Jerry Ernest Knight (April 17, 1952 – December 29, 1996)[1] was an American R&B vocalist and bassist[2] who reached prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during which he was part of several groups and had a brief solo career.[1]
Jerry Knight | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jerry Ernest Knight |
| Born | April 17, 1952 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 29, 1996 (aged 44) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1978–1996 |
| Labels | Arista, A&M |
Career
editA Los Angeles native,[2] he first gained recognition as a founding member, along with Ray Parker Jr., of the R&B group Raydio, singing vocals on their early hit "Jack and Jill."[1] Prior to this, he was a session player for many artists, notably providing bass on Bill Withers “Lovely Day.”
Knight left Raydio after before their second album was released to pursue a solo career, going on to release three solo albums and achieving moderate success with minor hits such as "Overnight Sensation," "Perfect Fit" and "Turn It Out".[1]
In 1983, Knight teamed with session drummer Ollie E. Brown to form Ollie & Jerry. They provided the title track to the soundtrack for the 1984 movie Breakin', which reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] They also recorded the title track for Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, which got to #45 on the Billboard R&B chart.[3]
Shortly after Ollie & Jerry parted ways in 1985, Knight began working with the Jets, co-writing their early hits "Crush On You," "Curiosity," and "Private Number".[4] Although his career as an artist faded, Knight continued to write and produce for other acts such as the Whispers, Patrice Rushen, DeBarge, Howard Hewett and Elkie Brooks.
Personal life and death
editAccording to an interview with his Raydio bandmate Ray Parker, Jr., Raydio's song "Jack and Jill" was actually written about Knight and his wife, whose real name was Jill (Maxine) Knight. Parker added that Knight and Jill had two children together (Dereck and Lindsay).[5]
Knight died of cancer in Los Angeles on December 29, 1996, at age 44.[1] He is buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery.
Solo discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Chart positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [6] |
US R&B [6] | ||||
| 1980 | Jerry Knight | 165 | 51 | A&M Records | |
| 1981 | Perfect Fit | 146 | 30 | ||
| 1982 | Love's on Your Side | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [7] |
US R&B [7] |
US Dance [7] | |||
| 1980 | "Overnight Sensation" | 103 | 17 | 18 | |
| "Joy Ride" | — | 87 | — | ||
| 1981 | "Perfect Fit" | — | 16 | 37 | |
| "Turn It Out" | — | 65 | — | ||
| 1982 | "She's Got to Be (A Dancer)" | — | 71 | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||
Songwriting credits
edit| Year | Artist | Song Title | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Rare Earth | "Is Your Teacher Cool?" | Rarearth |
| 1978 | Elkie Brooks | "Since You Went Away" | Shooting Star |
| 1979 | Charles Jackson | "Gonna Get Your Love" | I'm Gonna Get Your Love |
| 1980 | Dee Edwards | "Don't Walk Away" | Two Hearts Are Better Than One |
| 1983 | The Whispers | "Tonight" | Love for Love |
| Philip Bailey | "Desire" | Continuation | |
| 1984 | Ollie & Jerry | "Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us" | Breakin' Soundtrack |
| George Duke | "Secret Rendezvous" | Secret Rendezvous | |
| Ollie & Jerry | "They're So Incredible" | Revenge of the Nerds Soundtrack | |
| Philip Bailey | "Photogenic Memory" | Chinese Wall | |
| The Chi Lites | "Running Around" | Steppin' Out | |
| 1985 | Howard Johnson | "Stand Up" | The Vision |
| Jeff Lorber | "It Takes a Woman" | Step by Step | |
| Willie Hutch | "Sexy Feelin" | Making a Game Out of Love | |
| The Jets | "Curiosity" | The Jets | |
| "Crush on You" | |||
| "Private Number" | |||
| "Love Umbrella" | |||
| "Heart on the Line" | |||
| "Right Before My Eyes" | |||
| 1986 | Bunny Debarge | "Save the Best for Me" | In Love |
| "Life Savier" | |||
| O'Bryan | "Tenderoni" | Surrender | |
| "You Have Got to Come to Me" | |||
| "What Goes Around" | |||
| 1987 | Dionne Warwick | "Cry on Me" | Reservations for Two |
| Natalie Cole | "Everlasting" | Everlasting | |
| Brenda K. Starr | "Drive Another Girl Home" | Brenda K. Starr | |
| 1988 | Howard Hewett | "Challenge" | Forever and Ever |
| Five Star | "Physical Attraction" | Rock the World | |
| 1992 | Nona Gaye | "Give Me Something Good" | Love for the Future |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Wynn, Ron. "Artist Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Albums: Includes Every Album that Made the Billboard 200 Chart: 50 Year History of the Rock Era (6th ed.). Record Research Incorporated. p. 596. ISBN 9780898201666.
- ^ a b Hogan, Ed. "Ollie & Jerry - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ "Songs written by Jerry Knight". Music VF. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ Parker, Ron. "Ray Parker Jr in Studio <<WCBS-FM 101.1 (Ray Parker, Jr. interview with Rockin' Ron Parker). WCBSFM 101.1: New York's Greatest Hits". Archived from the original on September 16, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- ^ a b "Jerry Knight - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Jerry Knight Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
External links
edit- Jerry Knight discography at Discogs