• 1992-

  Jay KayLead vocals1992-

  Toby SmithKeyboards1992-2002

  DJ D-ZireWheels of steel1992-2001

  Stuart ZenderBass1992-1998

  Sola AkingbolaPercussion1994-

  Derrick McKenzieDrums1994-

  Simon KatzGuitar1995-2000

  Martin ShawTrumpet, flugelhorn1995-2000

  Adrian RavellSaxophone, flute1995-1997

  Rob HarrisGuitar2000-

  Matt JohnsonKeyboards2002-

  Paul TurnerBass2005-

  James RussellSaxophone, flute2010-

  Jim CorrySaxophone2010-

  Malcolm StrachanTrumpet2010-
• Lead singer Jay Kay is known for his outlandish hats - from feathered headdresses to top hats that rival the Cat in the Hat's - but he insists it's not a gimmick. "It's not just for an image," he told The Melody Maker. "I've worn hats like this since I was a kid. I've had all that, 'Look, it's Davy Crockett!' bollocks for as long as I can remember."
  
  He continued: "The hat also has a spiritual significance. The Native Americans call it 'Orenda,' which is a kind of vibe power. If an audience at a gig isn't really going for it, I'll tug the hat down and come on all militant. I'll come on like a buffalo."
• Jay Kay's mom is jazz singer Karen Kay. Jay says his earliest memories are of flying to Las Vegas and back for his mom's gigs.
• Kay also credits his on-the-road travels with his mom for inspiring his insatiable lust for sports cars (Ferraris, in particular). "I was brought up in the back of a car," he told Esquire. "Actually, I think I was made in one. From an early age I knew what every car on the road was."
• Kay was born an identical twin near Blackburn, England, in 1969, but his brother only survived for six weeks. The singer would always feel the loss. "It's weird feeling a connection with something that is now dead, but was connected to you," he told The Face magazine.
• Original bass player Stuart Zender is known for playing a Warwick Streamer. The first bass he bought when he left home at 17 was from the Germany-based manufacturer, which nearly blew through his savings. Before that, he played a Music Man Stingray.
• Jamiroquai's symbol is the Buffalo Man, a silhouetted figure wearing a buffalo hat, who may or not be Jason Kay. The character appears on most of the band's releases.
• The comparison between Kay's voice and Stevie Wonder's has been both a blessing and a curse for the singer, who has been simultaneously praised by critics for his talent and torn apart for being a rip-off artist. Kay laughed, or sang, in the face of his detractors by actually performing with Wonder at a 2010 concert in London's Hyde Park.
• The funk/acid jazz band first attracted Sony's attention with their 1992 debut single, "When You Gonna Learn." After signing with the record label, they seemed to blow up overnight upon the release of the anti-war song "Too Young to Die." But the road to success was considerably longer. "I was homeless," Jay Kay told Esquire. "I slept under stairs, in parks, on benches... I delivered pizzas, and worked in a toy warehouse where the only thing I could do to entertain myself was to jump on the dollies that pissed themselves. People see the house, the cars and they forget all that s--t."

Comments

More Songfacts:

We Are All Made Of StarsMoby

Moby says that "We Are All Made Of Stars" is scientifically accurate, since all matter originates from stardust.

WaterlooABBA

In Belgium, where the Battle of Waterloo took place, "Waterloo" by ABBA was a huge hit, #1 for five weeks.

KashmirLed Zeppelin

"Kashmir" is the only Led Zeppelin song to use outside musicians, as it needed strings and horns.

Freeway Of LoveAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin didn't drive, but one of her biggest hits was a car song: "Freeway Of Love."

Rock And Roll All NiteKiss

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of Kiss wrote "Rock And Roll All Nite" as a "rallying cry for all of our fans." In later years, members of Kiss wrote songs separately.

Life During WartimeTalking Heads

The 1979 song "Life During Wartime" by Talking Heads deals with how technology could be exploited to take down the framework of society and enable government surveillance.

Editor's Picks

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Intentionally AtrociousSong Writing

A selection of songs made to be terrible - some clearly achieved that goal.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.