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KNOWN THE WORLD OVER AS THE QUEEN OF LOVERS ROCK’
An eclectic and creative artist who remains relevant in an ever changing musical world with cross-genre collaborations and stunning live performances at venues throughout the UK and the world.
CARROLL THOMPSON burst on the scene in 1980, straight from the gospel traditions of her grandmother’s home, with a million-selling self-penned debut album.
Voted by the British public in a nationwide poll published by the Evening Standard & Daily Mirror as one of the ‘100 GREATEST BLACK BRITONS of all time’
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HOPELESSLY IN LOVE – stayed in the UK reggae charts for an amazing and record-breaking two and a half years. Much of that time in the Number 1 slot. Cited as a BRIDGE OVER TROUBLE WATERS for a young audience with romance on its mind – in the bedroom and on the dancefloor. Spawned number 1 single after number 1 single – ‘I’M SO SORRY’, ‘YESTERDAY’, ‘SIMPLY IN LOVE’ ‘JUST A LITTLE BIT’ ‘NO ONE SINGS MORE SULTRY’ – BBC Radio ‘UK’s HIDDEN TREASURE…CARROLL THOMPSON HAS TO TAKE A LARGE SHARE OF THE BLAME FOR THE 80s BABY BOOM’ - VOICE NEWSPAPER
MICHAEL JACKSON is one of many superstars who came seeking ‘the voice that launched a million babies’
As well as the ‘King of Pop’, Carroll has sung with STEVIE WONDER, TOM JONES, BOY GOERGE, ART BLAKEY, STING, LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY, SADE and many more
‘WHO IS THAT CHICK ON THE WORLD TOUR WITH…ERIC CLAPTON, CHAKA KHAN, ROBBIE WILLIAMS, BB KING, GARY MOORE, ALBERT KING, PETSHOP BOYS & BILLIE OCEAN
HIGHEST U.S. CHART POSITION AS LEAD SINGER
No.14 on Billboard with COURTNEY PINE. Album ‘CLOSER TO HOME’. Song: ‘I’M STILL WAITING’
HIGHEST U.K. CHART POSITION
No.1 with M PEOPLE (‘Hero’)
No.1 with PET SHOP BOYS (‘Always On My Mind’) ma
No.1 with CULTURE CLUB (‘Karma Chameleon’)
No.1 with ROBBIE WILLIAMS (‘Angels’)
HIGHEST U.K. CHART POSITION AS LEAD SINGER
No.27 – JOY AND HEARTBREAK
RECENT RELEASES
2013 - The highly acclaimed album ‘FEELS SO GOOD’ filled with original songs and selected cover songs beautifully arranged
2015 - ‘BEST OF THE BEST’ well known classic songs covered in Carroll Thompson’s inimitable musical style
Victor was born in the beautiful island of St. Lucia, home of the pitons in the eastern coastal village of Micoud. Victor left the island at the age of 9 to join his parents in London England.
Victor began his career in the 1970s and has worked extensively on stage, screen, radio and as a recording artist. Victor's music career began with the vocal group 'The Detonators' which he formed with Nat Augustin (Light of the World) and Leee John (Imagination). Victor has had notable success in the British Reggae charts scoring No.1 hits with the anthemic Lovers Rock hit 'At The Club', and also 'I Need A Girl Tonight' and 'Miss Attractive' which led to Victor being signed to Epic Records in 1983.
Victor was a founder member of the Black Theatre Co-operative and appeared in many of the company’s productions including Welcome Home Jacko, Mama Dragon, One Rule, Trinity, Tooth Of Crime, Redemption Song and Sixty Five With A Bullet.
