JULLY BLACK

Performs Friday, January 27

Top 3 Songs:

Running

Seven Day Fool

I Travelled

Over her career, the awe-inspiring, sophisticated and multi-talented Jully Black has earned the title of Canada's reigning R&B Queen and is now set to take on the world and share the gift of her music on the global stage.

Born Jullyann Gordon, Black is the youngest of nine children and the first of her siblings to be born in Canada - with the others all born in Kingston, Jamaica where Agatha Gordon, Black's mother, migrated from in 1969.

Gordon worked tirelessly in order to be able to sponsor her children and take them to Canada where Black was raised in a single-parent environment in the notoriously turbulent area of Jane and Finch in Toronto, Ontario.

Despite a difficult environment, Black persevered and focused her sights on bigger and better things for herself and for those she loved.

Having discovered her rich, alto voice at the tender age of six, while singing in the Pentecostal Church, Black, and anyone who happened to be fortunate enough to hear her, knew she was destined for great things.

Black's first taste of success came in the form of a Top-40 hit in Canada with the song Rally'n.

It didn't take long for Black's calibre of songwriting to be recognised and praised within the industry.

Warner/Chappell Music Publishing courted her, where Black penned songs for major artistes such as Destiny's Child and Nas.

Continuing to write and record, Black signed with Universal and released her first album titled This Is Me. The album included the hit singles Sweat Of Your Brow and 5x Love and solidified Black as an artiste in high demand - something later exemplified by her collaborations with Bounty Killer, Kardinal Offishall, Sean Paul, Demarco, Baby Cham and Lady Saw, among others.

Black garnished her first top-10 single with Seven Day Fool, a new take on the Etta James classic modernised by Black's upbeat and soulful version of the song.

Seven Day Fool, alongside another single Until I Stay, was featured on her sophomore release Revival, which would go on to win in the R&B/Soul Recording of the Year category of the 2008 Juno Awards, an event at which she was the closing act. 2009 saw Black exercising and perfecting her live performances as well as the release of her next collection of recorded material, entitled The Black Book, which included the hit single Running.

VISIT TO JAMAICA

During this time, Black had the opportunity to visit Jamaica where she was a celebrity reporter, covering the 2009 Jamaica Jazz Fest where she interviewed fellow artistes such as Robin Thicke, Estelle, Nikky Yonovsky and Lionel Richie. It was at this time that she made it a personal and career goal to one day perform on that stage as well.

Black has had several opportunities to present her explosive live show to both domestic and foreign audiences.

She opened the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC then landed an opening slot for Kanye West in Singapore, headlined Canada Day in London, England's Trafalgar Square, and was hand-picked to perform at a private event for the Queen.

Black received extraordinary reviews from critics and fans alike at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, packed the house at the MIDEM conference in Cannes, France, and kicking off the FIFA world cup concert series.

More recently, Black performed alongside Alicia Keys and K'naan at the 'Hope Rising' concert (organised and presented by the Stephen Lewis Foundation), shared the bill with United States recording artiste Tweet, and brought a crowd of 10,000 to their feet at the Waterloo Jazz Festival.

Black is currently putting the final touches on her fourth studio album entitled (8)ight, which was produced by her American partner Pete Alexander and incorporates songs co-written with acclaimed choreographer Luther Brown.

In addition to being an exceptional vocalist and performer, Black is also an experienced celebrity reporter for CTV's daily entertainment magazine eTalk.

Jay-Z was quoted as saying that his interview with Jully Black was one of the best he's ever experienced. As if Black hadn't already proved herself as a successful multi-talented entertainer, she was also featured on Canada's first black-television sitcom titled Da Kink In My Hair, originally a theatre production in which she held the leading role.