Jerome Benton
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| Jerome Benton | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jerome Benton |
| Born | September 17, 1962 |
| Genre(s) | Rock, pop, R&B, soul, funk, funk-rock, funk metal, dance |
| Occupation(s) | Hype man |
| 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 (born September 19, 1962) is an American musical performer, backup dancer and lender of 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 one 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 on stage for Day to comb his hair. This act elevated Benton's integration into the band as a comic foil to Day, along with his dancing and providing backing vocals. In 1983, when Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis missed a concert in San Antonio, Benton was tasked by Prince to pretend to fill in for Lewis on stage with his bass unplugged, while Prince provided the bass line backstage.The two were eventually fired after the tour.
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 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 re-formed for the Graffiti Bridge album and film and the accompanying Time album Pandemonium, and Benton reprised his former role with Day. The reunion, however, was short-lived, and the group soon dissolved again. Despite this, 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 the group has toured ever since. Jerome left the band after the Time's performance on December 31, 2006 to pursue other ventures.
Benton reunited with his other group, The Family, on December 13, 2003 for a single performance for charity along with other acts formerly associated with Prince. According to a January 31, 2007 press release on St. Paul's website, The Family announced that the group is returning to the music scene, with a tour and a recording of new music.
Benton reunited with the other members of the original line up of the Time at The 50th Grammy Awards on February 10th, 2008 in a medley that included the artist Rihanna, and featuring "Jungle Love." A new album and tour by the group is in the works.
