Morris Day
| Morris Day | |
|---|---|
Morris Day and fans onstage in 2013
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Morris E. Day |
| Born | December 13, 1957 |
| Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock, pop, R&B, soul, funk, disco, funk rock, funk metal, new wave, dance, hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, drummer |
| Instruments | Vocals, drums, keyboards |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros., Paisley Park, Reprise, Hollywood |
| Associated acts | The Time (later known as The Original 7ven), Flyte Tyme, Prince |
| Website | morrisdayandthetime |
Morris E. Day (born December 13, 1957) is an American musician, composer, and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time.
In high school, Day was in a band with Prince and André Cymone and the trio formed an early band managed by Day's mother called "Grand Central," later renamed "Champagne." Later, Prince embarked on a solo career but retained Cymone for his backing band. Day and Cymone began to plan a side group that would focus more on R&B, while Prince would continue to explore various musical styles. The Time was composed of 4 members from an earlier funk group called "Flyte Tyme," but the lead singer had not been chosen. Charles Alexander Cobb, of Saint Paul, was considered but he turned it down. Sue Ann Carwell was auditioned; and Alexander O'Neal nearly became The Time's lead singer, but dropped out due to payment negotiations. Day, who was now in a band called "Enterprise", allowed Prince to have a song called "Partyup" for his Dirty Mind album, and Prince would soon return the favor by giving Day the job of lead singer. Day would suggest guitarist Jesse Johnson, who completed the band's ensemble.
The Time's most prolific and visible period came in 1984, when Day played the antagonist to Prince in his feature film Purple Rain, and later in Graffiti Bridge (1990), which helped establish Day's playboy stage presence. Typically escorted by his valet, "Jerome" (Jerome Benton), Day won fans with his exaggerated vanity ("Jerome bring me my mirror!") and strutting bravado ("Ain't nobody bad like me!"), acting as a comic foil to Prince's romantic, sensitive lead. This persona was further exploited for comic effect on The Time's records, on songs such as "Chili Sauce" and "If the Kid Can't Make You Come" from the album Ice Cream Castle.
...
Wikipedia