In the mid-1980’s British band Five Star had a string of hits on the UK charts and the quintet of siblings from the Pearson Family found success with songs like System Addict, Somewhere Somebody, Can’t Wait Another Minute, Find the Time, Rain or Shine and Stay Out of My Life.
The band had a pop-funk sound and slotted easily into the music of the time alongside American artists like Jody Watley and Janet Jackson.
Today came the news that eldest brother Stedman Pearson has passed away at the age of 60. He made up the band alongside his siblings Lorraine, Deniece, Doris and Delroy.
The bands success was largely limited to the United Kingdom, their biggest hit System Addict made it to number 66 in the Australian pop charts in 1986.
At a time when Australian kids discovered new music via Countdown on the ABC, and checked in to the hear what was in the charts via Barry Bissell’s radio show Take 40 Australia, Five Star may not have registered on many people’s radars down under. But if you kept up with music news from magazines like Smash Hits and the UK’s No 1 there was an endless stream of stories about the siblings.
The band were managed and molded by their father Buster Pearson who had worked as a session musician with Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Jimmy Cliff and Desmond Dekker.
The band released their first single in 1983 and their first few releases failed to get any traction. Their breakthrough came in 1985 with the song All Fall Down. It found success on both sides of the Atlantic, charting in the UK and the USA.
Seven singles were released from their debut album Luxury of Life which arrived in mid-1985, but it was the final single System Addict that took them into the UK Top 10.
Their follow up album Silk or Steel came the following year and brough more hits including Can’t Wait Another Minute, Find the Time, Rain or Shine, If I Say Yes, Stay Out of My Life and The Slightest Touch.
The family moved from their suburban home into a large mansion and were often pictured with their sports cars and luxurious backdrops.
Their third album Between the Lines came out in 1987 and included the Dianne Warren penned Strong as Steel. A few years later Australian singer Tina Arena would record the track as the title track for her debut album. Somewhere Somebody, another tune from the album was remixed by Shep Pettibone who would go on to collaborate with Madonna on some of her biggest hits.
The band struggled to keep their place at the top of the charts, and their fourth album Rock the World which includes the single Another Weekend that was their final appearance in the UK Top 40. Their following albums 1990’s self-titled Five Star and the following year’s Shine didn’t being any hits.
Soon the family was selling their luxurious homes and cars and downgraded their living standard. In 1990 Stedman Pearson was arrested in a public toilet and charged with public indecency. The family moved to the USA in the early 1990s and put out another album Heart and Soul in 1994 before calling it quits.
In 2001 an eighth album Eclipse was released online via their fan club. While all five siblings contributed to the album only Stedman, Deniece and Lorraine took part in public appearances and live performances.
In the following years Stedman and Deniece continued on with three backing dancers making up the numbers and they often played holiday camps in the UK. Later Stedman ran a Limousine hire business, and taught dance at various gyms and dance schools.
No cause of death has been given.
