Norman Jay MBE

Norman has played a major part in the development of the dance scene. You name it he can play it, from Rare Groove to Hip Hop to House - eclectic is his middle name.

Influenced by the powerful and exciting sounds coming out of late 60s Black America by the likes of Aretha Franklin and James Brown, Jay became an avid collector of American black music, from labels like Motown, Stax, Atlantic and Jazz. It was around this time, inspired by a trip to New York, that Jay decided to take his DJ-ing more seriously. He teamed up with his brother Joey and built the Good Times sound system, playing at the famous Notting Hill Carnival to great acclaim gaining a reputation that would see Good Times become a Carnical institution.

Jay amassed a huge live following leading and helped found pirate radio station Kiss FM. He hosted the first legal broadcast on Kiss FM when they became licenced. He went on to start the UK’s first garage club whichwas responsible for reviving interest in old-school divas such as Jocelyn Brown, Chaka Khan. Loleatta Holloway and Gwen Guthrie, all of whom appeared live at the club.

After the radio station and the club, Jay was head-hunted by Polygram to start a new label called Talkin Loud, charged with uncovering a new strain of UK soul-dance artists. The label signed seminal artists such as the Young Disciples, Galliano and Incognito. At the same time Jay was touring live around Australasia, the US, Japan and Europe. He also became a fixture on the celebrity party circuit playing for the likes of Mick Jagger (at his fiftieth birthday party), Michael Caine, George Michael, Paul Weller, Lenny Henry (who reputedly model his pirate radio DJ character on Jay) Vivienne Westwood and Gaultier.

Jay’s combination of diverse genres from house and garage to funk and soul, drum and bass to jazz and hip-hop has assured he and Good Times have remained a popular fixture on the dance music scene.