Jerome Benton

Jerome Benton is an American musician and actor who became known through his long association with the band The Time. He began working with the group behind the scenes, then joined the lineup after a stage moment in which he fetched a mirror from a club restroom so lead singer Morris Day could comb his hair. He went on to serve as Day's comic foil and added backing vocals and percussion. Benton appeared with the band in Purple Rain (1984) as Day's bodyguard and valet, and he also had roles in Under the Cherry Moon (1986) and Graffiti Bridge (1990). His comic chemistry with Day was well received. After The Time dissolved when Day started a solo career, Prince kept Benton along with Jellybean Johnson and Paul Peterson in a short-lived project called The Family. Benton appeared in the 1986 video for Janet Jackson's Control and took part in a 2003 charity reunion of The Family.