Lew Kirton

Born in Barbados, smooth soul vocalist Lew Kirton first honed his craft in a church choir and later appeared with Caribbean vocal ensembles under the name Jiggs Kirton. A capable drummer as well, he relocated to the United States and assumed the drum position in Sam & Dave’s touring revue beginning in 1969. Four years afterward he became lead singer of the Philly-styled soul outfit the Invitations, whose singles “They Say the Girl’s Crazy” and “Look on the Good Side” drew modest notice. Kirton launched his solo career in the late 1970s, signing in 1977 with Miami’s TK Records family, the same concern that had scored hits for George and Gwen McCrae. Working with writer-producer Clarence Reid—whose comic alter ego was Blowfly—he issued early sides on the Marlin subsidiary, among them the now-coveted “Do What You Want, Be What You Are.” The single “Heaven in the Afternoon” followed in 1978, and two years later his debut album Just Arrived appeared on TK’s Alston imprint. After a guest-vocal stint with B. Baker’s Chocolate Company, Kirton exited the label and settled in New York. His second album, Talk to Me, arrived in 1983 on Believe in a Dream and featured the title track plus “Don’t Give Up Your Dream (Hang On in There)” as singles. A final 45, “Don’t Wanna Wait,” surfaced on MCA in 1986, though another completed album has never been released. Expansion, a British imprint, later reissued Just Arrived as Heaven in the Afternoon, appending bonus material from Kirton’s earlier singles.