Remembering the pop brilliance of Jermaine Stewart’s “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off”
Soul Train creator Don Cornelius and booking agent Dick Griffey.Watley and Daniel were chosen, but Stewart was not. However, as a dancer, he went on to tour with the group and made regular appearances on Soul Train.
Shalamar enjoyed international success, and being in their orbit meant Stewart met numerous musicians. This included Mikey Craig of Culture Club.Impressed by Stewart’s voice, Craig asked him to contribute backing vocals to a Culture Club song, “Miss Me Blind”.
Craig also helped Stewart to put together a demo tape. That demo, along with Stewart’s association with Culture Club and Shalamar, landed the honey-voiced singer a recording deal with Arista.
His career got off to a promising start with the release of his debut album in 1984, The Word Is Out. Its lead single, of the same name, reached number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100.
