Morris E. Day (born December 13, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time.

Music career

Morris Day is best known as the lead singer of The Time, a group associated with

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. ...

. Day and Prince attended the same high school in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

and in 1974, as teenagers, became bandmates in the band Grand Central. Morris announced on September 13, 2022 that he will be retiring after his 2023 tour.

Acting career

In addition to his roles in '' Purple Rain'' (1984) and '' Graffiti Bridge'' (1990), Day also appeared in small parts in films such as Richard Pryor's '' Moving'' (1988) and the

Andrew Dice Clay Andrew Dice Clay (born Andrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a brash, deliberately offensive persona known as "The Diceman". In 1990, he became the fi ...

film ''

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane ''The Adventures of Ford Fairlane'' is a 1990 American action comedy mystery film directed by Renny Harlin and written by David Arnott, James Cappe, and Daniel Waters based on a story by Arnott and Cappe. The film stars comedian Andrew Di ...

'' (1990). Day's presence on the screen decreased until, in 2001, he returned to film in Kevin Smith's '' Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'', performing "Jungle Love" with The Time after being introduced emphatically by Jason Mewes' character as "Morris Day and The Time!" and dancing with the movie's stars in the film's coda. Day also appeared on the small screen in 1990 when he portrayed the character Lamarr on ABC's short-lived sitcom '' New Attitude''. He guest-starred on the sitcom '' Eve'' as a

pimp Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...

who wanted Eve's fashion boutique to design a flamboyant suit to match his witty personality, and appeared as himself in an episode on the series ''

Moesha ''Moesha'' () is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her upper middle class fa ...

'', attempting to file a lawsuit against Moesha's ex-boyfriend Q, who used a sample from "The Oak Tree" without permission. He also appeared on ''

227 Year 227 ( CCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Senecio and Fulvius (or, less frequently, year 980 ''Ab urbe condi ...

'' in the 80s. He appeared opposite James Avery and Matthew Stewart in a pilot called Heart & Soul produced by Quincy Jones. In 2018,

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

revealed that he auditioned on the spot for ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

'' with a script for a "failed Morris Day pilot" that Jones handed to him.

Appearances in popular culture

Australian musician Dave Graney repeats a Morris Day quote—"As a concept—incredible! But I’m a reality!"—over and over throughout the title song from his 2009 album, 'Knock Yourself Out'.

Legal dispute with Prince Estate

In March 2022, an article written by the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

mentioned that the Prince Estate recently informed Day that he “‘can no longer use Morris Day and the Time in any capacity.’” After reading the letter that was sent to Day from the estate, music industry attorney Erin M. Jacobson mentioned in that same article that it was more accurate to say the letter stated that Day could not claim “‘ownership of the name,’” but there was still opportunity to use the name via an agreement with the Prince Estate that would provide terms for Day to monetarily compensate “‘the trademark owner in exchange for the ability to continue using the name.’”

Discography

Albums

Singles

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Day, Morris 1956 births African-American drummers African-American rock musicians American dance musicians Midwest hip hop musicians American funk drummers American male drummers American funk singers American male pop singers American soul singers Living people Musicians from Minneapolis Songwriters from Minnesota The Original 7ven members Singers from Minnesota 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians African-American songwriters 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American people American male songwriters