Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam (left) and Terry Lewis in January 2012
Background information
Birth name	James Samuel Harris III Terry Steven Lewis
Also known as	Jam & Lewis Jimmy & Terry
Born	June 6, 1959 (1959-06-06) (age 66) (Jimmy Jam) November 24, 1956 (1956-11-24) (age 68) (Terry Lewis)
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota (Jimmy Jam) Omaha, Nebraska (Terry Lewis)
Genres	Minneapolis sound R&B pop new jack swing hip hop soul gospel
Occupation(s)	Record producers multi-instrumentalists songwriters
Instruments	Keyboards piano synthesizers drum machine (Jimmy Jam) bass guitar percussion (Terry Lewis)
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Tabu Perspective Flyte Tyme

Jimmy Jam (born James Samuel Harris III on June 6, 1959) and Terry Lewis (born Terry Steven Lewis on November 24, 1956) are an amazing American music duo. They are famous for writing and producing hit R&B and pop songs. Since the 1980s, their music has been super popular with many different artists. They worked a lot with Janet Jackson, helping her create many of her biggest hits.

Together, they have written 31 songs that reached the top ten in the UK and 41 songs in the US. In 2022, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were honored by being added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This award recognized their incredible musical talent and influence.

The Story of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

How They Met and Started

Jimmy Jam's dad, Cornbread Harris, was a blues and jazz musician in Minneapolis. Jimmy Jam met Terry Lewis when they were both in a special program called Upward Bound at the University of Minnesota.

In the mid-1970s, Jimmy Jam was part of a band called Mind & Matter. Later, Terry Lewis was in a band called Flyte Tyme. Jimmy Jam joined Flyte Tyme, and then the famous musician Prince changed the band into The Time in 1981. As members of The Time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis played instruments on most of the group's albums.

Becoming Hit Producers

In 1982, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis met a music executive named Dina Andrews. She worked for SOLAR Records and helped them learn about producing music. They asked Dina to manage them, and she introduced them to other important people in the music world.

Their first big production was for the S.O.S. Band. Dina Andrews helped them start their own company, Flyte Tyme Productions. They went on to produce music for other artists like Cherrelle, Alexander O'Neal, and Change. They also worked with Cheryl Lynn on her hit song "Encore."

At one point, Prince fired them from The Time. This happened because a big snowstorm in Atlanta stopped them from getting to a concert. They were secretly producing music for the S.O.S. Band at the time. But one of the songs they made in Atlanta, "Just Be Good to Me," became a huge hit! This song really made them famous as producers. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis later rejoined The Time for two more albums.

Their Signature Sound

The duo was known for using a special drum machine called the Roland TR-808 in many of their songs. This gave their music a unique sound. After working with artists like Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal, they met Janet Jackson.

They produced her amazing album Control in 1986. This album was a huge success and won them a Grammy Award. Their next album with Janet, Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989), was even more successful. It became one of the best-selling albums ever, with four songs reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They continued to work with Janet Jackson on many more No. 1 albums like janet., The Velvet Rope, All for You, and Unbreakable.

Starting Their Own Record Label

In 1991, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis started their own record label called Perspective Records. It was part of A&M Records. Soon after, their new label had a big hit with a gospel/R&B group called Sounds of Blackness. Their song "Optimistic" became a popular song about staying positive.

Other successful artists on their label included Mint Condition, Lo-Key?, and Solo. In 1992, Perspective Records released the soundtrack for the movie Mo' Money. This soundtrack featured songs by Mint Condition, Ralph Tresvant, Caron Wheeler, and a duet by Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross.

In 2003, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis moved their recording studio to Santa Monica, California. They called it Flyte Tyme West. This move gave them more chances to work with other artists. In 2006, they won another Grammy for Yolanda Adams' song "Be Blessed." In 2007, they produced the album Funk This for Chaka Khan, which won two Grammy Awards.

Reunions and Collaborations

The production duo reunited with The Time at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008. They performed a medley with Rihanna, including their hit "Jungle Love." In June and July 2008, all the original members of The Time got back together for shows in Las Vegas.

Over more than forty years, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have worked with many famous artists. These include Lionel Richie, Herb Alpert, TLC, Yolanda Adams, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Prince, Gwen Stefani, New Edition, and George Michael.

Personal Lives

Terry Lewis has two children from previous relationships: a son named Trey and a daughter named Chloe. He was married to singer Karyn White and they had two children, Brandon and Ashley. Later, he married Indira Singh and they have two children together.

Jimmy Jam is married to Lisa Padilla Harris, a businesswoman. They have three children: Tyler, Max, and Bella. Jimmy Jam used to be the chairman of the board for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which is the group that gives out the Grammy Awards. He is now listed as chairman emeritus.

Music Achievements

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have produced 16 songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They also had 26 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart.

They are one of the few producers to have No. 1 hits in three different decades: the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. In total, 41 of their songs have reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and 31 songs made it to the Top 10 in the UK.

Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 Hits

Here are some of the songs they produced that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100:

• Janet Jackson:
  • "When I Think of You"
  • "Miss You Much"
  • "Escapade"
  • "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"
  • "That's the Way Love Goes"
  • "Again"
  • "Together Again"
  • "Doesn't Really Matter"
  • "All for You"
• The Human League - "Human"
• George Michael - "Monkey"
• Karyn White - "Romantic"
• Boyz II Men:
  • "On Bended Knee"
  • "4 Seasons of Loneliness"
• Mariah Carey - "Thank God I Found You" (featuring Joe & 98 Degrees)
• Usher - "U Remind Me"

Awards and Recognition

Since starting Flyte Tyme in 1982, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis have earned over 100 gold, platinum, multi-platinum, and diamond albums. These awards are for their work with many artists, including Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, and George Michael. They have also won more than 100 awards from ASCAP (a music rights organization) for their songwriting and publishing.

In 1993, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (an Oscar!) for "Again." This song was from the movie Poetic Justice.

In 2020, they were nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for their music direction in a TV special called Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince.

Grammy Awards

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis have won five Grammy Awards. They have been nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical more times than any other producer, with 11 nominations! They won this award in 1987, the very first year they were nominated.

Images for kids

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  Jimmy Jam

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  Terry Lewis

See also

In Spanish: Jimmy Jam y Terry Lewis para niños