Morris Day | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Morris E. Day |
Born | Springfield, Illinois, U.S. | December 13, 1956
Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. [1] |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Years active | 1981–present |
Labels |
Morris E. Day (born December 13, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time.
Morris Day is best known as the lead singer of The Time, a group associated with Prince. Day and Prince attended the same high school in Minneapolis and in 1974, as teenagers, became bandmates in the band Grand Central. The band was managed by Morris' mother. [2] [3]
Morris announced in 2022 that he will be releasing his final solo album Last Call and retiring after his 2023 tour. [4]
In addition to his roles in Purple Rain (1984) and Graffiti Bridge (1990), Day also appeared in small parts in films such as Richard Pryor's Moving (1988) and the Andrew Dice Clay film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990). Day's presence on the screen decreased until, in 2001, he returned to film in Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back , performing "Jungle Love" with The Time after being introduced emphatically by Jason Mewes' character as "Morris Day and the Time!" and dancing with the movie's stars in the film's coda.
Day also appeared on the small screen in 1990 when he portrayed the character Lamarr on ABC's short-lived sitcom New Attitude . He guest-starred on the sitcom Eve as a pimp who wanted Eve's fashion boutique to design a flamboyant suit to match his witty personality, and appeared as himself in an episode on the series Moesha , attempting to file a lawsuit against Moesha's ex-boyfriend Q, who used a sample from "The Oak Tree" without permission. He also appeared on 227 in the 80s.
He appeared opposite James Avery and Matthew Stewart in a pilot called Heart & Soul produced by Quincy Jones. In 2018, Will Smith revealed that he auditioned on the spot for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with a script for a "failed Morris Day pilot" that Jones handed to him. [5]
In March 2022, an article written by the Los Angeles Times mentioned that the Prince Estate recently informed Day that he “‘can no longer use Morris Day and the Time in any capacity.’” After reading the letter that was sent to Day from the estate, music industry attorney Erin M. Jacobson mentioned in that same article that it was more accurate to say the letter stated that Day could not claim “ownership of the name,” but there was still opportunity to use the name via an agreement with the Prince Estate that would provide terms for Day to monetarily compensate “the trademark owner in exchange for the ability to continue using the name.” [6]
Year | Album | Chart positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [8] | |||||
1985 | Color of Success | 37 | 7 | |||
1987 | Daydreaming | 41 | 7 | |||
1992 | Guaranteed | — | — | |||
2004 | It's About Time | 197 | 38 | |||
2022 | Last Call | — | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Year | Single | Chart positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [9] | US R&B [10] | US Dance [11] | UK [12] | |||
1985 | "The Oak Tree" | 65 | 3 | 14 | 77 | |
"The Color of Success" | — | 15 | — | — | ||
"The Character" | — | 34 | — | — | ||
"Love Sign" | — | — | — | — | ||
1987 | "Fishnet" | 23 | 1 | 12 | — | |
1988 | "Love Is A Game" | — | 71 | — | — | |
"Are You Ready" | — | — | 8 | — | ||
"Daydreaming" | — | 26 | — | — | ||
1992 | "Circle of Love" | — | — | — | — | |
"Gimme Whatcha Got" | — | 77 | — | — | ||
2000 | "Get a Job" | — | 96 | — | — | |
2017 | "Over That Rainbow" | — | — | — | — | |
"One Night Stand" (with Snoop Dogg) | — | — | — | — | ||
2019 | "Lil Mo Funk" (with Snoop Dogg) | — | — | — | — | |
2020 | "Cooler Than Santa Claus" | — | — | — | — | |
"Headrush" (with Trinidad James) | — | — | — | — | ||
2021 | "Grown Man" (with Big Daddy Kane) | — | — | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Purple Rain | Himself | |
1988 | Moving | Rudy | |
Heart and Soul | Curtis Brousseau | TV movie | |
1990 | The Adventures of Ford Fairlane | Don Cleveland | |
Graffiti Bridge | Himself | ||
1991 | Hotel Dicks | Dick 1 | |
1997 | A Woman Like That | ||
2001 | Boys Klub | Marx 2 | |
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Himself | ||
2004 | West from North Goes South | Elvis Potter |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | 227 | Prince Lionel | Episode: "The Prince" |
1990 | New Attitude | Lamarr | Main cast |
1997 | Moesha | Himself | Episode: "Rhythm and Dues" |
2004 | Eve | Rodney P | Episode: "Pimps Up, DivaStyle Down" |
Da Boom Crew | Zorch | Main cast | |
2007-08 | Baisden After Dark | Himself/Band Leader | TV series |
Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer and actor. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, blues, and hip hop. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound.
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor.
Tatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress and singer best known for her role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996. She starred as Tyana Jones on the TV One original series Love That Girl!, and played a recurring role as Roxanne on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2007 to 2013.
