TV One’s music documentary series Unsung is shining a spotlight on trailblazing jazz singer Al Jarreau.
In the episode that aired on Sunday, April 12, the series explored how the late performer launched his music career and revolutionized jazz.
Jarreau won a legion of fans in the 1970s with early classics like “We Got By” and “Take Five.” While he was popular in jazz circles, his 1981 single “We’re in This Love Together” became a platinum seller and gave him mainstream success.
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In a clip from Unsung, the singer’s former musical director Chris Walker said Jarreau’s team pushed him to change his style and stop scatting for “We’re in This Love Together.”
“Oh course that’s difficult for Al, but he did it,” Walker said.
The song landed on both the pop and R&B charts. It peaked at No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and climbed to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent 24 weeks. The single also propelled Jarreau to become the first singer to win Grammy Awards for jazz, R&B and pop.
Among his other achievements, he sang the theme song for the hit 1980s TV series Moonlighting starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis, and he was one of the famous voices on the charity single “We Are the World.”
Jarreau passed away at age 76 in 2017. Unsung reflected on the Wisconsin native’s life through interviews with his friends, family members and former collaborators. The episode aired on Sunday, April 12.
Watch a clip from the episode below:
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