Jerome Benton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jerome Benton | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Jerome Benton | |
| Genre(s) | Rock, pop, R&B, soul, funk, funk-rock, funk metal, New Wave, dance, hip-hop | |
| Occupation(s) | drummer, guitarist | |
| Instrument(s) | percussion | |
| Years active | 1981–present | |
| Label(s) | Warner Bros. Records Paisley Park Records |
|
| Associated acts |
The Time, The Family, The Revolution | |
Jerome Benton is a musical performer, mostly as a backup dancer and comedic antics to various musical acts. He can be seen in music videos by Janet Jackson and Prince, but he is most known for his association with The Time.
Benton is the half brother to Time bassist, Terry Lewis and worked closely with the band behind the scenes in its initial stages. During a performance, lead singer Morris Day asked for someone to bring him a mirror. Benton responded by ripping a mirror out of the club's restroom and bringing it onstage for Day to comb his hair. This act elevated Benton's integration into the band as a comic foil to Day, as well as dancing and providing backing vocals. In 1982, after Jam and Lewis were fired for missing a concert, Benton was tasked by Prince to pretend to fill in for Lewis onstage with his bass unplugged while Prince provided the bassline backstage.
Benton appeared in the 1984 film Purple Rain with the rest of The Time and assumed the role of Morris Day's bodyguard and valet. The chemistry between Day and Benton was well-received, and although The Time soon dissolved after Day pursued a solo career, Prince retained Benton, as well as Jellybean Johnson and St. Paul Peterson for the short-lived project, The Family.
Peterson soon left the project, once again leaving Benton without a group. Prince brought him into the extended Revolution as part of a dance trio and to provide the role of comic foil as he had in The Time. Prince also gave Benton a large role as "Tricky" in his film Under the Cherry Moon.
Although The Revolution dissolved in 1986 and Prince retained several of the expanded members (and long-time member Doctor Fink), Benton did not participate in the stripped-down Sign 'O' the Times band. By this time, however, Jam and Lewis has begun to produce Janet Jackson and Benton participated in some of her recordings and videos.
The Time reformed for the Graffiti Bridge album and film and the accompanying Time album Pandemonium and Benton reprised his former role with Day. The reunion was short-lived and the group soon dissolved again but Benton and Day have worked together in the years since, acting on stage and screen. A partially new lineup for The Time formed in 1996 and have toured on and off since then, with Day and Benton continuing to entertain longtime fans.
