Leee John
Leee John | |
|---|---|
 John performing in Olonne-sur-Mer | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leslie McGregor John |
| Born | 23 June 1957 Hackney, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer ⸱ songwriter ⸱ actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | leeejohn |
Leslie McGregor "Leee" John (born 23 June 1957) is an English musician, singer and actor of St Lucian descent. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the soul band Imagination, which had three UK top 10 hits in the early 1980s.
Early life and beginnings[edit]
John was born in Hackney, London, and educated in New York City, later studying drama at the Anna Scher Theatre School.
His mother is Jessie Stevens MBE[1](born 1927), that moved with her then husband from St. Lucia to Britain in 1955. She is the first black woman to have worked at Companies House. Part of the Windrush Generation, she is a well-known figure in the St Lucian community and she received a MBE from the Queen in 1982, notably after having worked in the Haringey Police Liaison Group, which helped facilitate relations between the police and the community.[2]
John, then a young child, moved to New York City with his father, after his parents’ divorce. Despite signing, aged 10 or 11, to a record label and notably working as a background singer for The Delfonics, he moved back as a teenager to England to live with his mother. His father didn’t really support his musical ambitions and rather wanted John to continue studying. While in college, he recorded an album for EMI with a friend (under the name Russ and Leee) but only had very little success.[3]
Career[edit]
 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (September 2017) |
John was working as a backing singer when he met Ashley Ingram (born 27 November 1957, Northampton, England) a guitarist/bassist. They formed a songwriting partnership, working in a short-lived band called Fizzz. Together with Ingram and Errol Kennedy (born 9 June 1953, Montego Bay, Jamaica) they formed Imagination, a three-piece soul music band, in the early 1980s. Produced by Jolley & Swain, their hit "Body Talk" reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1981. Their biggest hit, "Just an Illusion", peaked at number 2 in March 1982. The trio frequently appeared on Top of the Pops and other pop music programmes.
Despite not being an actor, John made a guest appearance in the Doctor Who story Enlightenment in 1983, playing the character Mansell; he replaced actor David Rhule, who had dropped out at short notice due to an industrial strike at the BBC after the rehearsals had begun.[4] The group's fortunes waned but they continued to perform, tour and record until the early 1990s. John went back to acting, but in 2003 resurfaced in the reality television show Reborn in the USA, alongside other singers such as Elkie Brooks and Tony Hadley.
He released a number of dance singles in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including the UK garage and house tracks "Your Mind, Your Body, Your Soul" on Locked On Records and "U Turn Me" with Ten City vocalist Byron Stingily (2000). Under the artist name Johnny X, he also co-wrote and performed vocals on "Call on Me" which was released on Higher State. In 2005, John released a jazz album, Feel My Soul, on Candid Records, featuring a mixture of jazz standards and original compositions. Since the album's release, John has been touring the UK and Europe with his jazz quartet, as well as performing with Imagination.
John is an ambassador for SOS Children's Villages,[5] an international orphan charity providing homes and mothers for orphaned and abandoned children. He supports the charity's annual World Orphan Week[6] campaign which takes place each February. In 2012, he performed at the Leicester Square Theatre. Special guests included Mike Lindup from Level 42.
John appeared on the track "The Lost Chord" by Gorillaz for their Song Machine project, which was followed by the album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez.[7]
Discography[edit]
- Feel My Soul (2005)
- Live in Paris at the New Morning (2007)
- The Voice of Illusion Vol. 1 (2008)
- Now Is the Time (2008)
- Intimate Glow (2024)
References[edit]
- ^ "King Charles celebrates his 75th birthday a day early - with host of famous faces". Sky News. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ Review, Alt A. (20 October 2023). "Private View Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation: Jessie Stephens, MBE, SLPM with son Leee John - Alt A Review". alt-africa.com. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ "Leee John : une icône funk". Nostalgie (in French). 7 July 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ Howe & Walker, p. 117
- ^ "Child Sponsorship Charity". SOS Children. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ^ "World Orphan Week 2013 – World Orphan Week". Soschildrensvillages.org.uk. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ^ "Gorillaz team up with Robert Smith on 'Strange Timez' and share star-studded 'Song Machine' tracklist". NME. 9 September 2020.
Bibliography[edit]
- Howe, David J.; Walker, Stephen James (1995). Doctor Who: The Handbook. Vol. The Fifth Doctor. ISBN 978-0-426-20458-9.
External links[edit]
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