpable pop energy and catchy choruses, both songs were huge hits on both Urban and Pop radio. From that high point, Day's success began to wane in the 1990s. With the breakup of his band, the mediocre sales of his solo records, and the general decline of Prince's popularity, Day's public visibility and creative output waned considerablity.

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Today, he remains a popular concert draw with his revamped lineup of The Time. Though few original members of the group remain, Day continues to employ "Jerome" in his stage shows and the comic scenes the two act out together are typically the highlight of a Time performance.

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Though he had continued to act in films from time to time in small parts (Richard Pryor's Moving being a brief but memorable turn), in 2001 Morris returned to film in Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, performing "Jungle Love" and dancing with the movie's stars in the movie's coda.

Related Topics:
Richard Pryor - Kevin Smith - Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

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