Similar Artists:
- Active: '70s
- Genres: Rock
- Instrument: Melodion
- Representative Albums: "Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs," "All the Way...Love"
Biography
Actor Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs is best known for his roles as Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington of ABC-TV's '70s hit sitcom Welcome Back Kotter; Diahann Carroll's son in the 1974 movie Claudine; Richard "Cochise" Morris, the high school basketball star of the classic 1975 American International Pictures movie Cooley High; the 1978 AIP gang flick Youngblood; and as Joe Jackson in the top-rated 1992 ABC-TV miniseries The Jacksons: The American Dream.At the height of Kotter's success, Jacobs let it be known through interviews in such magazines as Right On! and Black Stars that he had aspirations of being a recording artist. One Kotter episode had him singing and playing chords on a piano.
Getting a deal with ABC Records, Jacobs began working with Motown alumnus Lamont Dozier. His solo debut album, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, was released in February 1978. With Dozier producing and writing most of the songs, three singles were issued: the inspiring "Fly Away to My Wonderland," which briefly charted; the introspective ballad "What Kind of Man" (both were performed by Jacobs on an appearance on Soul Train); and the samba-flavored "Love and Understanding." One album track, a duet remake of Dexter Wansel and Bunny Sigler's "Holdin' On" (originally on Wansel's Voyager LP) with Deborah Pratt received substantial airplay. Other highlights were "Time Machine," "Wonder Woman," and the instrumental "Larry's Theme."
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs briefly charted in the lower half of Billboard's soul LP chart and wasn't a sales success, but it became a collectible in later years because of its high quality.
Jacobs' next ABC album was All the Way...Love issued in March 1979 and produced by another Motown alumnus, Freddie Perren (the Corporation, the Jackson 5, the Miracles, the Sylvers, Peaches and Herb). More disco-oriented than his self-titled debut, it failed to chart. One Jacobs single, "I Never Been Here Before," was produced by former Crusaders member Wayne Henderson for Street City.
Jacobs appeared in a national TV ad and toured in the gospel play Looking for Mr. Right in 1999. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
