Janet Kay’s singing career began in 1977, when she recorded her first single, ‘Loving You’ produced by the reggae legend, the Late Alton Ellis. This track was a massive hit spending many weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts. Janet Kay’s singing career began in 1977, when she recorded her first single, ‘Loving You’ produced by the reggae legend, the Late Alton Ellis. This track was a massive hit spending many weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.
Janet went on to record several other tracks with the same success, until 1979 when she recorded ‘Silly Games’ and had even greater success reaching the No.2 position in the British Pop Charts (although, it was No.1 in all the other pop and reggae charts around the country and Europe). Janet made history by becoming the first British born black female to have a reggae track at the top of the British charts, recorded in the Music Guiness Book of Records.
In 1980 Janet began a career in theatre becoming a member of the Black Theatre Co-operative and appeared in several of their productions, touring the UK and Europe. In 1981, Janet also starred in the ‘Black Theatre Co-operative’s’ TV sitcom ‘No Problem’ (LWT/Channel 4), the first black TV show which was created and conceived by a black theatre company (and in this case, the cast). The show became a cult classic.
In 1991, the album ‘Lovin’ You, Best of Janet Kay’, (which included a newly recorded ver¬sion of ‘Lovin’ You’) was released in Japan. The track ‘Lovin’ You’ propelled Janet to stardom in Japan staying at the No. 1 spot in the Japanese pop charts for many weeks and was partly responsible for the reggae boom in Japan at that time. Janet subsequently signed her first record deal with Sony Music (Japan) and has recorded 6 albums with them.
Over the years Janet has collaborated with top producers, including Drummie Zeb and Tony Gad (Aswad), Junior Giscombe (‘Mama Used To Say’), Fat Boy Slim, Shinichi Osawa (Japan), Kodama & Gota (Japan), Japanese composer Taro Iwashiro, Omar and Sly and Robbie, Jackie Mitto, Dennis Bovell, Alton Ellis and Lloyd Charmers.
Janet has recently recorded a cover version of ‘Take A Bow’ which appears as the No. 1 track on the ‘Covers for Reggae Lovers’ album. Janet has also crossed genres by recording and releasing a Funky House track entitled ‘So Good’ where she features as vocalist on a Spoonface production (available for download only).
Janet has been voted one of Britain’s Top 100 Black Britains by the Evening Standard and she has also been presented with many awards over the years including, Silver Disc for Silly Games, Best Female Singer, Best 7” and Best 12”(1979), Memorial Disc to Commemoration of the overall success of Janet Kay Albums in Japan, presented by Sony Mu¬sic Japan (1995),Women of Merit by Darker than Blue in Association with Barclays (2002), Contribution to British Black Music Industry (2001) and Outstanding Contribution to British Reggae (2009) to name but a few...
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