Five Star singer Stedman Pearson dies aged 60
By Dan Biggane | March 14, 2025
Five Star singer Stedman Pearson has died at the age of 60, his family has announced.
A statement on the Five Star Official Facebook account said: “We are very saddened to say on this day – our beloved son /brother STEDMAN PEARSON JR has passed. He was a gentleman to the very end – in every way and an amazing son/brother & uncle. May the memories and love he gave to us and the world be our greatest comfort! He will be deeply missed. FROM THE PEARSON FAMILY”
Performing alongside his siblings Lorraine, Denise, Doris, and Delroy, Stedman was born on 29 June 1964 and was the eldest in the group.
Masterminded by their father and manager, Buster, who modelled them after the Jackson 5, Five Star’s chart breakthrough came in 1985 with the release of All Fall Down, which peaked at No.15 on the UK Singles Chart.
UK Pop Phenomenon
Released in the summer of 1985, the group’s debut LP, Luxury Of Life, peaked at No.12 in early 1986 and spent a total of 70 weeks on the UK Albums Chart. Featuring the singles Let Me Be The One (No.18) and Love Take Over (No.25), it was the album’s final single, System Addict, that propelled Five Star up the singles chart, securing them a spot at No.3.
Follow-up long-player, Silk & Steel, landed on 18 August 1986 and firmly established Five Star as a UK pop phenomenon. Garnering five UK Top 10 hits – Can’t Wait Another Minute (No.7), Find The Time (No.7), Rain Or Shine (No.2), Stay Out Of My Life (No.9) and The Slightest Touch (No.4) – the record topped the UK Albums Chart in September 1986.
At the 1987 BRIT Awards, the five siblings performed Can’t Wait Another Minute and saw off competition from Dire Straits, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys and Simply Red to claim the Brit Award for best British group.
Their third album, Between The Lines, returned Five Star to the UK Top 10 reaching No.7 and included the singles Whenever You’re Ready, Strong As Steel and Somewhere Somebody. While 1988’s Rock The World was the group’s last album of original material to chart in the UK, with lead single, Another Weekend, being their last to break the Top 20.
Deeply Missed
Following the break up of Five Star in 1995, Stedman appeared as a contestant on the UK Channel 5 programme The All Star Talent Show in 2006, and later on BBC Three’s Celebrity Scissorhands in aid of Children In Need in 2008.
Five Star reunited in 2012 and, after Lorraine’s departure, continued as a four-piece until 2016.
Stedman Pearson died of complications from diabetes on 10 March 2025.
Classic Pop extends its condolences to his family, friends, and fans.
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