Blackjack was an American rock band formed in late 1978, featuring Michael Bolotin on lead vocals, Bruce Kulick on guitars, Jimmy Haslip on bass and backing vocals, and Sandy Gennaro on drums and percussion. The group's formation followed a club show in Connecticut where Kulick and his brother Bob backed up Bolotin. After signing with Polydor Records, Blackjack released their self-titled debut album Blackjack in 1979, which peaked at number 127 on the Billboard charts and included the single "Love Me Tonight", reaching number 62. The band toured with acts such as Peter Frampton and the Marshall Tucker Band. In 1980, Blackjack released their second album Worlds Apart, produced by Eddy Offord. Despite the disappointing sales of their debut and lack of support from Polydor Records, "Stay" from Worlds Apart was sampled by Jay-Z in 2002 for his song "A Dream", which reached Number 1 on the Billboard charts. The band disbanded shortly after due to individual members pursuing other opportunities.
