Sterling St. Jacques

Sterling St. Jacques (September 24, 1949 – July 4, 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

Early life and education

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

St. Jacques 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]

St. Jacques appeared in the July 1970 issue of Vogue magazine modeling Japanese robes.[8] In 1971, he was photographed by Horst P. Horst with Italian actress Silvana Mangano and French writer François-Marie Banier for the catalog of a New York modeling agency.[9]

St. Jacques had a role in the 1973 film Book of Numbers, which was produced and directed by his father.[6]

St. Jacques was a dance instructor at a disco before he was discovered by French designer Hubert de Givenchy to model his menswear line at the Waldorf-Astoria in April 1976.[4] Reviewing the show, Bernadine Morris of The New York Times likened him to dancer Fred Astaire.[10] His appearance caused a sensation–especially among wealthy high society society matrons who clamored to dance with him discotheques.[4]

In June 1976, St. Jacques was photographed dancing with Jackie Kennedy Onassis at a benefit for the Special Olympics at the Pierre Hotel.[11] St. Jacques told Sepia magazine that he and 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.[12][13] 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.[12][14] She also revealed that before her St. Jacques had only slept with men, including a "long affair" with Hubert de Givenchy.[14] St. Jacques and Cleveland were a popular dancing duo, drawing inspiration from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to revive 1940s elegance.[15] They appeared on the television show Soul Train and performed at the Lincoln Center for a benefit.[14]

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.[12][14] 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.[16][17] The show closed after 108 performances, all of them previews.[14] Cleveland stated that despite their "deep devotion to each other" their relationship ended after a year due to St. Jacques' preference for men.[14]

In the late 1970s, St. Jacques was a staple at the New York nightclub Studio 54.[18] He was often photographed dancing with celebrities and socialites such as Bianca Jagger, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, and Caroline Kennedy.[19][20] His social circle also included Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell, artist Andy Warhol, and fashion designer Halston who were regulars at the nightclub.[21] Reportedly, St. Jacques's charming dance moves inspired the 1979 hit song "He's the Greatest Dancer" by Sister Sledge.[22]

Music career

In the early 1980s, St. Jacques moved to Europe where he found moderate success as an Italo disco singer.[23]

Death

According to his former fiancée, Pat Cleveland, St. Jacques died of complications of AIDS in 1984, but his death was never officially confirmed.[14] 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.[24] 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.[25]

Discography

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

  1. ^ Musto, Michael (February 13, 2017). "The Best Black Male Fashion Models of All Time". 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 News & Entertainment. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ribowsky, Mark (October 1976). "Black Toast of White Society". Sepia: 28–32.
  5. ^ Pearson, Howard (1971-10-27). "Laugh-In Dancer Visits". Deseret News. p. D-9. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  6. ^ a b 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. ^ "Men In Vogue …Notes, Quotes, And Votes". Vogue: 47. July 1970.
  9. ^ Kazmaier, Martin (1991). Horst: Sixty Years of Photography (PDF). Rizzoli. pp. 21, 152.
  10. ^ Morris, Bernadine (1976-04-29). "A Festive Presentation of Givenchy's Styles". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  11. ^ Morris, Bernadine (June 9, 1976). "Kennedys Plus Valentino Equal Magic". The New York Times.
  12. ^ a b c Wahls, Robert (1976-08-08). "Body Language". Daily News. p. Leisure 4. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  13. ^ "Pat Cleveland, Model: A Fast-Paced Ride With The Jet Set Crowd". Ebony: 72. Aug 1977.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Wohlfert, Lee (March 7, 1977). "For Fashion's Dancing Twosome, Manhattan Is The Big Apple–Candy Coated". People Weekly. 7 (9): 56–58.
  16. ^ "Nudie Actor Seized in 1G Gem Theft". Daily News. 1976-09-21. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  17. ^ "Sterling St. Jacques Busted Nude; Allegedly Stole Girlfriend's Jewelry In N.Y." Jet. October 14, 1976.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Get Down With Th Get Down". Jet. 57 (14): 33. 23 June 1977.
  20. ^ "This Week's Best Photos". Jet: 39. January 19, 1978.
  21. ^ Warhol, Andy; Hackett, Pat (1989). The Andy Warhol Diaries. New York, NY: Warner Books. pp. 70, 117. ISBN 978-0-446-51426-2.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "People". To the Point. 9 (18): 29. May 2, 1980.
  24. ^ Weaver, Maurice (September 29, 1988). "Raymond St. Jacques Ascends the Bench". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  25. ^ "Late Actor St. Jacques Leaves Estate Valued At $750,000 To Kin, Friends". Jet. April 15, 1991.