UB Celebrates Trailblazer Jermaine Stewart
Like No Other Before Him, And No Other Like Him Since.
Yesterday March 17th, marked the 27th anniversary of the day legendary trailblazer Jermaine Stewart passed away in 1997.
UB wanted to pay tribute to Jermaine, by celebrating his life and music!
Born September 7th, 1957 in Columbus, Ohio, to joyful parents Ethel M. Stewart and Eugene Stewart — William Jermaine Stewart always loved to dance.
At school, he would often give dance lessons to other children for a $1 a time, and was constantly late home after a day in class because he enjoyed nothing better than putting on a show for a crowd during the walk home!
In 1972, the Stewart family, comprised of Mom, Dad, Jermaine, sisters Norma, Sondra, Leandra, Leanna and brother Gene moved to Chicago.
It was here that Jermaine took his fledgling steps into a career in showbiz. He joined a local dance group, and went out on the road with the Chi-Lites and The Staple Singers.
Followed by stints on both American Bandstand and later Soul Train. By the early 80s, he joined Shalamar on tour as a backing vocalist and dancer.
The next logical step was to launch his own singing career. He took his first tentative steps into recording providing backing vocals to several established acts such as The Temptations and most noteworthy, Culture Club.
Jermaine can be clearly heard as a vocal support to Boy George on the hit single “Miss Me Blind.” It was his work with Culture Club which lead to the inevitable first solo recording contract with Clive Davis’ Arista Records, with the help of Culture Clubs‘ Mikey Craig.
His first single “The Word Is Out” in 1984, preceded an album of the same name the following year. A strong production by Peter Collins, with a supporting video shot in Paris, helped to take “The Word Is Out” to #41 on Billboard’s R&B chart. A second single from the album, “I Like It“, was also released. Jermaine‘s third single, “Get Over It“, was confined to a European release.
Whilst “The Word Is Out” album did much to enhance Jermaine‘s public profile through the lead single, striking videos, and sense of style, it did not prove to be the commercial launch pad that Arista initially intended.
Jermaine’s next musical project therefore was focused much more on securing radio and club airplay, under the guidance of some of the hottest producers of the 80’s.
John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez produced two highly danceable tracks on Jermaine‘s second album “Frantic Romantic” in 1986, but it was Narada Michael Walden, who penned and produced the song that would forever be associated with Jermaine Stewart, “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off.”
“We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” was written as a response to the AIDS scare of the 1980s.
The song, supported by a video with more costume changes than a Diana Ross show, became an international success, riding into the Billboard Top 5, and REACHING #2 in the UK… Jermaine Stewart had arrived!
The “Frantic Romantic” album quickly went on to become a million seller, and a second single, “Jody” was released, the inspiration of the song being legendary Jody Watley of Shalamar. A modest success, “Jody” reached both the UK and US Top 50.
Another UK only single “Don’t Ever Leave Me” was released. The song was a ballad, and indicative of Jermaine‘s ability to turn his hand successfully to any musical vein.
Jermaine Stewart also spent some time in London recording. He told an industry trade, how he was looking forward to spending the holidays there; “I am going to celebrate by marrying my girlfriend under the Christmas tree on Christmas day. I am also looking forward to being back in my apartment in L.A. and just hanging out with some friends. Prince will come over and we will eat microwave popcorn together and talk about girls and watch TV.”
Jermaine‘s third album was probably his most successful internationally. Entitled “Say It Again“, the production was handled largely by Andre Cymone who had previously worked with Prince and Jody Watley.
The result was an almost flawless collection of pop and dance funk tracks, of which almost any song could have been a hit single. Supported by international live dates with his band THE PARTY, the title track single became Jermaine‘s second Top 40 Billboard hit and also reached the R&B Top 10. In the UK, the single made it all the way to #7, helping the album into the Top 40.
The next three singles all received the remix treatment. “Get Lucky”, “Don’t Talk Dirty To Me” and “Is It Really Love” found considerable European success, particularly Germany, where “Don’t Talk Dirty To Me” was one of the biggest selling records of 1988, making the Top 5.
At this point, Jermaine was highly focused on the mainstream pop market.
His fourth and final album under his contract with 10/Arista Records came in 1989, with “What Becomes A Legend Most?” was filled with radio friendly catchy pop tunes.
The first single “Tren De Amor“, was a minor UK hit, with the follow-up, “Every Woman Wants To.”
In 1992, Jermaine teamed up with producer Jesse Saunders for his last recorded work, an unreleased album for Reprise Records. Entitled “Set Me Free“, the album marked a return to the dance funk style of “Say It Again.” The title track was released as a single with a video. The album remains unreleased.
The rest of the 90’s saw Jermaine battling long term illness.
He however did return to the studio to record a new album entitled “Believe In Me.”
In 2005, “Attention: A Tribute to Jermaine Stewart” was released and features B-sides, as well as some of unreleased songs including “Believe In Me.”
Jermaine Stewart passed away on March 17th 1997, he was 39. Jermaine is laid to rest in The Homewood Memory Gardens, Homewood, Il.
His burial site was left without a tombstone or even a grave marker for over 17 years. Jermaine Stewart finally received one in 2014 thanks to a fan.
William Jermaine Stewart left behind a legacy of work which most fittingly answers his own question “What Becomes A Legend Most?”
Take A Trip Down Memory Lane with Jermaine Stewart!
