• 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:

...Baby One More TimeBritney Spears

"Baby One More Time," the breakout song for Britney Spears, was originally offered to TLC but they passed on it. The R&B trio didn't feel comfortable singing the line, "hit me baby one more time."

Big Yellow TaxiJoni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" is about the commercialization of Hawaii. On her first trip to the islands, she looked out of her hotel window and saw a parking lot as far as the eye could see.

Invisible TouchGenesis

The Genesis song "Invisible Touch" was inspired by the Prince-written Sheila E. track "The Glamorous Life."

Station to StationDavid Bowie

David Bowie's "Station to Station" is over 10 minutes long. Bowie was doing a lot of drugs at the time and later said, "I have only flashes of making it."

Where Did Our Love GoThe Supremes

The Motown team of Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote "Where Did Our Love Go" with The Marvelettes in mind, but they turned it down. When The Supremes recorded the tune, Diana Ross was forced to sing in a lower, breathier style than she was used to because it wasn't written for her.

TemptedSqueeze

The Squeeze song "Tempted" is one of their few with lead vocals by Paul Carrack, who sang the Ace song "How Long" and was in Mike + The Mechanics.

Editor's Picks

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."