Musicheads Essential Artist: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
April 15, 2021
Click above to hear an audio version of this biography, with musical selections. Audio hosted by Sanni Brown and produced by Derrick Stevens.
Legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are Musicheads Essential Artists.
James Harris III and Terry Lewis were both born in the Midwest in the late 1950s. The boys came up in rival bands in North Minneapolis, but soon enough, they joined forces in a group called Flyte Tyme.
By 1981, Flyte Time had morphed into the Time, with Jimmy Jam on keys and Terry Lewis on bass. When they weren't working for Prince, they moonlighted as songwriters and producers. Eventually, their outside work combined with a freak snowstorm made them miss a show on the 1999 Tour. Prince fired them soon after, but that was just the beginning of their career.
Before she met Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Janet Jackson was best known as a TV actor. She had already released two albums, but as Jimmy and Terry noticed, they were missing her attitude. For her third album, Control, Jimmy and Terry would let Janet be Ms. Jackson.
Control sent Janet, Terry, and Jimmy to the top of the charts. The trio repeated the magic a few years later with Rhythm Nation 1814. These albums' stomping beats, bright samples, and funky basslines set the tone for Jimmy and Terry's future work — with artists including Patti LaBelle, Mary J. Blige, Usher, and New Edition.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have won five Grammy awards and racked up a record 11 nominations for Producer of the Year. They are icons of pop, new jack swing, and R&B. They're not done experimenting — in 2020, they signed a record deal for a debut album of their own. Through collaborations with Prince, Janet, and each other, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have become global ambassadors of the Minneapolis Sound.