Flyte Tyme (band)

Flyt[e] Tyme
Background information
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres	Pop, rock, R&B, funk
Years active	1972–1980
Associated acts	The Time
Members	David Eiland Jimmy "Jam" Harris Anton (Tony) Johnson Cynthia Johnson Jellybean Johnson Terry Lewis Monte Moir Alexander O'Neal

Flyte Tyme was a funk/R&B band from Minneapolis which launched the careers of vocalists Cynthia Johnson, Alexander O'Neal and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Flyte Tyme began as a Minneapolis funk/R&B unit, taking its name from "Flight Time", a 1973 Donald Byrd song. The group was first known as "Wars of Armageddon", then "Soul Vaccination" before becoming Flyt Tyme. The spelling of the name was later changed to "Flyte Tyme."

The group featured Cynthia Johnson on lead vocals and on saxophone, Garry "Jellybean" Johnson on drums, Tony Johnson on lead guitar, Monte Moir and Jimmy "Jam" Harris on keyboards, and Terry Lewis on bass. The band's horn section was occasionally expanded by David Eiland on saxophone. Many of the group's musicians would later work with Prince.

After Cynthia Johnson's departure, Alexander O'Neal was her replacement; Johnson later gained fame as the voice of Lipps Inc's worldwide No. 1 song, "Funkytown." Flyte Tyme became The Time in 1981 when Prince created the act around his friends' band, adding guitarist Jesse Johnson and childhood friend and drummer Morris Day from "Enterprise", another local group. Morris Day also became the group's frontman, replacing O'Neal. Jam & Lewis left The Time in 1983 to pursue an independent writing and producing career, resurrecting the Flyte Tyme name for their production company and later, their record label.

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