Jason Kay

Jason "Jay" Kay (born December 30, 1969, Stretford, Manchester) is a British funk musician. He is the main composer and lead singer of Jamiroquai.

Related Topics:
December 30 - 1969 - Stretford - Manchester - British - Funk - Musician - Composer - Jamiroquai

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Jason was not raised by his father, a man of Portuguese origin. Excepting a twin brother who died at birth, Jason Kay had no siblings. Jay grew up with his mother Karen Kay, a jazz singer who performed around the world. In 2003, Jay met his biological father.

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When Jay was young, he was homeless and survived commtting petty crimes. After an incident with the law, Jay decided to clean up his act and focus on music. He gathered other musicians to make the band known as Jamiroquai. The original members included keyboardist Toby Smith, bassist Stuart Zender, drummer Derrick McKenzie and vibraphonist Wallis Buchanan, with Jay Kay on vocals.

Related Topics:
Jamiroquai - Toby Smith - Stuart Zender - Derrick McKenzie - Wallis Buchanan

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Jay first entered the music scene in 1992. He created the "buffalo man" logo seen on most Jamiroquai releases, when he sketched his own silhouette. Since then, it has become the worldwide symbol for Jamiroquai. The group derives its name from the Native American tribe the 'Iroquois' to which they added "Jam". Many aspects of the philosophys of the ribe an the band are relevant, especially their reverence of the earth.

Related Topics:
1992 - Native American - Iroquois - Earth

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In 1992, Jamiroquai released their first single "When You Gonna Learn" on the label Acid Jazz, followed closely by their debut album Emergency on Planet Earth. The following release in 1995, The Return of the Space Cowboy, outsold their debut and got them worldwide attention.

Related Topics:
Emergency on Planet Earth - The Return of the Space Cowboy

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In 1996 the band released the album Travelling Without Moving that included the worlwide hit "Virtual Insanity." With the help of the groundbreaking video, Jamiroquai got recoginition in the United States. Their album achieved platinum status and earned them the "Video of the Year" award at the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States.

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In 1998, Jamiroquai recorded the track "Deeper Underground" which was featured in the 1998 film Godzilla. Their fourth release, 1999's "Synkronized", was another hit, as well as 2001's "A Funk Oddyssey".

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Jamiroquai released their fifth album, Dynamite in June 2005. Though recently released, fans are already calling it a classic.

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Jamiroquai's music is described as funk with feeling. Their political messages and views on government, racism and the environment can be heard thruogth their songs. Jay's voice has been compared to Stevie Wonder. While this has always been controversial to fans, the influence from musicians like Stevie Wonder, Kool and the Gang and other funk/soul artists, is undeniable.

Related Topics:
Funk - Stevie Wonder - Kool and the Gang

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Jay Kay is well known for many things, including his love of cars. He has a large collection of sport cars, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, BMW, Mercedes, and Aston Martin. This love of motors was expressed in it greatest form with the release of the album "Travelling without Moving", where the cover featured an adaptation of the "Buffalo Man" logo and the Ferrari crest. In May 1998, Jay was caught driving at 111 mph and his license was suspended for 42 days. He has also admitted to driving at 175 mph on a public road. He said in an interview, "I should count myself lucky. I've clocked up 175 mph on a public road. If I'd been caught doing that, it would have been a prison sentence".

Related Topics:
Car - Ferrari - Lamborghini - BMW - Mercedes - Aston Martin - Travelling without Moving

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On September 2004 Jay was banned from the road once again for six months. He appeared at a court in Scotland to face charges for speeding after being clocked at 105 mph in a four-wheel drive vehicle in Perthshire, Scotland, on 26 February 2004. The speed limit for the road was 70 mph.

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Jamiroquai has sold over twenty million albums, made four world tours and spent 141 weeks on the UK singles chart in the 13 years since their creation, which owes a lot to Kay, who has been the main driving force of Jamiroquai since 1992.

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