Jermaine Stewart
| Jermaine Stewart | |
|---|---|
Stewart in a promotional image
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Jermaine Stewart |
| Born |
September 7, 1957 Columbus, Ohio, United States |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | March 17, 1997 (aged 39) Homewood, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | R&B, soul, funk, dance |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, dancer |
| Years active | 1983–1997 |
| Labels | Arista Records, Reprise Records |
| Associated acts | Shalamar, Culture Club |
William Jermaine Stewart (September 7, 1957 – March 17, 1997) was an American R&B singer best known for his 1986 hit single "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off", which reached number 2 in both the UK and Canada. It also reached number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
William Jermaine Stewart was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Ethel and Eugene Stewart. In 1972, his family moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Stewart took his first steps toward a career in entertainment. Eventually he gained recognition as a dancer on the locally produced television show Soul Train. While working there he befriended two other Soul Train dancers, fellow Chicagoan Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel. After Soul Train relocated to Los Angeles, the three friends auditioned to become members of the group Shalamar, which was put together by Soul Train creator Don Cornelius and booking agent Dick Griffey. Watley and Daniels were selected for the group as backup/semi-lead vocalists, and Stewart lost out to Gary Mumford during his audition for lead vocalist. However, Stewart toured with the new group as a dancer for several years, and while in London for a show, he met Mikey Craig of Culture Club. Realizing that Stewart was a talented singer, Craig assisted him in putting together a demo tape, and Stewart was given the opportunity to sing background vocals on Culture Club's song "Miss Me Blind". As a result of the combination of a strong demo and his ties with Culture Club, he landed a recording contract with Arista Records.
Stewart saw some success with the single "The Word Is Out" from the album of the same name. The album was co-written by Craig and peaked at number 90 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, and number 30 on the US R&B Albums chart. Stewart's next album was 1986's Frantic Romantic, which included the US top ten hit single "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off". The song also hit the top ten in the UK, Canada, and Ireland. A second single, "Jody", was released, the inspiration being his friend Jody Watley, which reached the US R&B top twenty. Frantic Romantic would be Stewart's most successful selling album, peaking at number 34 in the US.
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