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

Kingkongphoto from Laurel Maryland, USA · Morris Day · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Morris Day
- Birth Name
- Morris Eugene Day
- Born
- 13 December 1956
- Birthplace
- Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Singer
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- funk rock · funk · new wave · soul · pop music
- Education
- North Community High School
- Languages
- English
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Morris Eugene Day (born December 13, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q5618166 · wikipedia · Morris Day
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Morris Day • Birth Name — Morris Eugene Day • Born — 13 December 1956 • Birthplace — Springfield, Illinois, U.S. • Origin — Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. • Genre — * Minneapolis sound • funk • rock • pop • R&B • new wave • hip-hop • new jack swing • Occupation — * Singer • songwriter • bandleader • actor • Years Active — 1980−present • Current Member Of — The Time • Label — * Warner Bros. • Paisley Park • Reprise • Hollywood
Music career
Music career
• Illustration — Day in 1996 Morris Day is best known as the lead singer of The Time, a group associated with Prince. Day and Prince attended the same high school in Minneapolis and in 1974, as teenagers, became bandmates in the band Grand Central. The band was managed by Morris' mother. Morris announced in 2022 that he would be releasing his final solo album Last Call and retiring from regular touring after his 2023–2024 tour.
Acting career
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 film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (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 ending. 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 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, attempting to file a lawsuit against Moesha's ex-boyfriend Q, who used a sample from "The Oak Tree" without permission. He also appeared in the series 227. He appeared opposite James Avery and Matthew Stewart in a pilot called Heart & Soul produced by Quincy Jones. In 2018, Will Smith revealed that he auditioned on the spot for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with a script for a "failed Morris Day pilot" that Jones handed to him.
Personal life
Personal life
On June 4, 1986, Day married Judith Jones, a background vocalist for Lou Rawls. They had three children, Derran Day, Evan Day, and Tionna Day, and divorced in 2011. He married Lorena Day in 2012.
Legal dispute with Prince Estate
Legal dispute with Prince Estate
• Illustration — Morris Day and The Time performing in 2024 In March 2022, an article written by the Los Angeles Times 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.”
Albums
Albums
• Year — Album — Chart positions • US — US R&B • 1985 — Color of Success — 37 — 7 • 1987 — Daydreaming — 41 — 7 • 1992 — Guaranteed — — — — • 2004 — It's About Time — 197 — 38 • 2022 — Last Call — — — — • "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Singles
Singles
• Year — Single — Chart positions • US — US R&B — US Dance — UK • 1985 — "The Oak Tree" — 65 — 3 — 14 — 77 • "The Color of Success" — — — 15 — — — — • "The Character" — — — 34 — — — — • "Love Sign" — — — — — — — — • 1987 — "Fishnet" — 23 — 1 — 12 — — • 1988 — "Love Is A Game" — — — 71 — — — — • "Are You Ready" — — — — — 8 — — • "Daydreaming" — — — 26 — — — — • 1992 — "Circle of Love" — — — — — — — — • "Gimme Whatcha Got" — — — 77 — — — — • 2000 — "Get a Job" — — — 96 — — — — • 2017 — "Over That Rainbow" — — — — — — — — • "One Night Stand" (with Snoop Dogg) — — — — — — — — • 2019 — "Lil Mo Funk" (with Snoop Dogg) — — — — — — — — • 2020 — "Cooler Than Santa Claus" — — — — — — — — • "Headrush" (with Trinidad James) — — — — — — — — • 2021 — "Grown Man" (with Big Daddy Kane) — — — — — — — — • "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1989 — 227 — Prince Lionel — Episode: "The Prince" • 1990 — New Attitude — Lamarr — Main cast • 1997 — Moesha — Himself — Episode: "Rhythm and Dues" • 2004 — Eve — Rodney P — Episode: "Pimps Up, DivaStyle Down" • Da Boom Crew — Zorch — Main cast • 2007−08 — Baisden After Dark — Himself/Band Leader — TV series
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Killers in the brain: essays in science and technology from the Royal Institution / edited by P. Institutional cataloguing adds that byzantine architecture: illustrated by examples of edifices erected in the East during the earliest ages of Christianity, with historical & archaeological descriptions / by Charles Texier and R. The nature and necessity of early piety. Institutional cataloguing adds that a sermon preach'd at St. Margarets, Westminster, August the 19th. Lecturer of St.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Morris Day was born at Minneapolis.
Birthplace
Minneapolis.
Birth place
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1984 — Purple Rain — Himself • 1988 — Moving — Rudy • Heart and Soul — Curtis Brousseau — TV movie • 1990 — The Adventures of Ford Fairlane — Don Cleveland • Graffiti Bridge — Himself • 1997 — A Woman Like That • 2001 — Boys Klub — Marx 2 • Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back — Himself • 2004 — West from North Goes South — Elvis Potter
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Morris Day”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5618166: Morris Day
General reference · Wikidata
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,375 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Morr MusicOrganisation
- MorraveyPerson
- Morris AlbertPerson
- Morris ChapmanPerson
- Morris GoldbergPerson
- Morris PalterPerson
- Morris PertPerson
- Morris StoloffPerson
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