The group was formed in 1976 at
Kentucky State University by trumpeter
Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/drummer/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist Bill Simmons, keyboard player/vocalist Bo Watson and guitarist/keyboardist Jeff Cooper, as a self-contained group. They later added non-KSU student trombonist Vincent Calloway (Reginald's younger brother). A 1978 New York City showcase inspired
SOLAR Records chief
Dick Griffey to sign the group. They released their debut album
The Beginning (1980) with some studio musicians. In 1981 their second album, released on Solar Records,
Standing Together, reached position #54 on the U.S.
R&B chart. In 1982 they released the album
Victory. Using elected band leader Reggie Calloway's production skills, Midnight Star hit the U.S.
R&B chart with early singles "Hot Spot" and "I've Been Watching You". and No. 27 on the
Billboard Top LPs & Tape Other singles from the album included "Wet My Whistle", and the title track. The album's three singles all charted on ''Billboard's''
Hot 100, Black Singles and dance charts. In 1986 the band released the
Headlines, which was their third album to sell at least gold. It was to be their last with the Calloway brothers. Due to irreconcilable differences with the other members, Reggie was out of the group, and Vincent left shortly thereafter. They achieved their biggest success in the UK with "
Midas Touch", which made #8, and "Headlines", a #16 hit earlier the same year. Without the Calloways who formed the group
Calloway and release an album that spawned the 1990 hit single "
I Wanna Be Rich", Midnight Star recorded two more albums, the self-titled
Midnight Star and
Work It Out. These two albums proved not as successful as their previous three releases, but the singles "Don't Rock the Boat" and "Snake in the Grass" did reach the top ten on the R&B singles chart. The group went on a long hiatus, though they never officially broke up. The group reunited in 2000 with many of the original members (including all of the singers) and released the album
15th Avenue two years later. Since then, the group has toured sporadically, most recently with a lineup that includes Belinda Lipscomb, Kenneth Gant, Melvin Gentry, Bo Watson, and Bobby Lovelace, with Bill Simmons sometimes joining as well. ==Outside work==