Lemar on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Lemar Obika (born 4 April 1978), known as Lemar, is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. Initially rising to fame after finishing third on the
first series of British talent show ''
Fame Academy
''Fame Academy'' was a British television talent competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist and part of the international franchise ''Star Academy'' known under va ...
'', he was later signed to
Sony BMG
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
, where he has gone on to release five studio albums, three of which are certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
or double platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI).
Lemar's double-platinum debut album ''
Dedicated'' was released in November 2003 and contained the successful singles "
Dance (With U)
"Dance (With U)" is the second single released by British R&B singer Lemar and his first for Sony Music UK after coming third place in the BBC show ''Fame Academy''. The single became a hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number two on the U ...
", "
50/50" and "
Another Day", all of which charted in the top 10 of the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. His second effort, ''
Time to Grow
''Time to Grow'' is the second studio album by English singer Lemar. It was released by Sony BMG on 29 November 2004 in the United Kingdom. The album has been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Critical recepti ...
'', saw similar success, again achieving double platinum certification and spawning his most successful single, "
If There's Any Justice
"If There's Any Justice" is the first single taken from British R&B singer Lemar's second album, ''Time to Grow'' (2004). Originally offered to Hear'Say, the song was rejected by the group after they decided it was "too mature" for them. It wou ...
", which peaked at number 3 and spent four months in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Lemar has seen considerable chart success in the
UK and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, releasing ten top 20 singles, seven of which peaked in the top 10, and has sold over two million albums. He is seen as one of the most successful artists to come out of a reality TV show.
Early life
Lemar Obika was born in
Tottenham
Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...
,
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire.
The term ''nort ...
, England to
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
n parents. He grew up listening to
R&B and
soul music
Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
. He used to sing at home with his siblings, pretending to be
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
and
the Jacksons
The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
.
He was 17 when he had his first concert at the Junior Jam at 'The Temple' in Tottenham supporting American singer
Usher. At the time, he was designing a website to sell logos for the
Ericsson PH337 phone.
[Prince's Trust trading Ltd. (2009). Inspired* by music. London: Shoehorn Arts & Culture Books. pp. 94-97. .] Later on, he gave up an opportunity to study pharmacy at
Cardiff University
, latin_name =
, image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University
, motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord
, mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord
, established = 1 ...
to pursue a musical career. Lemar had some success supporting various artists such as American
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
s
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
and
Total on their UK club tours and after some years, managed to secure a recording contract with BMG. Following this, he released his debut single "
Got Me Saying Ooh
"Got Me Saying Ooh" is the debut single from United Kingdom, British R&B singer Lemar. The song was his first and only single for RCA Records. The song is very different in style to Lemar's other material, as it contains a UK garage/dance oriente ...
". His record deal with BMG fell through in less than a year due to restructuring at the record label. He had to eventually take a job working as an accounts manager at
NatWest
National Westminster Bank, commonly known as NatWest, is a major retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the merger of National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank. In 2000, it ...
in
Enfield
Enfield may refer to:
Places Australia
* Enfield, New South Wales
* Enfield, South Australia
** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb
** Enfield High School (South Australia)
...
, North London. At age 24, his mother died of cancer and he found listening to
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
's "
Tears in Heaven
"Tears in Heaven" is a song by English guitarist, singer, and songwriter Eric Clapton and Will Jennings, written about the death of Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor. It appeared on the 1991 ''Rush'' film soundtrack. In January 1992, Clapto ...
" brought "clarity" and aims to "write songs as moving as this".
Career
2002–2003: Fame Academy and ''Dedicated''
Lemar was most notably brought to public attention on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's ''
Fame Academy
''Fame Academy'' was a British television talent competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist and part of the international franchise ''Star Academy'' known under va ...
'' in 2002, a combination of a talent quest and reality television show. He made the finals of the show winning plaudits for his version of "
Let's Stay Together" by
Al Green
Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), better known as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Take Me to the River", ...
and singing a duet with
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...
on "
Easy". While he ended up finishing third in the show, which was won by
David Sneddon
David Sneddon (born 15 September 1978) is a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and music producer of contemporary pop music. He began his career performing on stage and television, singing lead roles in stage musicals in Glasgow. In 2002, h ...
, he caught the eye of fellow
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
soul singer
Beverley Knight
Beverley Knight (born Beverley Anne Smith, 22 March 1973) is an English recording artist and musical theatre actress. She released her first album, '' The B-Funk'', in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke an ...
, who invited him to sing a duet with her during her concert at the
Hammersmith Apollo
The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ham ...
.
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
was so impressed with his potential that they signed him to a five-year record deal worth £1 million. He was also the contestant from ''
Fame Academy
''Fame Academy'' was a British television talent competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist and part of the international franchise ''Star Academy'' known under va ...