Willard Carroll Smith II is an American actor, rapper and film producer. He has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. As of 2024, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager born and raised in West Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle and aunt in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, where his lifestyle often clashes with that of his upper-class relatives.
Purple Rain is a 1984 American rock musical drama film scored by and starring Prince in his acting debut. Developed to showcase his talents, it contains several concert sequences, featuring Prince and his band The Revolution. The film is directed by Albert Magnoli, who later became Prince's manager, from a screenplay by Magnoli and William Blinn. The cast also features Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos and Clarence Williams III.
New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith and disc jockey Jeff Townes. Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasionally thereafter, the duo became just the third rap group in recorded history to receive platinum certification, after Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. The group received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for "Parents Just Don't Understand" (1988), though their most successful single was "Summertime" (1991), which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Will Smith and Jeff Townes have remained close friends and claim they never split up, having made songs together under Smith's solo performer credit. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince have sold over 5.5 million albums in the US. They performed together as recently as November 2023.
Kid 'n Play is an American hip-hop duo from New York City who were most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo is composed of Christopher Reid ("Kid") and Christopher Martin ("Play") working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eastmond. Besides their musical careers, they also branched out into acting.
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after which point the award was split into two categories: Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. These two categories were combined again in 2012 as a result of a restructure of Grammy categories, and the reinstated Award for Best Rap Performance was presented at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012. The restructuring was the consequence of the Recording Academy's wish to decrease the number of categories and awards and to eliminate distinctions between solo and duo or group performances.
The New Power Generation, also known as the NPG, was the backing band of musician Prince from 1990 to 2013. They were replaced by 3rdeyegirl as his backing band in 2013. In 2015, the New Power Generation reunited as Prince's backing band for his final studio album before his death, Hit n Run Phase Two. They reunited once again in 2017 for a US and European tour.
Immature is an American R&B boy band, managed by record producer Chris Stokes. Its members include Marques "Batman" Houston, Jerome "Romeo" Jones, and Kelton "LDB" Kessee, all natives of Los Angeles, where the group was formed. The group released four albums under the Immature moniker: On Our Worst Behavior, Playtyme Is Over (1994), We Got It (1995) and The Journey (1997).
"The Bird" is a song from The Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle. The song was initially recorded in the studio in 1983 with all instruments by Prince, except guitar, which was performed by Jesse Johnson. This version was replaced by a live recording with the full band at the First Avenue on October 4, 1983. This is the first Time song to be released both live and featuring The Time as a band, rather than primarily Prince with Morris Day on vocals. The song has become a signature number for the band and continues to be played in every Time concert to this day. In addition, two additional live versions have since been released: one on Prince's Rave Un2 the Year 2000 DVD and one recorded at the House of Blues in 1998 for Morris Day's 2004 album It's About Time.
Tevin Jermod Campbell is an American singer and songwriter. He performed gospel in his local church from an early age. Following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey in 1988, Campbell was signed to Warner Bros. Records. In 1989, Campbell collaborated with Quincy Jones performing lead vocals for "Tomorrow" on Jones' album Back on the Block and released his Platinum-selling debut album, T.E.V.I.N. The album included his highest-charting single to date, "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do", peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The debut album also included the singles "Alone With You", and "Goodbye".
The Time, also known as Morris Day and the Time and The Original 7ven, is an American funk rock band founded in Minneapolis in 1981. They contributed to the development of the Minneapolis sound, an eclectic fusion of funk, R&B, new wave, synth-pop and dance. Led by singer-songwriter Morris Day, the band members are known for having been close associates of musician Prince, and are arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him, achieving success with singles such as "Get It Up", "The Bird", "Cool", "777-9311", "Jungle Love" and "Jerk Out".
Ice Cream Castle is a 1984 album by The Time. Their third album, it consists of six tracks in the funk-pop or ballad genre, and it was produced and arranged by Prince as "The Starr ★ Company".
"Ice Cream Castles" is the opening track from The Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle. The track was one of the last songs recorded for the album, being cut in mid-January 1984, along with "My Drawers". The song was composed by Prince and Morris Day, with Prince writing the lyrics after recording the instrumental tracks. Day provided drums and lead vocals, while Jesse Johnson played electric guitars on the recording. Prince played all the other instruments.
"Summertime" is a song by American hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, released in May 1991 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Homebase (1991). The song was produced by Chicago-based producers Hula and K. Fingers, and it won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1992 Grammy Awards. It spent a week at number #1 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, as well as reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became the duo's first single to enter the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #8.
Chico Benymon is an American actor, singer, musician, and fashion designer best known for his role as Andre "Spencer" Williams on the UPN comedy Half & Half. He also starred in the Nickelodeon TV series The Haunted Hathaways.
"Jungle Love" is a song from The Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle.