One of the few true greats of Jamaican music; singer, songwriter, producer and, above all, consummate performer, A J Franklin is one of those rate talents who can never give less than his best. Whether he’s fronting an international tour, supplying backing vocals for the likes of the Eurythmics, or teaching singing to disadvantaged kids as part of a community programme, ‘AJ’ gives an equal level of commitment. And that’s what both his fans and people within the music industry appreciate - he delivers - and that is why, after thirty years in the business, he is still in big demand.Though his roots are firmly in reggae, he somehow manages to transcend a single musical genre, you don’t have to wear locks to he able to float on his mellifluous voice or wind to the harder underlying rhythms, you just need an appreciation of good music. But don’t be fooled by his gentle exterior, you can’t survive as long as he has in a tough business without having some sharp edges, and it is this facet of his character which is, perhaps, the key to his musical endurance - the seamless blending of the rough with the smooth. Maybe it was his early soul music influences which, made melody so important to AJ, maybe it is something that’s always been in his head, whatever, a strong melody makes for a memorable song and a memorable song is a popular song. A J Franklin writes and sings them sweeter than most which is why he’s going to be around for a long time yetBorn Franklin Spence in Westmorland, but growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, A J began his musical career in 1969 as one third of the Federals. The band were regular dub performers around Kingston and were soon picked up by local musical entrepreneur Derrick Harriott and showcased as part of Derrick Harriotrs’ Musical Chariot (yeah really). Harriott also put them in the recording studio and a couple of minor hits followed with ‘Penny For Your Song’ being the most notable.The Federals evolved into The Chosen Few the following year in 1970, with a change of line up. A J and David ‘Scotty’ Scott remained and were joined by Noel ‘Bonny’ Brown and Richard McDonald. Still under the direction of Harriott more hits like ‘Ebony Eyes’ and ‘Everybody Plays The Fool’ soon followed. It was during this period that the group’s trademark melodic vocals developed. The Chosen Pew began touring Canada and the States and their album Hit After Hit, recorded in Miami included KC And The Sunshine Band guesting on some of the tracks.In 1974 the producer Tony Ashfield persuaded A J and the band to go to the UK and sing a recording deal with Polydor. One album for Polydor and another for Trojan gave A J the chance to refine his producing and songwriting skills.Through the late ‘70’s and ‘80’s The Chosen Few enhanced their reputation as one of the live shows around playing most of the big UK venues and made national TV with appearances on the then popular Cliff Richard Show. During this period the group received two awards, the first in 1983 for producing the best reggae song of the year and this was followed in 1987 by an award for their contribution to the development of reggae music. Not content with all this, the group began work with the musical tribute show Black Heroes portraying, among others, The Temptations.This provided A J with a crash course in theatre studies which has helped him with his stage performance.The SO’s were a hard time for many established reggae artists, due mainly to the public’s changing musical tastes and the Britpop explosion, but A J managed to keep working on his own musical projects. By the end of that decade, having held the group together for 20 years, A J felt that the time was right to pursue a more personal route and, together with Jo Harper, formed Silver Edge Records. Apart from allowing A J to record his own material this gave him the opportunity to produce other artists which include Christine Lewin with her hit ‘Juicy Fruit; and Errol Hines who he’d worked with in Black Heroes. Silver Edge also negotiated licensing deals with the likes of Gregory Isaac, Boris Gardener and Tinga Stuart.The first A J Franklin solo single release, ‘This Love’, proved to be a steady seller and his new band line up with two female backing singers were soon to be heard on the club circuit. During this time A J was also busy employing his producing talents in the studio to the benefit of such luminaries as John Holt, Errol Dunkley and Sylvia Teller and began work on another solo album. This turned out to be ‘Taking It To The Limits’, released at the end of l998.Now, in the run up to the millennium, A J is embarked on a new, vibrant phase under the Murray Smith Management banner. With a series of shows booked across the UK and a very tight, explosive ten-piece band including the Cross Sisters, Errol Brown and ... A J Franklin injected a level of excitement into reggae music not experienced on these shores for far too long.Courtesy of Murry-Smith Managment
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