Jill Jackson (singer)
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| Jill Jackson | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 24 January 1979 Scotland |
| Occupations | Singer/songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar/voice |
Jill Jackson (born 24th January 1979, Scotland) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her material includes rock, folk and alternative country music. She is openly lesbian.
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[edit] Career
Coming from a musical family in Paisley, Jackson started playing guitar at the age of nine and wrote her first song at eleven. By the age of fifteen she was performing professionally with a country band called Jacksonville. She attended Gleniffer High School and was in the same year as David Sneddon, winner of Fame Academy.
Described in the Nashville press as the “Scottish Songbird”, Paisley-born singer songwriter Jill Jackson first burst on to the UK music scene as the front-woman of rock band Speedway, with whom she scored two top ten hits in 2004. When the band split in 2005 Jill embarked upon a career as a soloartist, and has developed a musical style that is far removed from the pop/rock music that made her name.
“When Speedway came to an end I decided to go back to my roots and play the kind of music that I love - Dolly Parton, Shelby Lynne, the Stones, Buddy Holly, Chet Atkins and Joni Mitchell. I just wanted to strip the whole sound back.”
Jill has been gigging and recording as a solo artist since Speedway disbanded in 2005. She has toured with Natalie Imbruglia and supported musicians such as Albert Lee, Roger McGuinn and Bryan Adams.In 2006 she fulfilled a lifelong ambition when she performed at the Bluebird Café in Nashville. In the same year she released her first solo record – a self-titled collection of acoustic tracks that offers a mix of brilliantly crafted lyrics and beautiful melodies. Jill’s talent as a songwriter came to the attention of former Spice Girl Melanie C, who covered two of the songs from Jill’s album for her own fourth solo album.
After spending the latter part of 2008 on a “50 States in 50 Days” tour of the U.S., Jill returned to 'T In The Park' in July 2009 - her first appearance as a solo artist. Her profile continued to grow throughout 2009 into 2010 with several television appearance's including the popular daytime show The Hour in January to promote her 2010 Celtic Connections gig at Glasgow’s Classic Grand. Throughout the rest of 2010 Jill continued gigging all over the UK, taking time out in Argyll and Denmark to record her next solo album.
In the latter half of 2010 Jill spent a lot of time on the road supporting acts such as the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Runrig, whom she accompanied on their UK Winter tour in December 2010. This was closely followed by a tour supporting Glasgow band Glasvegas in January 2011. In all three cases Jill was playing to brand new audiences and didn’t take long to captivate them with her rich vocals, brilliant songs and a rare ability to connect with audiences everywhere. She now has an army of new fans to add to the loyal, devoted following that have supported her since the beginning.
In recent months Jill’s work has also attracted the attention of the television and film industry, with her song ‘Just Not Myself’ being featured in the penultimate episode of BBC Three’s Lip Service in December 2010. Her connection with the show led to appearances alongside one of its stars, singerand actress Heather Peace. After gigging together in Glasgow and Brighton towards the end of 2010, the pair have now decided to embark on a two-week tour of the UK in April 2011.
In Spring 2011 Jill is set to release her much-anticipated solo album “Back To Zero”, a project that has been four years in the making; “This new record will be the one that defines me as a writer. It’s fun, intense and hugely personal”. In the words of Rick Fulton (Daily Record) “What a comeback”
In early 2006, Jackson released her first solo album. Two tracks from her solo album were performed by Melanie C, on her album This Time.[1]
In late 2008, Jackson supported Nashville singer-songwriter Kevin Montgomery on his US tour.
She did a tour of 50 dates in all 50 states in the United States in the second half of 2008.[2][3]
She recently supported Scottish band Runrig, in their 2010 tour.
In 2011, Jackson went on tour with Actress and Singer Heather Peace,[4] performing songs from her latest album, Back To Zero.
[edit] Musical influences
Jackson has said her main musical influences are Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, Shelby Lynne, Shawn Colvin, Rolling Stones, Emmylou Harris and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
[edit] References
- ^ "Speedway star Jill Wynds down a gear". www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk. 2009-06-18. http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/life/Speedway-star-Jill-Wynds-down.5373440.jp. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ Beverley Lyons And Laura Sutherland (2009-02-28). "Jill Jackson ready to hook up with band again after epic US tour". www.dailyrecord.co.uk. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/2009/02/28/jill-jackson-ready-to-hook-up-with-band-again-after-epic-us-tour-86908-21159661/. Retrieved 2010-10-0.
- ^ "Interview: Jill Jackson, musician". news.scotsman.com. 2010-01-12. http://news.scotsman.com/music/Interview-Jill-Jackson-musician.5969837.jp. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Heather Peace UK Tour 2011". http://heatherpeace.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/heather-peace-uk-tour-2011/. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