In 2006 Victor appeared in The Big Life, which transferred from the Theatre Royal Stratford East to the West End (The first black British musical to do so). Other stage credits include Sugar Mummies (Royal Court Theatre), Moon On A Rainbow Shawl, directed by Paulette Randall (Nottingham Playhouse), Ragamuffin created and directed by Amani
Naphtali, Abyssinia directed by Femi Elufowoju Jnr and the role of Papcita in Talawa Theatre Company’s One Love (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith). On television, Victor has appeared a couple of times in Doctors playing the role of Clifford Webster and also a preacher. Other television credits include Holby City, Black History, Magic Grandad, Alistair McGowan’s Big Impression, Judge John Deed and Storm Damage. He is well-known for his role in the black sitcom No Problem (LWT) and other television work includes Holding On, Get Up Stand Up and Black Firsts (BBC), Relative Strangers (Channel 4), Black On Black and The Gentle Touch (LWT).
Victor is also a founder member of the acting troupe ‘The Posse’ formed in the early 1990’s who over a short time built a massive fan base with their hilarious sketch shows. They toured nationally as well as doing a television special entitled ‘Armed and Dangerous’, along with a their hugely successful panto entitled ‘Pinchi Kobi and the Seven Duppies’.
In 1999/2000 Victor featured in a series of Japp (UK version of a Mars Bar) commercials in Scandanavia. Victor was presented with an award in Hungary for the funniest commercial for 2000.
Victor’s film credits include starring in the award winning Burning An Illusion ,also Class Of Miss MacMichael with Glenda Jackson and Oliver Reed, Runners, Babylon, The Book Liberator, Carnival and Marked for Death with Steven Seagal, and most recently, Late One Night as the conscience of Ray Winstone. In 2008 Victor portrayed the Preacher in the musical The Harder They Come, which transferred from The Barbican to The Playhouse in the west end. Victor also toured the UK,Toronto and Miami with The Harder They Come.
Victor has recently performed alongside Carroll Thompson and Janet Kay in their own show, the 'Lovers Rock Monologues', which was penned by Victor. This critically acclaimed show, now in it's forth year, celebrates the golden years of Lovers Rock, the 70s and 80s, when many of us, particularly second generation Afro Caribbean's were in their youth going into adulthood. The show delightfully marries story telling with music to give the audience a theatrically musical Lovers Rock experience. Victor also promotes, presents and performs with Carroll and Janet in their annual Valentine's Live Concert at the Clapham Grand.
Victor accompanied by Janet Kay, present and host their annual shows 'Songs and Laughter with my Mother/Father' respectively, on Mother's Day and Father's Day at the Millfield Theatre in North London.
Musically, Victor is currently working on his new album, which is set for a 2018 release, to follow his hugely popular 'ENTER SUPAVIC' album.
Janet Kay, was born Janet Kay Bogle (the first of 6 children) in London to Jamaican parents, Clifton and Monica Bogle. Janet is a descendant of the Jamaican National Hero the Rt Excellent Deacon Paul Bogle.
As a sixties child, Janet was exposed to the singing greats, especially those from the Tamla Motown stable and as a result of the exposure and inspiration, Janet's love for singing was born.
In 1977, whilst in Secretarial College, Janet was invited by her school friend Sonia Ferguson (who recorded a cover version of Smokey Robinson's 'Oh Baby Baby' in the late 70's) to a band rehearsal. Destiny saw to it that band member Tony Gad heard Janet singing in the rehearsal room. He was so impressed with the sweetness of Janet's voice that he introduced her to the reggae legend, the Late Great Alton Ellis.
That meeting resulted in Janet recording a cover version of Minnie Ripperton's 'Loving You' (produced by Alton Ellis), which became a reggae smash hit spending many weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.
The following year, 1978, saw Janet record 2 more cover versions, 'I Do Love You' and 'That's What Friends Are For', again, both spending weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.
In 1979, Janet made history by becoming the first British born black female to have a reggae song at the top of the British charts. The song 'Silly Games', (produced by Dennis Bovell) was a hit not only in the UK but also in Europe. Janet's history making has been recorded in the Music Guiness Book of Records. Janet's song writing prowess became evident on the release of her first album 'Capricorn Woman'. The album was, and still is a best seller. All the songs, except 2 were penned by Janet Kay.
By now, Janet had become known as the 'Queen of Lover's Rock'. In that same year Janet was presented with the awards for Best 7" Vinyl Single, Best 12" Vinyl Single and Best Female Vocalist 1979 by Black Echoes Music Newspaper.
