Jerome Benton (born September 19, 1962) is an American musical performer, backup dancer and comedic actor. He can be seen in music videos by

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

, but he is known for his association with Morris Day and The Time. Benton is the brother of The Time

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

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 A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases f ...

to Day, along with his dancing and providing backing vocals. In 1983, when

Jimmy Jam Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

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 parts backstage. (Jam and Lewis 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 A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...

and valet. He also appeared in Prince's second film '' Under the Cherry Moon'', and in Prince's third film '' Graffiti Bridge''. The chemistry between Day and Benton was well received. Although The Time soon dissolved after Day started pursuing a solo career, Prince retained Benton, as well as Jellybean Johnson and

Paul Peterson Paul Joseph Peterson (born October 18, 1964), also known as St. Paul Peterson, is a singer and musician best known for his memberships in the bands The Family and The Time. Life and career Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Peterson was the you ...

for the short-lived project

The Family A family is a domestic or social group. Family or The Family may also refer to: Mathematics *Family of curves, a set of curves resulting from a function with variable parameters *Family of sets, a collection of sets *Indexed family, a family wh ...

. Benton reunited with The Family on December 13, 2003 for a single charity performance along with other acts formerly associated with Prince. Benton joined Prince alumnus Jill Jones, Greg Brooks & Wally Safford in Detroit June 2017 for
The Purple Block Party: Prince
sponsored by UrbanOne Station KISS 105.9 in honor of the late performer's birthday. In January 2018, Benton joined his brother Terry Lewis in support of Super Bowl Live in Minneapolis. Jerome was featured in several performances including fDeluxe

, The Time, Morris Day & The Time and

Sheila E Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist and singer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving t ...

. Benton returned to Minneapolis in support of the PRN Alumni Foundation in April 2019. The event featured a performance from Ingrid Chavez with an Author's panel featuring Chris Riemenschneider, Jim Walsh, Allen Beaulieu,

Tamar Davis Tamar may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Tamar'' (album), by Tamar Braxton, 2000 * ''Tamar'' (novel), by Mal Peet, 2005 * ''Tamar'' (poem), an epic poem by Robinson Jeffers People * Tamar (name), including a list of people with ...

& Duane Tudahl. Jerome continues his hosting duties of The Purple Paisley Brunch. This annual event series features the DJs spinning the best of the Minneapolis Sound with an unlimited brunch. This event is cultivated by Tonya Giddens of BklynGurl Productions in New York. The September 2019 edition will take place at Taj II Lounge and Event Space. Featured guests will include Madhouse album cover girl and muse Maneca Lightner and several surprise guests.

References

External links

*
Jerome Benton website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benton, Jerome 1962 births Living people American male singers The Revolution (band) members The Original 7ven members