Midnight Star

Midnight Star, a synth-funk ensemble, achieved multiple chart successes throughout the middle portion of the 1980s, highlighted by their 1983 double-platinum release titled No Parking on the Dance Floor. Formed at Kentucky State University in 1976 by the Calloway siblings—trumpeter Reginald and trombonist Vincent—alongside singer Belinda Lipscomb, the outfit belonged to Solar Records’ roster of hitmakers that encompassed Shalamar, Lakeside, and the Whispers. Near the end of the 1970s, they inked a deal with RCA and issued their debut effort, The Beginning, in 1980 utilizing various session musicians and production talent. By 1982, after transitioning to Solar, they put out Victory and subsequently incorporated additional performers including guitarist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, drummer Bobby Lovelace, and keyboardist Bo Watson. The production talents of the Calloways, which would later benefit artists such as Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, and Teddy Pendergrass, had already propelled Midnight Star onto the R&B listings from 1981 through 1982 via cuts like “Hot Spot” and “I’ve Been Watching You.” Unexpectedly, their third studio album No Parking on the Dance Floor yielded the breakthrough single “Freak-a-Zoid,” which reached the second spot on R&B rankings during the summer of 1983; although it missed the pop upper forty, the record attained platinum status. From the follow-up Planetary Invasion, “Operator” emerged as their top-performing track by climbing to number 18 on pop charts. Headlines, released in 1986, marked their third gold-selling project at minimum, yet it became their final one together, prompting Reginald and Vincent to depart in 1988 for the formation of Calloway. Notably, the Calloways had facilitated Babyface’s initial employment at Solar and handled production duties for his band the Deele. Lacking the Calloway brothers’ guidance, Midnight Star experienced a swift decline, as evidenced by the commercial failure of their 1988 self-titled release and the 1990 outing Work It Out, which preceded a lengthy hiatus until 15th Avenue appeared in 2002. Thereafter, the musicians pursued individual projects while reuniting regularly for live performances, with the 2007 configuration consisting of Lipscomb, Gentry, Watson, Lovelace, and Gant. Under the Calloway moniker, the siblings scored immediately with 1989’s “I Wanna Be Rich,” peaking at number two on the pop side. Additional releases included “Sir Lancelot” and the title song from their inaugural album All the Way, issued in 1990. Two years afterward, they returned via Let’s Get Smooth, though this proved to be their concluding effort. The brothers maintained active involvement in music, collaborating with acts like Pieces of a Dream and Bootsy Collins, among additional partners.