Bio

JONNY BOY JONNY BOY experienced an epiphany when he first heard 'Born Slippy' by Underworld on the soundtrack of Trainspotting. Up to that point his musical career had progressed along a fairly traditional path. Jon's parents loved music of all kinds, and Jon by his own admission was a lazy child. His father had a trick that would get him out of bed however. When he felt it was high time for Jon to surface, he'd find an LP of Stan Kenton or Sinatra accompanied by a hard-swinging big band. He’d put it on the old music centre at a fair volume, and before too long Jon would appear in his pyjamas asking excitedly, 'What’s that!' At the age of 11 he won a music scholarship to a local school that enabled him to study with The Reverend Anthony Curry - a world authority on the music of J.S. Bach. Jon's instruments were trumpet and piano, but Curry recognised a hitherto untapped talent for singing which Jon resisted. Jon's musical education continued at the School of Music in Birmingham where he enjoyed the tutelage of classical trumpet player John Wilbraham. After 3 years Jon moved to London where he was asked to take the position of lead trumpet for The Big Band of The Sporting Club of Monte Carlo. He stayed for 2 years. 'I loved it down there. It was a surreal time. Weird things used to happen. One night we were backing Sammy Davis Jnr. and like a wraith from the side of the stage Michael Jackson appeared. He came on, sang 'Bad' with Sammy and disappeared again'. Jon returned after being asked to tour Britain and Europe with The Four Tops. 'Those gigs were amazing. As soon as they walked on everyone went mad. I'd never experienced the roar of a crowd like that. From Nuremberg to Newcastle. The same every night. It really raised your game'. Jon has worked with many artistes since including Donna Summer, Jools Holland, Roots Manuva and Sting. 'Sting hired me for an 18 month world tour, but fired me after 18 days. He said my trumpet was "stealing his thunder" '. Jon continues, 'I dont know what it is about trumpet players. So many of them loved to sing. Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker. I've always had ideas for songs but could never decide on the best way to present them. Then I heard 'Born Slippy' and knew what I had to do. I loved the way that violence and beauty seemed to make such perfect bedfellows. It took a while to get there, but I did, and the whole project has been an incredible journey of discovery for me'. The project in question is the album Welcome to Jonnyland - an album of 7 original songs with strong melodic content all supported by beautiful backdrops sometimes some hard-driving drum 'n' bass, other times a solid house beat or some atmospheric chill out vibes. Harking back to his school days he says, 'I think old Curry was right. I love singing now. I should have listened to him!'