Jazzie B had his first gig in 1977 working with friends under the name Jah Rico, but changed the working name to Soul II Soul in 1982.
Between 1985-1989 Jazzie and Soul II Soul would hold highly renowned nights at the Africa Centre in Covent Garden. In later years, Jazzie has hosted shows on radio stations such as BBC London and Kiss FM.
Soul II Soul has released five studio albums, two compilation albums, two live albums, and eighteen singles. Their debut album Club Classics Vol. One released in 1989 reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, and hit number 14 on the US Billboard 200. It earned two platinum certifications in the US, and the albums top singles ‘Keep On Movin’‘ and ‘Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)’ hit number one on the Billboard R&B chart, and were both certified platinum.
Jazzie B has some prestigious accolades to his name, including being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2008 in the New Year Honours. Also in 2008, he won the Inspiration award at the Ivor Novello Awards, hailed as ‘a pioneer’ and ‘the man who gave black British music a soul of its own’.
We loved having Jazzie B join us here at The Dead Famous in Newquay—find out more about our upcoming artists, here.
