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Sterling St. Jacques

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Sterling St. Jacques (c. 1951 – 1984) was an American model, dancer, and actor. He is most famous for being one of the regulars of Studio 54 and dancing with famous patrons. After modeling for Hubert de Givenchy in 1976, St. Jacques became a frequent figure in New York society life. In the early 1980s, he moved to Europe and had a brief career as an Italo disco singer before reportedly dying from AIDS in 1984

Life and career

Sterling St. Jacques was born in a city outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. He never knew his biological parents which caused problems for him and he often ran away.[1] 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.[1] Raymond St. Jacques is noted as the first African-American to portray a cowboy on television.[2][3] His mother Nina Hobbs, sang with jazz bandleaders Count Basie and Duke Ellington.[1] St. Jacques played basketball in high school and went to school with actress Judy Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft in Hollywood.[1]

He 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.[3] His father helped him land a role as a background dancer on the television series Laugh-In.[1] 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.[1] In 1971, St. Jacques was photographed by Horst P. Horst with Italian actress Silvana Mangano and French writer Francois-Marie Banier for the catalog of a New York modeling agency.[4] In 1973, St. Jacques appeared in the film Book of Numbers.[2]

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.[1] Reviewing the show, Bernadine Morris of The New York Times likened him to dancer Fred Astaire.[5] St. Jacques' fit appearance generated excitement and he became the toast of the town, mingling with high society matrons and high fashion circles.[1] In 1976, St. Jacques told Sepia magazine that he and Jackie Kennedy Onassis were "the closest of friends." He gave her private dancing lessons and credited himself for bringing her out of her shell on the dance floor.[1]

Handsome, and dapper, St. Jacques attracted men and women. St. Jacques was engaged to model Pat Cleveland.[6] They met at New York's Hurrah nightclub in 1976.[7] Cleaved wrote in her book Walking Girl: A Memoir that before her St. Jacques had only sept with men, including a "long affair" with Hubert de Givenchy.[7] Jacques and Cleveland became a popular dancing duo, appearing on the television show Soul Train and performing at the Lincoln Center for a benefit. They also appeared nude in the sexually explicit Broadway play Let My People Come, which was only shown in previews at the Morosco Theater in 1976.[7] Their relationship ended after a year and a half due to St. Jacques' preference for men.[7]

St. Jacques was a staple at the New York nightclub Studio 54.[8] He was often photographed dancing with celebrities and socialites such as Bianca Jagger, Diana Ross, and Caroline Kennedy.[9] His social circle also included Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell, artist Andy Warhol, actress Liza Minnelli, and fashion designer Halston who were regulars at the nightclub.[10]

In the 1980s, St. Jacques moved to Europe where he found moderate success as an Italo disco singer. According to Cleveland's memoir, St. Jacques died of complications of AIDS in 1984 but his death was never officially confirmed.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ribowsky, Mark (October 1976). "Black Toast of White Society". Sepia: 28–32.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Kazmaier, Martin (1991). Horst: Sixty Years of Photography (PDF). Rizzoli. pp. 21, 152.
  5. ^ Morris, Bernadine (April 29, 1976). "A Festive Presentation of Givenchy's Styles". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  6. ^ "Pat Cleveland, Model: A Fast-Paced Ride With The Jet Set Crowd". Ebony: 72. Aug 1977.
  7. ^ a b c d e Cleveland, Pat (2016). Walking Girl: A Memoir. New York: 37 INK. pp. 309–313, 316. ISBN 978-1-5011-0824-2.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "This Week's Best Photos". Jet: 39. January 19, 1978.
  10. ^ Warhol, Andy; Hackett, Pat (1989). The Andy Warhol Diaries. New York, NY: Warner Books. pp. 70, 117. ISBN 978-0-446-51426-2.
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