Jay Kay is a British singer and songwriter. In 1992, he co-founded the acid jazz and funk band Jamiroquai and still serves as their lead vocalist. As of 2017, the band had sold more than 26 million albums worldwide. Except for music, he was also known for his enthusiasm towards luxury cars and made several guest appearances in the shows Top Gear and Fifth Gear. He contributed to environmental causes too. Kay was in one of the high-profile relationships with Denise van Outen.
Early life
Jay Kay was born Jason Luís in Stretford, Lancashire, on 30 December 1969, to English cabaret singer Karen Kay and Portuguese guitarist Luís Saraiva. His parents split up, and he did not meet his biological father until he was about 28. Kay’s identical twin, David, died of brain damage a few weeks after the two were born. Kay said in a 2010 interview that his mother raised him largely alone, which gave him “an itinerant childhood”, half of which he spent “living in rural Suffolk.” He moved back to Manchester with his mother and stepfather, Mervyn Kay, after briefly living in Blackburn as a youngster. He often accompanied his mother at her performances and later attended Oakham School in Oakham.
Why Is Jamiroquai Famous?
Kay formed Jamiroquai in 1992. Band members included Toby Smith (keyboards), Nick Van Gelder (drums, 1992–1993), Derrick McKenzie (drums, 1994–present), and Wallis Buchanan (didgeridoo). After the success of Jamiroquai’s first single, “When You Gonna Learn,” Kay signed a US$1 million record deal with Sony Soho2. The band’s first album was Emergency on Planet Earth. The collaboration with Sony ended in 2007. The group has sold over 26 million albums worldwide. Kay is sometimes called ‘Jamiroquai’ because of the misconception that the group is a solo artist.
TV appearances
Kay appeared in an episode of the BBC series The Naked Chef with chef Jamie Oliver, and he performed on the series Strictly Come Dancing singing “Canned Heat.”. He has made many other TV guest appearances as either a singer, interviewee, or both, including on The Word, The Girlie Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Rove, and many others.
Jay Kay has featured on four episodes of the BBC motoring show Top Gear. In series 1, episode 2, he set a lap time of 1:48.1 for the show’s “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” using the Suzuki Liana, holding the fastest lap time for all of the first series and most of the second series. In series 3, episode 4, Kay drove his Lamborghini Miura with Richard Hammond as a passenger. His third appearance was in series 11, episode 6, where his lap time of 1:45.81 using the Chevrolet Lacetti beat the top time held by Simon Cowell
How Many Legal Cases Does Jay Kay Have?
In April 2001, Kay was charged with assaulting a photographer and damaging his camera outside the Attica nightclub in London’s West End. Kay pleaded not guilty, and the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. In May 2002, Kay was interviewed by police following an altercation at a premiere party for Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, outside the St Martin’s Lane Hotel, where it was alleged a photographer kicked his £70,000 Bentley after Kay had attempted to grab him as his car drove off.
Kay harassed the photographer and his girlfriend, and the man head-butted him in the nose so hard that it was severely damaged. The two were separated as blood was running from Kay’s broken nose. The fight almost continued inside the hotel, and Kay was photographed in a distressed state. He sported a black eye at his next gig. He was also reported to have gotten into a scuffle at an after-party for the 2002 BRIT Awards.
In March 2009, Kay’s black Ferrari Enzo received almost £10,000 of damage in an altercation with Brudenell Hotel chef Aaron Billington in Aldeburgh. Billington, intoxicated and acting due to romantic infatuation over a woman to whom Kay was speaking, was sacked and sent to prison for 20 weeks.
Personal life
Jay Kay is married to Maria Kay, and they have two daughters, Carla and Tallulah. The track “Carla” from the Automaton album is a tribute to his first daughter. There is also a track called “Talullah” from Jamiroquai’s 2005 album Dynamite, although the spelling on the album is different from his daughter’s name. Kay said in 2010 that he had a “serious” cocaine habit before giving up drugs in 2003, which he said was prompted when Denise van Outen broke up with him.
Where Did the First Few Gigs of Jay Kay Happen?
Kay used to live in the Ealing area of London, where he played some of his first gigs. Since 1995 he has owned Horsenden Manor at Horsenden, near Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, where he has a recording studio, granary, and garages. In 2020 he applied to extend the property. In another interview, he spoke about how he has made his home environmentally sustainable, including tending to his garden without pesticides, caring for livestock, creating an eco-friendly waste-removal system at great cost, and maximizing his recycling. Kay and the band also put aside a significant portion of their royalties to environmental causes.
How much is Jay Kay worth?
Jay Kay has earned around $70 million through his career.
Is Jay Kay still with his wife?
Kay is married to Maria Kay, and they have two daughters, Carla and Tallulah. The track “Carla” from the Automaton album is a tribute to his first daughter.
Is Jamiroquai still active?
Jamiroquai was among the very few, London-based, short-lived movements of the funk and acid jazz phenomenon in the 1990s. Today they stand alone as the only ones who continue touring. And large arenas continue to be filled.
How many cars does Jay Kay own?
The collection is privately run by Jay Kay, who regularly uses his cars both privately and at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. A true enthusiast! Jay Kay is a true enthusiast who manages his collection independently. He has owned over 100 cars over the years.
