Jermaine Paul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jermaine Paul | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeremiah Jermaine Paul |
| Also known as | JP, Preacher |
| Born | July 18, 1979 |
| Origin |  Upstate, New York, United States |
| Genre(s) | R&B, soul, neo soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano/keyboards, synthesizer, harmonica, bass guitar, acoustic guitar |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Label(s) | Twisim Records (1996-1998) J Records (2008-)[1] |
| Website | JermainePaul.com[dead link] |
Jermaine Paul (born Jeremiah Jermaine Paul on July 18, 1979), is a Grammy Award-nominated American R&B/soul singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.[2]
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[edit] Early life
Born in a musical family of ten children, the oldest of the younger half of the Paul clan, some say Jermaine was destined for greatness. For a fact, his entire family is musically gifted. They can sing or play at least one instrument, many play more than one. On his birth, his mother gave him the Biblical name 'Jeremiah', while his father gave him the streetwise name 'Jermaine'.[2]
Being raised in the tough streets of New York, Jermaine began tagging a name for himself when singing while playing the drums at local churches and talent shows with his family at the tender age of 8. With a genuine love for singing, at age 7, he joined numerous adult choirs, mostly working as a secret weapon for older mature crowd.[2]
At the age of 9, Jermaine and his older brother Charles moved to Alabama with his grandfather to help preserve the family farm. There, he was introduced to the guitar. He played his step-grandmother's old Gibson guitar at the local church. He began listening to R&B music and imitating the voices of yesterday's greats like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson, and Otis Redding. With some knowledge of the guitar, and the yearning to go back to New York, he wrote his first blues song.[2]
At age , 14 he returned home only to find that the family had moved to a nicer and cleaner suburb. Now attending a predominately white high school, he was introduced to rock, alternative music, and for the first time, the piano. He was part of the all-state chorus, and a classically trained voice ensemble.[2]
[edit] Music career
He and his brother Charles became a member of a quartet group named 1Accord. Rejecting a basketball scholarship to Syracuse University at the age of 17, Jermaine with his group 1Accord signed to basketball star Shaquille O'Neal's label, Twisim Records. Determined to reach his dreams, he than begin crafting his writing skills and producing songs of his own.[2]
Jermaine joined a live band named Focus and wreaked havoc on the showcase circuit. He began traveling extensively throughout the world as an opening act and background vocalist to winning Grammy Awards musician, Alicia Keys. He was hand picked by Alicia Keys herself, out of the crowd one night at a club in New York to come onstage for an impromptu performance for her. She was so impressed with his talent that night, she later invited him to become one of her background singers. Since then, he had numerous collaborations.
Claiming his own style of singing, a mixture of wailing and weeping, Jermaine is confident to conquer the music scene. In all efforts to be a solo act, with the support of his band Focus, Jermaine is determined to capture the crown of R&B with his mellow tenor, powerful high natural, soothing falsetto, the ability to play live instruments, write and produce his own music with timeless lyrics.[2]
Also auditioned and was cast in the seventh season of Amercian Idol, but dropped out before the Hollywood round.
[edit] Discography
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Don't Wanna Be Alone" (Shaquille O'Neal featuring 1Accord) | You Can't Stop The Reign |
| 1997 | "Don't Stop, Don't Quit" (1Accord) | Booty Call Soundtrack |
| 1998 | "Rivers" (Shaquille O'Neal featuring 1Accord) | Respect |
| 2003 | "Diary" (Alicia Keys featuring Tony! Toni! Toné! and Jermaine Paul) | The Diary of Alicia Keys |
| 2005 | "Unbreakable" (Alicia Keys featuring Jermaine Paul) | Unplugged |
| 2005 | "Gold Digger" (Remix) (Kanye West featuring Focus) | Late Registration |
| 2005 | "If This World Were Mine" (Alicia Keys featuring Jermaine Paul) | So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross |
