From a split-cover genius on YouTube to a Grammy-winning musician with sleeper hits, Jacob Collier is steadily taking the music industry by storm. The North London native is a musical polymath whose ability has caught the attention of some of the music industry's top names, including Quincy Jones, Chris Martin, SZA, and many others.
An English singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter, Jacob is the first British artist to win a grammy for each of his first four albums. Furthermore, he is one of the most creative new players in music, having a flair for experimenting with sounds that span genres such as jazz, folk, and R&B.
Since there is a lot more to cover and know about the musical genius, stick with us till the very end to discover some of his interesting unknown facts that might fascinate you.
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Comes From A Musical Family Background
The prolific artist was born on 2nd August 1994 in London, England. He belongs to a musical family since his maternal grandparents, Derek Collier and Leila Wong, were professional violinists. Collier's grandfather was also the concertmaster of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Moreover, through his maternal grandmother, he is partly of Chinese descent.
Similarly, Jacob Collier's mother, Suzie Collier, is also an established violinist, conductor, and instructor at the Royal Academy of Music. She raised Jacob and his two younger sisters, Sophie Collier and Ellia Collier, as a single parent. However, not much has been revealed about Jacob's father and his professional background. Still, several sites have suggested his name to be Patrick Moriarty.
Furthermore, when he was just four years old, Collier used to learn music from his mother. At seven, he started producing music using computer software. His keen interest in music from an early age led him to study music growing up. As such, the singer attended Purcell School for Young Musicians in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
Later, he joined the Royal Academy of Music in London to study jazz piano, but he dropped out after two years.
Has Five Grammy Awards To His Name
Jacob's list of awards and recognitions shows how much of a great artist he is. Collier has won a total of five Grammy Awards, for which he has been nominated in recent years. It includes two awards for best arrangement, instrumental or a cappella (You and I in 2017 and Moon River in 2020).
Similarly, the musician bagged the Grammy thrice for best arrangement, vocals, and instruments (Flinstones in 2017, All Night Long in 2020, and He Won't Hold You in 2021). Jacob was nominated for two Grammys in 2022: Best Arrangement, Vocals, and Instruments for The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) and Best R&B Song for Good Days.
Hopefully, the artist will earn more awards in the future, and nothing seems to stop him now.
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Rose To Prominence After Posting Multi-Screen Covers On YouTube
With his YouTube covers, Collier mastered the one-man-band notion and gained the attention of the entire public. In a multi-screen display that synched each of his harmonies and instruments, the then-17-year-old prodigy arranged, recorded, produced, and played jazz and soul classics like Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" and Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T."
In 2012, the English artist's cover videos began to go viral, and that's precisely how he came to fame. Furthermore, after the legendary producer heard his 2013 cover of 'Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing,' Quincy Jones signed Collier to his management business Quincy Jones Productions in 2014.
Aside from the prodigy's own musically minded family, one of the persons most responsible for Jacob Collier's career is revolutionary record producer Jones. In addition, during an interview with The New Yorker, Jacob mentioned that Mr. Jones had been 'almost like a godfather figure in terms of musicality.'
The two share a tight-knit bond, and fans can't wait for more collaboration in the future.
His Inspiration Behind Djesse
Djesse was inspired by Collier's desire to communicate with music and those around him. It is a four-volume record that delves into three different aspects of musicality.
Similarly, Djesse Vol. 1 was the first album in the series, which was released on 7 December 2018, and this album featured the Metropole Orkest. Furthermore, the second album in the Djesse series, Djesse Vol. 2, was released on 19th July 2019. The volume features collaborations with Dodie Clark, Sam Amidon, JoJo, and Lianne La Havas, to name a few.
Later, on 14 August 2020, Djesse Vol. 3, the third album in the series, was released. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards; the track "All I Need" was nominated for Best R&B Performance; and as already mentioned, the track "He Won't Hold You" won Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals.
Jacob Collier started the Djesse album series with aim to interact with music and those around him. Image Source: Jacob Collier Instagram.
According to one article by Billboard, the darkhorse nominee's Djesse Vol. 3 is the first album since 1963 to receive an album of the year nomination without being on Billboard's album chart. While volume three of the series created history, his fourth volume is yet to be released.
His Love Life Is A Mystery
Even at the peak of his career, Jacob is very humble and down to earth. Since he has several successful musical projects under his belt and a shimmery professional career, many people are interested to find out who the musical artist is dating or if there is anyone he is romantically linked with.
Well, it might disappoint many of Jacob's fans, but he has not yet revealed anything about his partner. Although he is seen performing with several female artists, not much is known about Jacob Collier's girlfriend. Also, going through his social media handles, there are no signs of him being in love; instead, he is seen dedicating most of his posts to his profession.
Hence, we should be patient and wait until Jacob reveals something about his partner and gives us signs of him being together with someone. Till then, let's respect his privacy and give him time to be more vocal regarding his love life.
Though winning multiple Grammy, Jacob Collier is a name that is slowly getting discovered and recognized worldwide. Through this article, we discussed several interesting facts about him, and we hope it became insightful to know a great artist more personally.
