, perhaps one of the most distinctive and original groups to grace the contemporary music scene, he has been influencing the musical landscape since first forming the group in 1986.
Club Nouveau sold over ten million records, toured worldwide, charted eleven Billboard hit singles and garnered numerous awards and prestigious nominations with hits that included "Jealousy," "Situation #9, "Why You Treat Me So Bad," and the remake of
Bill Withers' "Lean On Me."
Forever the maverick, King is also credited with creating a new chapter in music history by independently producing, pressing, marketing and promoting the biggest selling 12-inch single in history, "Rumors" by the
Timex Social Club. He paved the path for independent record companies and was actually a forerunner to the current state of the music business, initially demonstrating the true power of the committed artist operating outside of the confines of the major label.
Unlike many past musical wonders however, King is undaunted by the newest wave of changes on the music horizon and is once again forging new inroads. With his first solo CD
"Open Book," on
KingJay Nouveau Music he proves himself still a true chameleon, remaining current and relevant to the times with an adult contemporary offering that is textured with the mature tonality of pure love.
A ten song adventure through adult contemporary, the musical escapade provides the textures of love, life and spirit. Working with musical powers such as
Larry Dunn of
Earth, Wind and Fire, guitar virtuoso
Tony Dewayne, saxophone wizard
Cal Bennett and veteran industry staple
John Barnes, Jay has created a masterpiece in the realm of an audio experience that is a destined to become a standard for all time. Tracks like "I Would Die For You" and "I Have a Way with the Woman" ring like timeless classics.
In addition, King hosts his own Blogtalk radio show and has launched a new web series,
"Up Close and Personal," which broadcast live from the
Kulak Woodshed in
North Hollywood, CA. Revealing yet another dimension to his musical master mind, "Up Close and Personal" is an intimate peak into the lives and personalities of some of music's most unheralded heroes. The two-hour webcast is a one-on-one conversation set in a music studio/coffee house atmosphere, where guests reveal untold anecdotes, behind-the-scenes revelations and inspiring tales about their musical paths.
On
Thursday, July 2 from 8:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m. PST, the first family of jazz, the
Laws Family will take the hot seat at the Kulak Woodshed with King for an unprecedented discussion about their rich history and contributions to the annuls of jazz. With over 30 years in the limelight, and over 50 albums between them, this will be a first for
Ronnie, Eloise, Hubert and Debra Laws! The interview will broadcast live on the web at
www.kulakswoodshed.com .
Then on
Friday, July 10, at 8:00 p.m., Jay King returns to Kulak Woodshed for a live unplugged performace of material from his new CD "Open Book" That performance will also broadcast live on the web at
www.kulakswoodshed.com . King is also slated to perform live at the
Aqua Lounge in Beverly Hills, CA on July 14.
With his Blogtalk radio show at
www.BlogTalkRadio.com/Jay-King, King ventures off the music trail to get topical about subjects spanning the field of social issues covering topics such as child rearing to gang-banging to corny pick-up lines. Every
Sunday, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. PST, he is joined by co-host/sidekick
Robert Redwine in an interactive medium of lively discussion and debate.
"The music business will never be the same again," cites King, "and neither will the world for that matter. So as veteran artists it's vital that we keep reinventing ourselves. The World Wide Web is just that, its world wide. I'm now able to develop a new platform and reach an even more diverse and wider fan base via the social networking sites. I tell older artists all the time, don't complain about the state of the industry, but jump in and get with it. I am having the time of my life."
Jay King can be accessed at
www.jayking.ning.com ,
www.tagged.com/jking3 and
www.myspace.com/jayking3music. "Open Book" is available on the Internet and wherever great music is sold !