Those
of you that are fans of Jean-Michel’s, know that
he needs no introduction. Born Jean-Michel Byron
du Plessis, in apartheid South Africa he quickly
learnt that the only good from growing up under
such a regime, is that it teaches you early on,
that life can be harsh and unfair, but if you
persevere you can overcome hardship and extreme
racism to realize your dream.
Jean-Michel is the former lead
singer of the rock band “Toto”. He is a very versatile
singer with a lot of charisma and charm. He has
an amazing range in musical styles and great stage
presence. It became clear why Toto asked Jean-Michel
to join the band. After hearing and meeting Jean-Michel,
the late Jeff Porcaro told world reporters that
“we had been searching for years for singers and
auditioned thousands, but when I met and heard
Jean-Michel, we immediately scheduled a rehearsal
and started writing songs together.” These songs
were later recorded on the hit album “Past to
Present”. All over the world people got to hear
and experience the songs of the grammy award winning
band Toto with Jean-Michel at the helm, singing
the great hits like “Hold The Line”, “Africa”
and “Out Of Love”, “I’ll Be Over You” as well
as many other “Toto” hits.
Although Jean-Michel and Toto
parted ways, it will always be a milestone in
his life. He always wanted to work with Jeff Porcaro
and he got that opportunity. It was truly a great
experience.
Jean-Michel is without question,
one of the best singers and songwriters in the
world according to both music fans and critics
alike. He has one of the most beautiful, distinct,
yet strong and pure sounding voices. Jean-Michel
has worked with many top bands and artists all
around the world including “The Scorpions”, “Kenny
Loggins”, “Dave Mason”, “Dionne Warwick”, “Van
Morrison”, “Alejandro Lerner” and many more.
When Dionne Warwick heard Jean-Michel
singing, she immediately wanted to work with him.
A short time later they got together to recorded
the aching duet “Love Of My Life”. This heartbreakingly
beautiful song demonstrates the mellifluous voice
of the legendary Dionne Warwick and the lyrical
singing style of Jean-Michel which shows not only
can he do rock songs, but can ease into romantic
songs effortlessly. This song, written by Jean-Michel,
shows the versatility that he is famous for. There
are many companies competing for “Love Of My Life”
which will probably be released early next year,
just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Most recently Jean-Michel has
been recording and performing with his new band
called “Guavajava”, they are touring all around
the world. “Guavajava” is a made up of some of
the very best musicians from Los Angeles. “Guavajava”
has a very cool sound with a rich blend of rock
and soul music. Very infectious and intoxicating.
Jean-Michel has just returned from a successful
European tour and will soon be heading for an
Asian tour. His new album is entitled “Heaven”
with “Guavajava” tastefully adding beautiful colors
and textures and a ‘lotta’ soul.
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