Shalamar

Shalamar emerged in 1977 as an American R&B and soul music vocal group, initially conceptualized by Dick Griffey and Don Cornelius. Their debut hit, “Uptown Festival” (1977), recorded by session musicians, led to the formation of a performing group. Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel, alongside Gary Mumford, were selected to front Shalamar. Following Mumford’s departure, Gerald Brown joined for their second album, “Disco Gardens” (1978), which included the track “Take That to the Bank.” Internal disputes led to Brown’s exit, and Howard Hewett became his replacement in 1979 establishing the classic lineup.

With Hewett, Watley, and Daniel, and under the production of Leon Sylvers III, Shalamar achieved significant commercial success. They signed with SOLAR Records and released the million-selling single “The Second Time Around” in 1979. This lineup earned three Gold albums in the U.S.: “Big Fun” (1979), “Three for Love” (1980), and “Friends” (1982). Their album “Friends” (1982) was particularly successful in the UK, featuring hit singles such as “I Can Make You Feel Good,” “A Night to Remember,” and “There It Is.” Jeffrey Daniel’s dance performances on BBC Television’s “Top of the Pops,” including introducing body-popping and demonstrating the moonwalk on television, significantly boosted their UK record sales and influenced artists like Michael Jackson, with whom Daniel later co-choreographed for the “Bad” album.

In 1983, Watley and Daniel departed, leading to a lineup change with Micki Free and Delisa Davis joining Howard Hewett. This new configuration achieved a Pop Top 20 hit “Dancing in the Sheets” from the “Footloose” soundtrack and contributed “Don’t Get Stopped in Beverly Hills” to the “Beverly Hills Cop” soundtrack, which earned a Grammy Award. After Hewett’s departure to pursue a solo career in 1985, Sidney Justin became the lead vocalist for the final albums “Circumstantial Evidence” (1987) and “Wake Up” (1990) before the group disbanded. Shalamar has seen various reunions, including a significant one in 1999 with Howard Hewett, Jeffrey Daniel, and Carolyn Griffey, daughter of Dick Griffey, who continue to perform internationally, and were awarded a stone on the Music Walk Of Fame in Camden in 2023.