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Erroll Starr

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Canadian rhythm and blues singer
Erroll Starr
BornJamaica
GenresRhythm and Blues, Reggae, and Country
OccupationMusician
LabelsA&M Records (1986–87), Asoma Records (1994)
Musical artist

Erroll Starr Francis is a Canadian rhythm and blues singer. He is most noted for winning the Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year in 1989 for his single "Angel".

Background

Originally from Jamaica, Starr's father was a reggae musician with the band People's Choice.

Musical career

Starr built his early music career in Toronto, where concurrently with performing as an R&B singer he was also a member of the rock band Harbinger.

He released the singles "Holding Out for You", "The Key" and "For the Love of Money" in 1986 and 1987, before releasing his debut album Temple of Love on A&M Records in 1987. In 1987, he also participated in the recording of a Christmas charity single, "A Christmas Wish", with a lineup of Toronto-area performers that also included Billy Newton-Davis, Kim Richardson, Frozen Ghost, Prairie Oyster, Messenjah, The Pursuit of Happiness, Salome Bey, Zappacosta, Arlene Duncan and Lorraine Scott.

He received his first Juno Award nomination in 1986 for "The Key", and his second in 1987 for "For the Love of Money", and won the award for Best Male Artist at the Black Music Association of Canada awards in 1987. However, he was one of a number of Black Canadian musicians who faced heavy resistance from Canadian radio programmers in this era, and A&M did not renew his contract for another album.

In the early 1990s he moved to Hamilton, working as a record producer and recording music for film, television and commercials. During this era he formed a country music duo, North Starr, with colleague Mike Northcott, and released his second album, From the Inside Out, on the independent label Asoma Records in 1994.

He has continued to perform occasional live appearances at public events.

Personal life

In the early 2000s, he and his family moved to Killaloe, where they built an environmentally sustainable off-the-grid home in the Earthship style.

His niece, Tasha Schumann, is a rapper who performs under the stage name Tasha the Amazon.

References

  1. ^ "Starr shines with something for all". Hamilton Spectator, July 21, 1994.
  2. "Blue Rodeo ropes two Junos And k.d. lang makes it four big ones for the country folks". Toronto Star, March 13, 1989.
  3. ^ "Juno nominee has spiritual base for his songs". Ottawa Citizen, September 18, 1987.
  4. "Erroll's rising star glows at classy coming-out party". Toronto Star, August 4, 1987.
  5. "Musicians rally to record Christmas song". Toronto Star, November 10, 1987.
  6. "Juno nominations list contains many faces that are familiar". The Globe and Mail, September 9, 1986.
  7. "Juno Awards: the complete list of nominees". Vancouver Sun, September 15, 1987.
  8. "Black singers win awards", Vancouver Sun, May 16, 1987.
  9. "Celebrating our cultural differences: World Day for Cultural Diversity marked at city hall". Hamilton Spectator, May 22, 2014.
  10. "Earthship grounded". Ottawa Citizen, June 20, 2010.
  11. "Tasha the Amazon standing tall". Waterloo Region Record, April 6, 2017.
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