Jermaine Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jermaine Stewart
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Stewart in a 1980s promotional photo
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Jermaine Stewart |
| Born | September 7, 1957 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 17, 1997 (aged 39) Homewood, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, pop, soul, funk, dance |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, dancer |
| Years active | 1977–1997 |
| Labels | Arista Records, Reprise Records |
| Associated acts | Shalamar, Culture Club |
William Jermaine Stewart (born September 7, 1957 – died March 17, 1997) was an American R&B singer. He is most famous for his 1986 hit song "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off". This song became very popular, reaching number five on the US Billboard music chart. It also made it into the top ten in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Another well-known song of his was "Say It Again" from 1987, which reached number 7 in the UK.
Contents
Jermaine Stewart's Life and Music
Early Life and First Steps
Jermaine Stewart was born in Columbus, Ohio. In 1972, his family moved to Chicago, Illinois. This is where Jermaine began his journey into entertainment. He became known as a talented dancer on a local TV show called Soul Train.
While working on Soul Train, he became friends with two other dancers, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel. Later, when Soul Train moved to Los Angeles, the three friends tried out for a new music group called Shalamar. This group was created by Soul Train founder Don Cornelius. Jody and Jeffrey were chosen for the group. Jermaine didn't get the lead singer spot, but he still toured with Shalamar as a dancer for several years.
Rising to Stardom
During a show in London, Jermaine met Mikey Craig from the band Culture Club. Mikey realized Jermaine was a great singer and helped him create a demo tape. A demo tape is like a sample recording that artists use to show off their singing skills to record companies. Jermaine also sang background vocals on Culture Club's song "Miss Me Blind". Because of his strong demo and his connection with Culture Club, he got a record deal with Arista Records.
Jermaine had some early success with his song "The Word Is Out" from his first album, also called The Word Is Out. His next album, Frantic Romantic, came out in 1986. This album included his biggest hit, "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off". This song was a huge success around the world. Another song from the album, "Jody", was inspired by his friend Jody Watley and became a top twenty R&B hit in the US. Frantic Romantic became Jermaine's most successful album.
In 1987, Jermaine appeared in the music video for "Never Say Never" by Deniece Williams.
More Hits and Later Work
Jermaine's third album was Say It Again. The main song, "Say It Again", became his second Top 40 hit in the US and reached number 7 in the UK. This helped the album become a Top 40 album.
He released more singles like "Get Lucky" and "Don't Talk ... to Me". These songs did very well in Europe, especially in Germany. Many of his songs were remixed by producer Phil Harding, giving them a popular dance sound.
Jermaine's fourth album with Arista Records was What Becomes a Legend Most. The song "Tren de Amor" from this album was featured in the movie She Devil. In 1989, he sang "Hot and Cold" for the movie Weekend at Bernie's.
In 1991, Jermaine worked on his last recorded album, Set Me Free, for Reprise Records. The main song, "Set Me Free", was released as a single, but the full album was not released until much later.
Before he passed away, Jermaine was working on a new album called Believe in Me. The songs he finished were later released on a collection called Attention: A Tribute to Jermaine Stewart in 2005.
Jermaine's famous song "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" has been used in new ways since his death. In 2007, the group Gym Class Heroes used parts of the song in their hit "Clothes Off!!". In 2011, the song was featured in a Cadbury advertisement in the UK. This helped a new generation discover the song, and it returned to the UK music charts.
His Legacy
Jermaine Stewart passed away on March 17, 1997, at the age of 39, due to health complications. For many years, his burial site did not have a gravestone. However, in 2014, a fan paid for a gravestone to be placed there, honoring his memory.
Music Albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
UK |
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| 1984 | The Word Is Out | 90 | 30 | — | |
| 1986 | Frantic Romantic | 34 | 31 | 49 | |
| 1988 | Say It Again | 98 | 45 | 32 | |
| 1989 | What Becomes a Legend Most | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | Set Me Free (unreleased) | — | — | — | |
| 2005 | Attention: A Tribute to Jermaine Stewart | — | — | — | |
| 2011 | His Greatest Hits | — | — | — | |
| "—" means the album did not chart or was not released in that country. | |||||
Hit Songs
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 |
US Dance |
US R&B |
AUS |
BEL |
CAN |
GER |
NLD |
NOR |
NZ |
SWI |
UK |
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| 1984 | "The Word Is Out" | 41 | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 144 | The Word Is Out | |
| "Get Over It" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1985 | "I Like It" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 195 | ||
| 1986 | "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" | 5 | 41 | 64 | 37 | 10 | 2 | — | 13 | — | 27 | — | 2 |
|
Frantic Romantic |
| "Jody" | 42 | 9 | 18 | — | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | 50 | |||
| "Don't Ever Leave Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 76 | |||
| 1987 | "Say It Again" | 27 | — | 15 | — | 31 | — | — | 27 | 10 | — | — | 7 | Say It Again | |
| 1988 | "Get Lucky" | — | 12 | 69 | — | 10 | — | 6 | 14 | — | — | 6 | 13 | ||
| "Don't Talk ... to Me" | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 14 | 61 | |||
| 1989 | "Is It Really Love?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Hot and Cold" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Weekend at Bernie's (soundtrack) |
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| "Tren de Amor" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 97 | What Becomes a Legend Most | ||
| 1990 | "Every Woman Wants To" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 95 | ||
| 1992 | "Set Me Free" | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single only | |
| "—" means the song did not chart. | |||||||||||||||
See also
In Spanish: Jermaine Stewart para niños
