Kate Jackson (singer)
| Kate Jackson | |
|---|---|
 Jackson performing with The Long Blondes at the Razzmatazz Pop Bar, Barcelona, late 2006 |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 16 September 1979 |
| Genres | Art rock, Indie rock, Post-punk revival |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Rough Trade Records |
| Associated acts | The Long Blondes |
Kate Jackson, (born 16 September 1979), is a British singer who was formerly the lead-singer with The Long Blondes. She now performs under the name Kate Jackson Group with Richard Phillips, Reuben Kemp, Trevor Hurley and Luke Thompson.
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[edit] Biography
Jackson attended Culford School in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and took leading parts in the school's performing arts shows. In the late 1990s, she moved to Sheffield to study English and History. Soon after graduating, Jackson began writing and performing with fellow graduates of the city's universities forming The Long Blondes. Whilst the band were unsigned, she studied fine art and also worked at Freshman's Boutique, a vintage clothing shop in Sheffield. This interest in vintage clothing became a distinctive feature of the image of The Long Blondes. Jackson herself describes her style as "Bonnie Parker meets a Carry On girl".[1]
In 2006, Jackson was ranked number seven in the NME 'Cool List'. Jackson responded to this accolade with: "They probably thought they didn't have enough girls. It was so overrun with boring boys, they needed someone to bring a touch of glamour."[2] The NME described her as having the "arrogant strut of Chrissie Hynde and the acidic tongue of a Dickens heroine."[3]
Jackson is a passionate spokeswoman for Sheffield. In an article in The Observer, she spoke about a project initiated by the magazine Go[4] called Cooling the Towers which proposed lighting up the former cooling towers to symbolise what Sheffield stands for, rather than demolishing them. "One suggestion was that the towers would light up as cars passed on the M1, one a tower of red lights and one a tower of white. Go Sheffo petitioned the city council with these suggested uses but met with mute response. So the secret potential of the towers may tragically never be realised." [5]
[edit] Solo career
After The Long Blondes split in October 2008, Jackson began working a solo record with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler.[6] Songs included are "Velvet Sofa From No.26", "16 Years" and "Dancing In My Bedroom".[7] In March 2010, she published the track "Homeward Bound" on her Myspace page.[8]
Jackson was a guest singer on the Scottish band 1990s' Kickstrasse, on their Kicks album of March 2009.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Essentials: Kate jackson, singer, The long Blondes - Regulars, The New Review - The Independent
- ^ The Guardian, accessed 6 February 2007
- ^ NME, accessed 6 February 2007
- ^ http://www.dontgo.co.uk/fanzine.php
- ^ The best-kept arts secrets in Britain, accessed 6 February 2007
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7680509.stm
- ^ http://www.last.fm/music/Kate+Jackson
- ^ http://www.myspace.com/therealkatejackson
- ^ http://www.nme.com/news/1990s/42115
