Morris Day facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morris Day
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Day in 2024
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Morris E. Day |
| Born | December 13, 1957 Springfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1980−2024 |
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Morris E. Day (born December 13, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is famous for being the lead singer of the funk and rock band The Time.
Contents
Music Career
Morris Day is best known as the lead singer of The Time, a band that worked closely with the famous musician Prince. Day and Prince went to the same high school in Minneapolis. As teenagers in 1974, they played together in a band called Grand Central. The band was managed by Morris's mother.
In 2022, Morris announced that he was releasing his last solo album, Last Call. He also said he would retire from music after his 2023–2024 tour.
Acting Career
Besides his music, Morris Day has also acted in movies and on TV. He appeared in the movies Purple Rain (1984) and Graffiti Bridge (1990), which also featured Prince.
Day also had smaller parts in other films. He was in Richard Pryor's movie Moving (1988) and The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990). In 2001, he appeared in the Kevin Smith movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. In the film, he performed the song "Jungle Love" with his band, The Time.
Television Appearances
Day has also been on television. In 1990, he played a character named Lamarr in the sitcom New Attitude. He was a guest star on the show Eve, where he played a flashy character who wanted a special suit designed. He also appeared as himself on the show Moesha and in an episode of 227.
He once worked on a TV show pilot called Heart & Soul with producer Quincy Jones. Years later, in 2018, actor Will Smith shared a story about how he got his role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Quincy Jones gave him a script from that same Morris Day pilot to use for his audition.
Disagreement Over Band Name
After Prince passed away, his estate began managing his music and business. In March 2022, a disagreement arose between Day and the Prince Estate. The estate told Day he could no longer use the name "Morris Day and the Time."
Legal experts looked at the situation. They said the letter meant Day couldn't claim to own the name. However, it was likely he could make a deal with the estate. This agreement would let him continue using the name if he paid the estate for it.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
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| 1985 | Color of Success | 37 | 7 | |||
| 1987 | Daydreaming | 41 | 7 | |||
| 1992 | Guaranteed | — | — | |||
| 2004 | It's About Time | 197 | 38 | |||
| 2022 | Last Call | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
US Dance |
UK |
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| 1985 | "The Oak Tree" | 65 | 3 | 14 | 77 | |
| "The Color of Success" | — | 15 | — | — | ||
| "The Character" | — | 34 | — | — | ||
| "Love Sign" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987 | "Fishnet" | 23 | 1 | 12 | — | |
| 1988 | "Love Is A Game" | — | 71 | — | — | |
| "Are You Ready" | — | — | 8 | — | ||
| "Daydreaming" | — | 26 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Circle of Love" | — | — | — | — | |
| "Gimme Whatcha Got" | — | 77 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | "Get a Job" | — | 96 | — | — | |
| 2017 | "Over That Rainbow" | — | — | — | — | |
| "One Night Stand" (with Snoop Dogg) | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019 | "Lil Mo Funk" (with Snoop Dogg) | — | — | — | — | |
| 2020 | "Cooler Than Santa Claus" | — | — | — | — | |
| "Headrush" (with Trinidad James) | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021 | "Grown Man" (with Big Daddy Kane) | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Purple Rain | Himself | |
| 1988 | Moving | Rudy | |
| Heart and Soul | Curtis Brousseau | TV movie | |
| 1990 | The Adventures of Ford Fairlane | Don Cleveland | |
| Graffiti Bridge | Himself | ||
| 1991 | Hotel ... | Dick 1 | |
| 1997 | A Woman Like That | ||
| 2001 | Boys Klub | Marx 2 | |
| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Himself | ||
| 2004 | West from North Goes South | Elvis Potter |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 227 | Prince Lionel | Episode: "The Prince" |
| 1990 | New Attitude | Lamarr | Main cast |
| 1997 | Moesha | Himself | Episode: "Rhythm and Dues" |
| 2004 | Eve | Rodney P | Episode: "..., DivaStyle Down" |
| Da Boom Crew | Zorch | Main cast | |
| 2007-08 | Baisden After Dark | Himself/Band Leader | TV series |
