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Sterling St. Jacques

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Sterling St. Jacques (1951 – c. 1992) was an American model, dancer, actor, and singer. Known as "Swirling Sterling," St. Jacques has been described as the first black male supermodel.[1][2][3] He was a frequent figure in New York society life in the 1970s and gained notoriety for dancing with famous patrons. In the 1980s, he moved to Europe and had a career as an Italo disco singer before reportedly dying from AIDS.

Life and career

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Early life and education

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Sterling St. Jacques was born in a city outside of Salt Lake City, Utah.[4] He never knew his biological parents which caused him to become rebellious and he often ran away.[4] As a child, his family moved to Connecticut before returning to Salt Lake City where he attended Oquirrh School.[5]

As a teenager, he was adopted by actor Raymond St. Jacques in the 1960s."He took an interest in me when he saw I was going nowhere and gave me the push I needed to get my head together," said St. Jacques.[4] Raymond St. Jacques is noted as the first African-American to portray a cowboy on television.[6][7] His mother Nina Hobbs, sang with jazz bandleaders Count Basie and Duke Ellington.[4] St. Jacques played basketball in high school and went to school with actress Judy Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft in Hollywood.[4]

Dancing, acting and modeling career

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He took an interest in joining his father in show business. The father and son duo were known for their fashion sense in the early 1970s.[7] Before his father helped him land a role as a background dancer on the television series Laugh-In, he was a dancer at Disneyland.[4] He moved to New York to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute after leaving California, living off of part-time modeling work.[4] His appearance caused a sensation–especially among wealthy high society society matrons who clamored to dance with him discotheques.[4] In 1976, St. Jacques told Sepia magazine that he and Jackie Kennedy Onassis were "the closest of friends."[4] He gave her private dancing lessons and credited himself for bringing her out of her shell on the dance floor.[4]

In an industry where there isn't much representation of black models, St. Jacques had a successful career modeling for high fashion designers. "I've shown that black men can be macho-looking while at the same time have grace and smoothness. I'm proud to make black people see they can be doing this kind of work," he said.[4]

Handsome and dapper, St. Jacques attracted men and women. He had a highly publicized relationship with model Pat Cleveland, to whom he was engaged.[8][9] Although it was reported that they met while modeling in Paris in 1973, Cleveland wrote in her book Walking Girl: A Memoir that they met at New York's Hurrah nightclub in 1976.[8][10] She also revealed that before her St. Jacques had only slept with men, including a "long affair" with Hubert de Givenchy.[10] St. Jacques and Cleveland were a popular dancing duo, drawing inspiration from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to revive 1940s elegance.[11] They appeared on the television show Soul Train and performed at the Lincoln Center for a benefit.[10]

In 1976, St Jacques and Cleveland appeared nude in the sexually explicit Broadway play Let My People Come, which was only shown at the Morosco Theater.[8][10] During an intermission for the play in September 1976, St. Jacques was arrested on a third-degree larceny charge for allegedly stealing $1,000 worth of jewelry from his former girlfriend, Juliet Baruch.[12][13] The show closed after 108 performances, all of them previews.[10] Cleveland stated that despite their "deep devotion to each other" their relationship ended after a year due to St. Jacques' preference for men.[10]

In the late 1970s, St. Jacques was a staple at the New York nightclub Studio 54.[14] He was often photographed dancing with celebrities and socialites such as Bianca Jagger, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, and Caroline Kennedy.[15][16] His social circle also included Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell, artist Andy Warhol, and fashion designer Halston who were regulars at the nightclub.[17] Reportedly, St. Jacques charming dance moves inspired the 1979 hit song "He's the Greatest Dancer" by Sister Sledge.[18]

Music career

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In the early 1980s, St. Jacques moved to Europe where he found moderate success as an Italo disco singer.[19]

Death

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According to his former fiancée, Pat Cleveland, St. Jacques died of complications of AIDS in 1984, but his death was never officially confirmed.[10] However, in a 1988 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Raymond St. Jacques said he had two sons and that Sterling had a television show in Düsseldorf.[20] It was reported in 1991, that Jacques was left "the sum of $1.00" in Raymond St. Jacques' will, which was stipulated in October 1988.[21]

Discography

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Albums

  • 1980: Sterling Saint Jacques (Dig-It International Records – PL 3023)

Singles

  • 1980: "Again" / "I'm A Star" (Dig-It International Records – DG NP 1201)
  • 1980: "Muscle Man" / "Rock Blue" (Dig-It International Records – PL/PROM 3024)
  • 1981: "Tutto È Blu (Blue)" / "Turn Me On" ((Dig-It International Records – DG 1205)
  • 1981: "Des Mots Pour Toi" / "Manhattan Man" (Polydor – 2056905)
  • 1983: "Comin, Into Love" (Papillon Records – MRP 4002)
  • 1984: "Mister Moonlight" (Airport – ITF 362)

References

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  1. ^ Musto, Michael (February 13, 2017). "The Best Black Male Fashion Models of All Time". www.out.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  2. ^ Nartey, Stephen (2024-08-05). "Sterling St Jacques: The mystery of America's first male supermodel who ruled the 70s stage". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  3. ^ Hynes, Hayley. "These 12 Black Male Models Are Paving the Way in the Fashion Industry - Blavity". Blavity News & Entertainment. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ribowsky, Mark (October 1976). "Black Toast of White Society". Sepia: 28–32.
  5. ^ Pearson, Howard (1971-10-27). "Laugh-In Dancer Visits". Deseret News. pp. D-9. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  6. ^ Peterson, Maurice (May 13, 1973). "He's Making a Big Numbers ' Racket". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Mutual Understanding: Raymond and Raymond St. Jacques: Bridging the Generation gap". The Los Angeles Times. June 15, 1970. p. 32. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Wahls, Robert (1976-08-08). "Body Language". Daily News. pp. Leisure 4. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  9. ^ "Pat Cleveland, Model: A Fast-Paced Ride With The Jet Set Crowd". Ebony: 72. Aug 1977.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Cleveland, Pat (2016). Walking Girl: A Memoir. New York: 37 INK. pp. 309–313, 316. ISBN 978-1-5011-0824-2.
  11. ^ Wohlfert, Lee (March 7, 1977). "For Fashion's Dancing Twosome, Manhattan Is The Big Apple–Candy Coated". People Weekly. 7 (9): 56–58.
  12. ^ "Nudie Actor Seized in 1G Gem Theft". Daily News. 1976-09-21. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  13. ^ "Sterling St. Jacques Busted Nude; Allegedly Stole Girlfriend's Jewelry In N.Y." Jet. October 14, 1976.
  14. ^ Haden-Guest, Anthony (February 17, 2015). The Last Party: Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture of the Night. Open Road Media. ISBN 978-1-4976-9555-9.
  15. ^ "Get Down With Th Get Down". Jet. 57 (14): 33.
  16. ^ "This Week's Best Photos". Jet: 39. January 19, 1978.
  17. ^ Warhol, Andy; Hackett, Pat (1989). The Andy Warhol Diaries. New York, NY: Warner Books. pp. 70, 117. ISBN 978-0-446-51426-2.
  18. ^ Nartey, Stephen (2024-08-05). "Sterling St Jacques: The mystery of America's first male supermodel who ruled the 70s stage". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  19. ^ "People". To The Point. 9 (18): 29. May 2, 1980.
  20. ^ Weaver, Maurice (September 29, 1988). "Raymond St. Jacques Ascends the Bench". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  21. ^ "Late Actor St. Jacques Leaves Estate Valued At $750,000 To Kin, Friends". Jet. April 15, 1991.
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