Steve "Silk" Hurley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve "Silk" Hurley
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Steven W. Hurley |
| Also known as |
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| Born | November 9, 1962 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | House |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
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Steve W. "Silk" Hurley (born November 9, 1962) is an American DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He is also known as J. M. Silk. He became famous for his house music in the 1980s.
Steve "Silk" Hurley had many hit songs on the US Dance charts. One of his biggest hits was "I Can't Turn Around" in 1986. He worked with Keith Nunnally on this song as J. M. Silk. In 1987, his song "Jack Your Body" became a number-one hit in the UK Singles Chart. This was a big moment for house music in the UK.
Hurley has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. These nominations were for his amazing work as a music remixer. He is known for taking existing songs and giving them a new sound.
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Steve Hurley's Early Life
Steve Hurley grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He first studied engineering at a school called Robert Lindblom Math & Science Academy. Later, he went to junior college. However, by 1981, he decided to leave school. He wanted to focus all his time on his music career.
Steve Hurley's Music Career
Steve "Silk" Hurley became well-known as a DJ in the mid-1980s. He was a DJ on a popular radio show in Chicago called Saturday Night Live Ain't No Jive Dance Party. This show was on the radio station WBMX.
Hurley's Unique DJ Style
Hurley's way of mixing music was special. Most radio or club DJs use beatmatching. This means they match the speed of two songs. But Hurley used advanced techniques. These techniques are usually done by hip hop DJs. He would use scratching, beat juggling, and back spinning. These skills made his DJ sets very exciting.
Hit Songs and Albums
Steve "Silk" Hurley released many songs under his own name. He also had hits with singer Keith Nunnally as J. M. Silk. Their song "I Can't Turn Around" was a number-one hit on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in 1986.
His song "Jack Your Body" was a huge success in the UK. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1987. This was the first house music song to ever top the UK charts! Even though it was a big hit, it wasn't played much on BBC Radio 1. In 1988, he released an album called Work It Out Compilation. This album was released by Atlantic Records.
Working as a Remixer
Steve Hurley is also famous for being a top remixer. He has remixed songs for many huge artists. Some of these artists include Madonna, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and New Order. A remixer takes an original song and changes it. They might add new beats or sounds to make it sound different.
Hurley was nominated for Grammy Awards for his remixing work. He was nominated in 1998, 1999, 2002, and 2003. His remixes were also played on The Tom Joyner Morning Show. This was a popular radio show across the country.
Steve Hurley's Music Releases
Albums by Steve Hurley
| Year | Title | Artist(s) |
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| 1987 | Hold on to Your Dream
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J. M. Silk |
| 1989 | Work It Out Compilation
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Steve "Silk" Hurley |
Singles by Steve Hurley
| Year | Title | Alias | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
US Dance |
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| 1985 | "Music Is the Key" | J. M. Silk | — | 9 | The House Sound of Chicago | |
| 1986 | "Shadows of Your Love" | J. M. Silk featuring Steve "Silk" Hurley | — | 3 | Hold on to Your Dream | |
| "I Can't Turn Around" | J. M. Silk | 62 | 1 | |||
| "Jack Your Body" | Steve "Silk" Hurley | 1 | 25 |
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| 1987 | "Let the Music Take Control" | J. M. Silk | 47 | 2 | ||
| "She's So Far Away" | J. M. Silk | 80 | — | |||
| "Heart of Passion" | J. M. Silk | — | — | |||
| "Cry of the Lonely" | J. M. Silk | — | 50 | |||
| 1988 | "All in Vain" | J. M. Silk | — | — | Jack Trax: The Fifth Album | |
| "It's Percussion" | Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring M-Doc | — | — | |||
| 1989 | "Work It Out" | Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring M-Doc | — | 3 | Work It Out Compilation | |
| "Chain of Fools" | Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring Risse | — | — | |||
| "Cold World" | Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring Jamie Principle | — | 22 | |||
| 1991 | "Seasons of Love" | Keith Nunnally | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Melody" | Steve "Silk" Hurley | — | — | ||
| 1997 | "The Word Is Love (Say the Word)" | The Voices of Life featuring Sharon Pass | 26 | — | ||
| 2000 | "Dubs from the Dungeon Vol.1" | Steve "Silk" Hurley | — | — | ||
| 2002 | "Don't Give Up" | The Voices of Life featuring Gordon Chambers | — | — | Non-album single | |
| 2003 | "Stop Playin'" | SilkMix.com vs. 2 Live Crew | — | — | ||
| "Runnin' Away" | The Voices of Life featuring Sharon Pass | — | — | |||
| 2014 | "Classic" | Steve "Silk" Hurley featuring Javante | — | — | ||
| "—" means the song did not chart or was not released in that area. | ||||||
Awards and Nominations
Steve "Silk" Hurley has received several awards and nominations for his music.
ASCAP Awards
He won three ASCAP Awards. These awards are given to songwriters and composers.
- ASCAP Writer's Award for "Keep on Walkin'"
- ASCAP Writer's Award for "Too Blind to See It"
- ASCAP Writer's Award for "I'm Not Over You"
Grammy Awards
Steve Hurley has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. The Grammy Awards are very important music awards.
| Year | Nominated work(s) | Award | Result |
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| 1999 | "If You Could Read My Mind (Silk's Uplifting Vocal)" by Stars on 54 "If You Could Read My Mind (Silk's House on 54 Mix)" by Stars on 54 "Nobody Else (Silk's House Revival)" by CeCe Peniston "Special Love (Silk's Special House Mix)" by Jestofunk feat. Jocelyn Brown "Where You Are (Silk's Old Skool Mix)" by Rashaan Patterson "The Word Is Love (Silk's Anthem 7)" by The Voices of Life |
Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical | Nominated |
| 2000 | "Go Down Moses (Silk's Spiritual Anthem)" by Kelly G feat. Sharon Pass "He Loves Me 2 (Silk's 12" Mix)" by CeCe Peniston "Higher (Silk's Journey to Heaven Mix)" by Vernessa Mitchell "Jack Your Body 2000 (Silk's Y2K Mix)" by Steve "Silk" Hurley "Rollercoaster (Silk's Uplifting Extended Mix)" by B*Witched "Yeah Get Down (Silk's Disco Dub of Life)" by Maurice Joshua presents The Reunion Project |
Nominated | |
| 2002 | "Soul Shakedown (Silk's Downunder Mix)" by Bob Marley | Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical | Nominated |
| 2003 | "What About Us? (SilkMix.Com Mix)" by Brandy | Nominated |
Other Awards
- Billboard Top Producer of 1994 (shared with other producers)
- British Charity Award-UK as Remixer of the Year
- Winter Music Conference as Remixer of the Year
See Also
- List of UK number one singles
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
