Morris Day, perhaps best known as the charismatic lead singer of the funk band The Time, spent time growing up in Gaithersburg, MD. He talks about working at Montgomery Wards in Gaithersburg (where Burlington is today) in an interview five years ago with Vlad TV. The clip where he mentioned Gaithersburg can be seen here.
“I was hanging out in Maryland. I lived in Gaithersburg, Maryland. My mom moved us there and I was working at a car rental counter at I believe it was called Montgomery Wards…” Day said in the interview, referencing his time in the county.
Born Morris Eugene Day on December 13, 1957, in Springfield, Illinois, he spent time here in Montgomery County before later moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota. His passion for music emerged early, and he was a childhood friend and bandmate of Prince. They were in early bands together, including Grand Central (later Champagne), with Day often playing drums.
In 1981, Prince assembled The Time, with Morris Day as the frontman. The band quickly gained recognition for their unique blend of funk, R&B, and pop, and Day’s flamboyant style and captivating stage presence. The Time had several hit singles, including “Get It Up,” “Cool,” “777-9311,” “Jungle Love,” and “Jerk Out.” Their music and image contributed significantly to the “Minneapolis sound.”
Day’s involvement with Prince extended to the big screen, where he played Prince’s antagonist in the 1984 film “Purple Rain,” and also appeared in “Graffiti Bridge” (1990). After The Time’s initial success, Day launched a solo career in 1985, releasing albums like “Color of Success” (1985) and “Daydreaming” (1987), which featured his biggest solo hit, the number one R&B single “Fishnet.”
Morris Day has continued to perform with The Time on and off throughout the years and has released additional solo albums. His memoir, “On Time: A Princely Life in Funk,” was published in 2019, detailing his life and relationship with Prince.