Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
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James "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born on June 6, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Terry Lewis (born November 21, 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska) are an American R&B and pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most notably Janet Jackson.
The pair met in high school in Minneapolis and formed a band called Flyte Time, later The Time. In 1981, they were joined by Morris Day and toured with Prince as Morris Day & the Time. As members of The Time they recorded two albums, The Time and What Time Is It?. From these two albums which shaped early eighties R&B music "Cool","Get It Up", "The Walk", "777-9311", and "Gigolos Get Lonely Too". The pair were fired from the tour because a blizzard left them unable to rejoin after a short break to produce The SOS Band. However, one of the tracks they were producing, "Just Be Good to Me", became a big hit and made their reputation, as well that of the SOS Band.
After working with other artists like Gladys Knight and Luther Vandross, Jam and Lewis were introduced to Janet Jackson and produced her breakthrough album Control in 1986, for which the duo won a Grammy Award. Their collaboration on her next album, 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814, was even more successful.
Since that time they have founded a record label, Perspective Records, and worked with artists including Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, The Human League, Usher, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey. In 2000, the two were guest performers for J-pop singer and songwriter Utada Hikaru's concert tour in Japan, Bohemian Summer.
Terry Lewis married R&B singer Karyn White, with whom he had a daughter, Ashley Nicole. The pair have since divorced.
Jimmy Jam is the brother-in-law of NBA superstar Kevin Garnett
[edit] Selected discography
- 1982: "Heartbreaker" - Klymaxx
- 1983: "Just Be Good to Me" - The SOS Band
- 1983: "Tell Me If You Still Care" - The SOS Band
- 1984: "Just the Way You Like It" - The SOS Band
- 1986: "What Have You Done for Me Lately" - Janet Jackson
- 1986: "Tender Love" - Force MD's
- 1986: "Nasty" - Janet Jackson
- 1986: "When I Think Of You " - Janet Jackson
- 1986: "The Finest" - The SOS Band featuring Alexander O'Neal
- 1986: "Human" - The Human League
- 1986: "Control" - Janet Jackson
- 1987: "Let's Wait Awhile" - Janet Jackson
- 1988: "If It Isn't Love" - New Edition
- 1988: "Can You Stand the Rain" - New Edition
- 1989: "Rhythm Nation" - Janet Jackson
- 1990: "Escapade" - Janet Jackson
- 1991: "Optimistic" - Sounds of Blackness
- 1991: "The Pressure, Pt. 1" - Sounds of Blackness
- 1991: "Testify" - Sounds of Blackness
- 1993: "That's The Way Love Goes" - Janet Jackson
- 1993: "Again" - Janet Jackson
- 1994: "On Bended Knee" - Boyz II Men
- 1994: "I'm Going All the Way" - Sounds of Blackness
- 1994: "I Believe" - Sounds of Blackness
- 1995: "Scream" - Michael and Janet Jackson
- 1995: "Runaway - Janet Jackson
- 1996: "Say...If You Feel Alright" - Crystal Waters
- 1997: "History" - Michael Jackson
- 1997: "4 Seasons of Loneliness" - Boyz II Men
- 1997: "Go Deep" - Janet Jackson
- 1998: "I Get Lonely" - Janet Jackson
- 1999: "Thank God I Found You" - Mariah Carey featuring Joe and 98 Degrees
- 1999: "I'm Good at Being Bad" - TLC
- 1999: "Give it to You" - Jordan Knight
- 1999: "Addicted to You" - Utada Hikaru
- 2000: "Wait & See ~Risk~" - Utada Hikaru
- 2000: "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" - Mariah Carey
- 2000: "Who's Your Woman" - Cleopatra
- 2000: "Free" - Mya
- 2000: "Doesn't Really Matter" - Janet Jackson
- 2001: "All For You" - Janet Jackson
- 2001: "Someone To Call My Lover" - Janet Jackson
- 2001: "U Remind Me" - Usher
- 2002: "No More Drama" - Mary J. Blige
- 2002: "Here I Am" - Bryan Adams
- 2002: "Through The Rain" - Mariah Carey
- 2002: "Yours" - Mariah Carey
- 2004: "Harajuku Girls" - Gwen Stefani
- 2004: "Bad Girl" - Usher
- 2004: "Truth Hurts" - Usher
- 2004: "Simple Things" - Usher
- 2004: "All Nite (Don't Stop)" - Janet Jackson
- 2004: "I Want You" - Janet Jackson
- 2005: "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" - Jessica Simpson
- 2006: "Kirakuni" / "Together" - Crystal Kay
- 2006: "Walkin' 'Round in a Circle" - Jessica Simpson
- 2006: "Push Your Tush" - Jessica Simpson
- 2006: "Back To You" - Jessica Simpson
- 2006: "Call on Me" - Janet Jackson and Nelly
