jj gilmour -biography The early yearsScottish singer-songwriter jj gilmour made his recording debut in 1989 with the Silencers, one of Scotlands most under-rated bands who enjoyed huge success in Europe, especially in France.A superbly gifted natural vocalist (in his youth, he came very close to a career in classical music as a tenor), jj joined the band as a backing vocalist following five years of constant gigging in Canada.He started off providing vocals on the singles from the Silencers third album Dance to the Holy Man and this was quickly followed by an invitation to join the band full-time.By the time of the fourth Silencers album, Seconds of Pleasure, jj had progressed seamlessly to lead vocalist, and seven action-packed years of gigging, recording and consequent rocknroll excess ensued.French successFor over a decade, The Silencers remained one of the biggest rock acts in France, enjoying even greater success across the Channel than in their native UK.They had two gold albums, sold over half a million records for BMG/RCA, headlined every major French rock festival and were regulars on hit TV shows Taratata and TV5.The band originally broke into the French market supporting Scottish superstars Simple Minds, but classic songs like The real McCoy and Scottish rain and I can feel it hit a chord with continental fans.Led by charismatic founder Jimme ONeill, The Silencers underwent regular changes in personnel during the period of their five hit albums, and after seven years of hectic touring all over Europe, jj gilmour left the band in 1996 to reclaim his life and plan a solo career.Debut solo album Sunnyside P.A.L.During the following period of prolific song-writing, jj renewed his French connection by signing in early 2000 for Paris-based IC Records, a new record label funded by the German Edel Music Group, one of the leading independent music companies in Europe.During 2001, jj went out to New York for four months to record Sunnyside P.A.L., which was produced by Dan Wise (Joan Osborne) and mixed by Michael Brauer (Coldplay). Inspired by the memory of a childhood friend who had recently succumbed to cancer, Sunnyside P.A.L. was released in 2002 and was widely recognised as a classic debut album.The album received enthusiastic critical acclaim, and the first single Me and you was play-listed by Europe 2, one of the most popular radio stations in France. Europe 2 went on to sponsor the album, which had a high-profile launch at the legendary Paris music venue La Scene.But within a year, Edel had closed down its international offices, including Paris, and SunnysideP.A.L. inevitably suffered from the consequent lack of serious distribution and promotional muscle. Miles CopelandUndeterred, jj gilmour continued writing at home in Jersey, and took the Sunnyside P.A.L. album on tour supporting both Bob Geldof and Ocean Colour Scene. He organised regular gigs for his loyal and enthusiastic fan base in both France and Scotland, and in early 2006 was approached out of the blue by legendary LA music manager Miles Copeland.Copelands wife had been given a copy of Sunnyside P.A.L., and had fallen under its spell (a not unusual reaction, as it turns out). She insisted that Miles listen to it, and he agreed to approach jj with a view to signing him up.US tourThe first result of the union was a North American tour in May 2006, supporting movie star and lesser- known rock singer Steven Seagal. Despite appearing as a complete unknown before Seagals enthusiastic fans, jjs easy charisma and effortlessly soaring vocals won over the audiences and confirmed the instant appeal of his songs.During the summer of 2006, jj gilmour, now at the very top of his form, performed a number of ecstatically received concerts across Scotland, showcasing new songs alongside the earlier classics from Sunnyside P.A.L.Miles Copeland and jj gilmour now (summer 2006) have plans to rerecord the best of the first album along with a batch of newer songs from this prolific songwriter.E: [email protected] www.jjgilmour.com