'' chosen to represent the UK in
Eurobest
The Eurobest Festival of Creativity (formerly the European Advertising Festival) is an annual event which celebrates and rewards "creative excellence" in creative communications, advertising and related fields in Europe.
The first Festival took p ...
, coming fifth (the eventual winner being
Chenoa
María Laura Corradini Falomir (born June 25, 1975, in Mar del Plata, Argentina) popularly known as Chenoa, is an Argentine-Spanish music artist who rose to fame as a contestant on reality television singing competition ''Operación Triunfo''. H ...
from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
).
Lemar's second single "
Dance (with U)
"Dance (With U)" is the second single released by British R&B singer Lemar and his first for Sony Music UK after coming third place in the BBC show ''Fame Academy''. The single became a hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number two on the U ...
" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in early 2003. His first album ''
Dedicated'' was released late in 2003 with additional singles "
50/50" and "
Another Day" also achieving chart success in the UK.
Following the success of the album, he commenced his first headlining tour of the UK. After completing his UK tour, Lemar was the opening act for
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
's UK tour dates.
Thus, he is considered the "most successful graduate.
2004–2005: ''Time to Grow''
On 12 November 2004 Lemar guested on
Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to:
*BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC
** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music
*CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...
's
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...
and performed a cover of
U2's song "
Vertigo
Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
". He has also performed for
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
'
Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth y Tywysog) is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are u ...
.
In early November 2004, Lemar released his first single from the album ''
Time to Grow
''Time to Grow'' is the second studio album by English singer Lemar. It was released by Sony BMG on 29 November 2004 in the United Kingdom. The album has been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Critical recepti ...
''. "
If There's Any Justice
"If There's Any Justice" is the first single taken from British R&B singer Lemar's second album, ''Time to Grow'' (2004). Originally offered to Hear'Say, the song was rejected by the group after they decided it was "too mature" for them. It wou ...
" reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, and has become one of Lemar's most recognised songs.
''Time to Grow'' was released following the single and peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart, to date, the album has been certificated 2× Platinum by the BPI.
Two other singles were released from the album, "
Time to Grow
''Time to Grow'' is the second studio album by English singer Lemar. It was released by Sony BMG on 29 November 2004 in the United Kingdom. The album has been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Critical recepti ...
" and "
Don't Give It Up".
He is also one of the artists included on
Band Aid 20
Band Aid 20 was the 2004 incarnation of the charity supergroup Band Aid. The group, which included Daniel Bedingfield, Dido, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Bono of U2, an ...
's single "
Do They Know It's Christmas?
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...
".
2006–2008: ''The Truth About Love'' and ''The Reason''
4 September 2006 saw Lemar return with his eighth single, entitled "
It's Not That Easy
"It's Not That Easy" is the first single taken from British R&B singer Lemar's third album '' The Truth About Love''.
Before the single's release, "It's Not That Easy" made the top 3 of the UK radio airplay chart and the top 10 of the TV airp ...
", which became his sixth UK top ten hit. A week later his new album ''
The Truth About Love'' was released, which saw guest appearances from
Styles P
David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Styles P (also known mononymously as Styles), is an American rapper, best known as a member of hip hop group the Lox, alongside childhood friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss. ...
from
The L.O.X.
The Lox (stylized The LOX or The L.O.X.) is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Yonkers, New York, formed in 1994. The group is composed of East Coast hip hop, East Coast rappers Sheek Louch, Styles P and Jadakiss. They had originally ...
,
Mica Paris
Michelle Antoinette Wallen (born 27 April 1969), known professionally as Mica Paris (), is an English singer, presenter and actress.
Paris was born in Islington in North London, but moved to Brockley, South London, when she was nine. She rel ...
and
Joss Stone
Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born 11 April 1987), known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to prominence in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, ''The Soul Sessions'', which made the 2004 Merc ...
. The album became Lemar's highest charting album to date, peaking at number three on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, outpeaking ''
Time to Grow
''Time to Grow'' is the second studio album by English singer Lemar. It was released by Sony BMG on 29 November 2004 in the United Kingdom. The album has been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Critical recepti ...
'' (number eight) and ''
Dedicated'' (number sixteen). Two more singles were released from the album, "
Someone Should Tell You
"Someone Should Tell You" was the second single taken from British R&B singer Lemar's third album '' The Truth About Love''.
Before the single's release, "Someone Should Tell You" followed the success of "It's Not That Easy" in the UK airplay ch ...
" and
"Tick Tock".
At the Brit Awards in 2007, Lemar was hoping to arrive in a makeshift limo, with
James May
James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963) is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter of the motoring programme '' Top Gear'' alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from 2003 until 2015. He also ...
from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's ''