Jully Black

Inspirational. Sophisticated. Ambitious. These are just a few adjectives that could be used to describe Canada's reigning R&B Queen, Jully Black. This title however, was not acquired without years of hard work and dedication to her craft.
Born of Jamaican heritage, and the youngest of nine children, Jully and her siblings were raised by her mother in the notoriously turbulent area of Jane and Finch in Toronto, ON. Despite being exposed to the tumultuous environment it is known for, Jully persevered and focused her sights on bigger and better things for herself and for those she loved. Having discovered her rich, alto voice at the tender age of 6, Jully, and anyone who heard her sing, knew she was destined for great things.
In 1997, Jully's first taste of success came in the form of a Top 40 hit in Canada with the song "Rally'n". It was also during this time in which she collaborated with artists such as Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, and Sean Paul, contributing to songs that enjoyed success on the Canadian music charts.
It didn't take long for Jully's caliber of song writing to be recognized and praised within the industry. At the age of 20, she was courted by Warner/Chappell Music Publishing where Jully penned songs for major artists such as Destiny's Child, Missy Elliot, and Nas. Continuing to write and record, Jully signed with Universal and released her first album in 2005 titled "This Is Me". The album included the hit singles "Sweat Of Your Brow" and "5x Love" and the response from fans solidified Jully as an artist in high demand.
In the summer of 2007, Jully garnished her first Top 10 single with "Seven Day Fool", a new take on the Etta James classic modernized by Jully's upbeat and soulful version of the song. "Seven Day Fool" , along side another single "Until I Stay", was featured on her sophomore release "Revival" which would go on to win in the R&B/Soul Recording of the Year category of the 2008 Juno Awards, an event at which she was the closing act.
2009 saw Jully exercising and perfecting her live performance as well as the release of her next collection of recorded material titled "The Black Book" which included the hit singles "Running" and currently receives generous rotation on radio stations of various genres. Having heard this single over the airwaves, entrepreneur, and star of Dragon's Den in Canada and Shark's Tank in the United States, Robert Herjavec requested Jully as the sole performer for an event organized to celebrate the release of his widely popular book, Driven.
The past year has been one of Jully's most successful. 2010 brought Jully several opportunities to present her explosive live show to both domestic and foreign audiences: Opening the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancoucer, BC, landing an opening slot for Kanye West in Singapore, headlining Canada Day in London, England's Trafalgar Square (performing for an audience 15,000), receiving extraordinary reviews from critics and fans alike at the SXSW conference in Austin, TX, packing the house at the MIDEM conference in Cannes, France, and kicking off the FIFA world cup concert series and the annual Pride Festival, both held in Toronto.
Accompanying these global performances, Jully has recently completed her best recorded work to date. Her album "8ight" signifies infinite possibilities and, in the words of Jully herself, "was birthed from from a place of love and the need to make a positive contribution to the current state of urban music". "8ight" will move your feet, move your mind, and move your soul.
In addition to being an exceptional vocalist and performer, Jully is also an experienced celebrity reporter for CTV's daily entertainment magazine eTalk, a correspondent and mentor on the sixth season of Canadian Idol and has very successfully hosted various awards shows. She has received high praise for her skills in conversation; Jay-Z was quoted as saying that his interview with Jully Black was one of the best he's ever experienced. As if Jully hadn't already proved herself as a successful multi-talented entertainer, she was also featured on Canada's first black television sitcom titled "Da Kink In My Hair", originally a theatre production in which Jully held the leading role.
In an industry where entertainers come and go, Jully has proven she has staying power. She is an artist who lends her voice to ensure equality for all, to empower women to stand tall, and to encourage all to dream big and achieve their goals.
Jully Black will continue to share her music with the world, continue to transform listeners into fans, and continue to grow and succeed as one of our generation's most inspiring artists for many years to come.