Janet's voice was not exclusive to only reggae music and in the early 80's she also penned and sung the soulful 'Eternally Grateful', which became an underground hit. The early 80's also saw the collaboration between Janet and reggae legend the Late Jackie Mitto with the Randy Crawford classic, 'You Bring The Sun Out'.
In 1980, after a chance meeting with actor/singer Victor Romero Evans, Janet was introduced to the theatre company 'Black Theatre Co-operative'. A successful audition saw the birth of Janet's theatrical career, in the play 'Mama Dragon' by Faroukh Dhondy, which toured England and Europe.
Janet has since appeared in several films and has also made numerous TV appearances, theatre plays, (touring the UK and Europe) and radio plays.
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. The show became a cult classic.
The late 80's saw Janet's collaboration with the singer/producer Lloyd Charmers with the cover album 'Sweet Surrender'.
In 1990 Janet collaborated with Beats International (Norman Cook aka Fat Boy Slim) on their track Burundi Blues. Following this collaboration, Janet was invited to feature on Lindy Layton's version of Silly Games.
In the early 90's Janet, along with fellow actresses Judith Jacob, Suzanne Packer, Suzette Llewellyn, Beverley Michaels, Josephine Melville and the Late Joanne Campbell formed the highly successful female theatre company the Bibi Crew. All the shows were written produced and directed by the Crew.
In 1991, the album 'Sweet Surrender' was renamed 'Lovin' You, Best of Janet Kay', (which included a newly recorded version of 'Lovin' You'), and was released in Japan. The track 'Lovin' You' propelled Janet to stardom in Japan. Janet subsequently signed to Sony Music (Japan) from 1993 - 2003.
Over the years Janet has collaborated with top producers, Drummie Zeb and Tony Gad (Aswad), Junior Giscombe ('Mama Used To Say'), Jeremy Meehan, Shinichi Osawa (Japan), Kodama & Gota (Japan), Omar and Sly and Robbie. Janet's has had 3 Platinum and Gold selling albums in Japan, 'Love You Always' selling over 400 thousand copies in its first year alone.
Janet has also co-written and composed songs for a Japanese TV series entitled 'La Dolce Vita', alongside the renowned Japanese composer Taro Iwashiro. Janet has visited Japan at least once a year every year since 1990.
In recent years Janet has visited Japan, performing at the exclusive Blue Note Night Club for 2 to 3 weeks at a time in Fukuoka, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya and Tokyo. In 2006/7 Janet returned to theatre, where she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in Hackney Empire's Pantomime, 'Cinderella', which the Evening Standard rated the best 'Panto of the season'.
Janet works from time to time as a vocal coach for WAC a Performing Arts & Media College provides training in the arts for children and young people up to the age of twenty-five.
Janet has also just recorded 2 concept albums for Universal Music (Japan) and Ariola (Japan) to be released 2012.
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" Vinyl Single and Best 12" Vinyl Single (1979), Memorial Disc in Commemoration of 1 Platinum and 2 Gold albums in Japan, presented by Sony Music Japan (1994), 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...
Janet performs along side Carroll Thompson and Victor Romero Evans in their self promoted show, the 'Lovers Rock Monologues' (written by Victor Romero Evans) which they have been touring the UK successfully for 4 years and also Janet promotes, presents and performs with Carroll & Victor in their annual Valentines Live Concert at the Clapham Grand.
Janet and Victor Romero Evans also promote and present their annual Mother's Day and Father's Day shows 'SONGS & LAUGHTER with my MOTHER' and 'SONGS & LAUGHTER with my FATHER' respectively.
Janet peroforms live at venues throughout the UK and World including annual performances at the World famous Jazz Cafe, 02 Indigo and Billboard Live in Japan, to name but a few.
Currently, Janet is performing at festivals throughout the UK.
Janet's sweet, heart warming vocals has and continues to win her many friends and fans around the world. Her songs, 'Silly Games' and 'Lovin' You', reaching anthemic heights, on this side and the other side of the globe.