Bio
Jimmy Jam (James Harris III) and Terry Lewis are a Minneapolis-based songwriting and production duo widely regarded as among the greatest music producers in history. They met through an Upward Bound program at the University of Minnesota, later forming the band Flyte Tyme — which became The Time under Prince in 1981. After being dismissed from The Time in 1982 for outside production work, they founded Flyte Tyme Productions. Their breakthrough came with Janet Jackson’s Control (1986), launching one of the most successful producer-artist partnerships in pop history. They have produced 16 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, 26 R&B No. 1 hits, and over 100 Billboard top ten songs. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Works
Key Productions
| Artist | Work | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Janet Jackson | Control | 1986 |
| Janet Jackson | Rhythm Nation 1814 | 1989 |
| Janet Jackson | janet. | 1993 |
| Janet Jackson | The Velvet Rope | 1997 |
| Sounds of Blackness | The Evolution of Gospel | 1991 |
| Sounds of Blackness | Optimistic | 1991 |
| SOS Band | ”Just Be Good to Me” | 1983 |
| Boyz II Men | ”On Bended Knee” | 1994 |
| Boyz II Men | ”4 Seasons of Loneliness” | 1997 |
| Alexander O’Neal | ”Criticize” | 1987 |
| Mariah Carey | Various | 1990s |
| Mary J. Blige | Various | 1990s |
| Usher | Various | 2000s |
Awards & Recognition
- 5 Grammy Awards
- 11 Grammy nominations for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (more than any other producer)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees — Musical Excellence (2022)
- ASCAP Board of Directors (Terry Lewis, 2023)
As Artists
- Jam & Lewis Volume One (2023) — debut album as recording artists after 35 years as producers