Jimmy Jam spoke with members of the media on the red carpet of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which was held on Thursday, June 12th at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.
Along with Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are an R&B/pop songwriting and record producing team. They are known for writing songs for such artists as Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle, New Edition, and Gladys Knight & the Pips, among others.
They have written 31 Top 10 hits in the UK and 41 in the USA. In 2017, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2022, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and bestowed the “Musical Excellence” Award.
Jimmy Jam on being a part of the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony
On being a part of the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Jam said, “It feels wonderful to be here. Songwriters are my group of people, so I am very happy to be here.”
Jimmy Jam on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2022
On his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jam recalled, “That was pretty amazing!”
“The best part for me was my partner, Terry, who doesn’t really care about awards very much, but the fact that he had his family there, and he was able to stand on the stage, and say to his mother, ‘okay mom, I think I did pretty good here.’ That moment was really cool,” he explained.
Jam continued, “Terry’s mom was the type that would always tell him ‘when are you going to get a real job?’ His mom and my mom both passed on. My mom was very encouraging to me, and our mothers became friends.”
“Terry would always thank me for that…. Especially my mom for convincing his mother that we are legit, and that we are doing okay,” Jam added.
Advice for young and aspiring artists
For young and emerging artists, Jam said, “Just do it for the love of it. Obviously, there is sometimes fame and the money but just do it because you love it.”
“To me, you don’t work a day in your life if you love what you do,” he noted.
“I always say ‘I’m busy doing the things I love to do with the people I love to do it with,’ and that’s where I am at in my life. So, I love being busy and I try to be with the right people doing the things that I love to do,” Jam acknowledged.
To learn more about Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, follow them on Instagram.
