b. Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, 4th September 1953, New York City, U.S.A.
Lawrence Hilton Jacobs is one of nine children born to Hilton and Clothilda Jacobs.
He attended public schools in New York City and following high school, he worked at an odd assortment of jobs before turning to acting.
Lawrence was a delivery boy, then a florist, then a messenger boy, and then a stock boy in a department store.
He then began studying at Al Fann's Theatrical School and then with the Negro Emsemble Company.
Lawrence is best known for his roles as Freddie 'Boom Boom' Washington of ABC-TV's '70's hit sitcom 'Welcome Back Kotter', Diahann Carroll's son in the 1974 movie 'Claudine', Richard 'Cochise' Morris, the high school basketball star of the classic 1975 American International Pictures movie 'Cooley High', the 1978 AIP gang flick 'Youngblood', and as Joe Jackson in the top-rated 1992 ABC-TV miniseries 'The Jacksons: The American Dream'.
At the height of Kotter's success, Jacobs let it be known through interviews in such magazines as 'Right On!' and 'Black Stars' that he had aspirations of being a recording artist.
One Kotter episode had him singing and playing chords on a piano.
Getting a deal with ABC Records, Jacobs began working with Motown Records former songwriter Lamont Dozier.
His solo debut album, 'Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs', was released in February 1978.
With Dozier producing and writing most of the songs, three singles were issued.
'Fly Away (to My Wonderland),' which briefly charted, the ballad 'What Kind of Man' (both were performed by Jacobs on an appearance on 'Soul Train'), and 'Love and Understanding.'
One album track, a duet remake of Dexter Wansel and Bunny Sigler's 'Holdin' On' (originally on Wansel's 'What The World Is Coming To' LP) with Deborah Pratt received substantial airplay.
Other highlights were 'Time Machine,' 'Wonder Woman,' and the instrumental 'Larry's Theme.'
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs briefly charted in the lower half of Billboard's soul LP chart and wasn't a sales success, but it became a collectible in later years.
Jacobs' next ABC album was 'All the Way...Love' issued in March 1979 and produced by another Motown song writer, Freddie Perren (the Corporation, the Jackson 5, the Miracles, the Sylvers, Peaches and Herb).
More disco-oriented than his self-titled debut, it failed to chart.
One Jacobs single, 'I Never Been Here Before,' was produced by former Crusaders member Wayne Henderson for Street City.
Jacobs appeared in a national TV ad and toured in the gospel play 'Looking for Mr. Right' in 1999.
As a session pianist / backing singer Lawrence has recorded with The Sylvers, The Impressions, Rick James and The Gap Band.He also had a leading role in the movie 'Young Blood' for which War recorded the soundtrack album, featuring a drawing of Lawrence prominently on the sleeve.
Albums:
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (ABC Records 1978)
All the Way...Love (ABC Records 1979)
