Jully Black (born Jullyann Inderia Gordon Black, November 8, 1977) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actress. She has released 4 studio albums, and 2 remix EPs. She has collaborated and written for many artists, including Nas, Saukrates, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Destiny's Child, and Sean Paul.
She was chosen by CBC Music as one of "The 25 Greatest Canadian Singers Ever"[1] and has long been dubbed the "Canada's Queen of R&B" by fans and industry peers alike.[2][3][4]
Early life
Jullyann Inderia Gordon Black was born to Jamaican immigrants. She is the youngest of nine children, she grew up in the North York district in the neighbourhood of Jane and Finch in Toronto, Ontario.[5] After her parents divorced when Black was a child, she was raised in a strict Pentecostal household by her single mother, Aretha.
Musical career
Black performing at Luminato in June 2010 in Toronto, Ontario
At age 19, Black was discovered by Warner/Chappell Music who immediately signed her. Shortly after, she was courted by Universal Music Canada where she was offered a deal to help propel her career. Black capitalized on these opportunities, which saw her garner her first Juno Award nomination in 1997 and continue to be nominated almost every year thereafter as well as having the opportunities to collaborate with and/or write for other well-known artists such as Nas, Destiny's Child, Sean Paul, Kardinal Offishall, and many others.[6]
Black had a Top 40 hit on the Canadian charts with 1998's "Rally'n". Subsequent singles also charted, such as "You Changed" and "Between Me and U". In the same year, she was invited to contribute to Rascalz' groundbreaking hip hop single, "Northern Touch", but was unable to participate due to other commitments.[7] In 1999, she appeared on 2Rude's single "Dissin Us", which won the MuchMusic Video Award for Best R&B/Soul Video in 2000.[8]
Black's debut album was originally scheduled for release in 2003 on MCA Records, under the title I Traveled,[9] but was shelved after MCA folded that same year.
In Summer 2005, a newly recorded album, This Is Me, was released by Universal Music Canada. The album included the hit singles "Sweat of Your Brow" and "5x Love". According to a piracy report by IFPI, there were "2.8 million illegal file swapping requests for her music in the first two weeks of her album's release".
Also in the same year, Black played the Preacher in the theatre production of "Da Kink in My Hair" at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Downtown Toronto. The play was a critical success as it sold out all of its 106 performances, being extended 5 times. This led to the weekly TV series on the Global Television Network, with Black singing the opening theme and being featured in two episodes.
In Summer 2007, her new single, "Seven Day Fool", was released, becoming Black's first Top 10 hit in Canada. Her second album, Revival, was released on October 16, 2007, and was awarded the Juno for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. "Seven Day Fool" and "Revival" also became her 1st solo song and album to hit 1 Million plays on Spotify, despite being released long before the platform's creation.
Black was a correspondent on the sixth season of the CTV reality competition show Canadian Idol and hosted the 2008 Canadian Radio Music Awards. She has also been a celebrity reporter for the CTV daily entertainment news magazine program, etalk.[10] Black is also a featured weekly guest panelist on the CTV daytime talk show, The Marilyn Denis Show, and has been a multiple presenter at both the 2010 and 2011 P&G Beauty & Grooming Awards.
In 2009, Black, alongside YoungPete Alexander and Kellis E. Parker, wrote and released her third studio album, The Black Book. Following its release, Black kicked off a country-wide tour in Vancouver at the 2010 Winter Olympics.[11] In 2011, Black and YoungPete created a new production team known as "The Officials". Together, they've written and produced songs for an upcoming album tentatively titled: Made In Canada.
In 2012, Black was nominated for a 2012 Juno Award for 'Best R&B/Soul Recording' for her song "Set It Off" featuring Kardinal Offishall.[14] In the same year, Black released an EP, Dropping W(8), a reference to her having these songs and feeling a weight on her shoulders.
In 2022, Black was announced as a competitor in the eighth season of The Amazing Race Canada and was eliminated on the first leg after she and her partner Kathy missed the entrance to the Rialto theater allowing the trailing Cedric & Tychon to catch up.[16]
In 2023, she sang the Canadian national anthem at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. Black changed the lyrics from “our home and native land" to "our home on native land" as a mark of respect to the Indigenous groups within Canada.[17] She was later honoured by the Assembly of First Nations for this action.[18][19] In the same year she participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's single "What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health.[20]
2006: Words to Music: The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (TV film) (performer: "Put Your Hand in the Hand")
2004: You Got Served (performer: "Heaven")
2003: The Fighting Temptations (writer: "I Know")
2002: Brown Sugar (performer: "You Changed")
Awards and nominations
2013: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year "Fugitive" (NOMINATION)
2012: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year "Set It Off" f. Kardinal Offishal (NOMINATION)
2010: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year "The Black Book" (NOMINATION)
2008: Single of the Year, "Seven Day Fool" (NOMINATION)
2008: R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, "Revival" (WINNER)
2006: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, "Sweat of Your Brow" (NOMINATION)
2006: Gemini Award for Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series for: Words to Music: The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame 2006 (NOMINATION)
2005: Canadian Urban Music Award (CUMA) for Dance/Electronic Recording of the Year, "Sweat of Your Brow" (Tricky Moreira [Just BE Remix]) (WINNER)
2004: Gemini Award for Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series for: Tonya Lee Williams: Gospel Jubilee (NOMINATION)
2003: Juno Award for "Best R&B/Soul Song", "You Changed" (NOMINATION)
2002: MuchMusic Video Award Viewers Choice for Best Canadian Collaboration or Group, "The Day Before" (NOMINATION)
2002: MuchMusic Video Award for "Best Rap Video", "Light It Up" (NOMINATION)
2001: Juno Award for "Best Rap recording", "Money Jane" (NOMINATION)
1999: MuchMusic Video Award for "Best R&B/Soul Video". "Rally'n" (NOMINATION)
1999: Juno Award for "Best R&B/Soul Song". "Rally'n" (NOMINATION)
1998: MuchMusic Video Award for "Best Rap Video", "360" (NOMINATION)
1997: Juno Award for "Best Rap Recording", "What It Takes" (WINNER)
Filmography
Network television performances
2012: Canada AM (Duet with Donny Parenteau, Alright With Me)
2004: Show Time/Soul Food Productions Presents "We Plan" Episode #064. Role, Jully Black
2004: MuchMusic Presents "Behind the Threads" an up-close look at the women of the Garment industry. Jully Black travels to Dhaka, Bangladesh to cover the story
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