Ololade Adeyanju/
As he marked his 65th birthday on August 24, renowned American Pop Star of the Shalamar fame, Jeffrey Glenn Daniel, welcomed a new child from his Nigerian wife as a birthday present.
The child delivery in Abuja was announced by the Chairman of Silverbird Group, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce on Twitter.
Daniel also made a video announcement in which he described his child’s birth as immeasurable blessing.
He said that he was in the labour room during the delivery, for the first time.
“I wasn’t there for my other children. This is the first time,” he said.
In the video, he also revealed that he is a grandfather and expressed appreciation to his first daughter who made him one.
He also expressed joy for sharing the birthday with his mentor, Chuck Johnson of the Soul Train fame.
Daniel, who created the Backslide dance that inspired Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk dance, has also made a name as a choreographer and stage performer.
Jeffrey Daniel came to fame with Jody Watley and Howard Hewett in the soul and R&B group, Shalamar, which emerged from US music show – Soul Train in the late 70s. The group enjoyed greater success in the 80s with hits including ‘A Night to Remember’, ‘Make That Move’, and ‘I Can Make You Feel Good’.
Former Shalamar band-mate and dance partner Jody Watley stated in 2010 that she and Daniel had had a tumultuous relationship that included emotional and physical abuse.
On June 13, 1980, Daniel married American R&B singer Stephanie Mills, but they divorced later in 1983.
Watch the video shot at the hospital :
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The backslide was around in the 1940s. Nothing new about it. I don’t doubt he taught the move to MJ. But don’t claim he “created,” or “invented” it. It was around far before he was.