Junior first began singing in a local band at the age of 14, encouraged by the sounds of doo-wop, early Motown, soul and reggae. This hobby soon became a full time musical career and Junior realised that his talents lay in writing and performing his own music. His first recordings date back to a cover of the ever green song “Nice and Slow “by Jessie Green, then the song which got him noticed “Hot up and Heated”.
Initially signed to Phonogram Records, 1982 saw Junior hit the chart heights with the infectious anthem ‘Mama Used To Say’ which became a transatlantic hit, prompting Junior’s appearance as the first black British artist on Soul Train and earning him Billboard’s ‘Best Newcomer Award’ presented by the legendary James Brown. The U.S. hit, ‘Too late’ which reached no 8 and his auspicious debut album ‘Ji’ followed.
Junior continues to record and his latest single is a powerful rendition of A Change Is Gonna Come, the first release from his forthcoming LP. You can get yours from Solar Records here
Meanwhile, you can hear our chat below:
To be kept up to speed with his news, check out Junior’s website here
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