(January 22, 2022) Today we say a sad goodbye to singer and drummer Lew Kirton, known for a string of hits on Miami’s TK Records in the late 70s and early 80s.
Born in the Carribbean, Kirton (then known as “Jiggs Kirton”) first came to the attention of music fans as the lead singer of The Invitations (replacing Herman Colefield), a popular soul group that also featured Gary Gant, Bill Morris and Robert Rivers. They had some moderate hits with “They Say The Girl’s Crazy” and “Look On The Good Side,” before Kirton moved over to TK Records for a solo career.
On TK, Kirton scored a hit with a cover of Hall & Oates’ “Do What You Want, Be What You Are,” on which he showed off his powerful lead vocals, somewhat reminiscent of The Dramatics’ LJ Reynolds. Even bigger was his upbeat, horn-filled dance song, “Heaven In The Afternoon.”
Kirton moved to MCA records and continued to record solo through the mid-80s, while also performing as a guest vocalist with other acts.
After years out of the spotlight, Kirton’s music was rediscovered by fans via reissues of his TK work by Expansion Records. Kirton then went back to the studio, and independently issued new music on the albums Forever in 2005 and So Into You in 2010, still sounding fantastic. Rest in peace. Mr. Kirton.
