This page will contain blogs about Lemar, as they become available.

Lemar

Lemar or Lemar Obika (born 4 April 1978- ) is a British r&b singer who has had a run of chart success in the UK since appearing on Fame Academy on BBC Television.

Fame Academy

Lemar Obika was born on 4 April 1978 in London and grew listening to soul and r&b and used to sing at home with his brother pretending to be The Jacksons. He was eighteen when he had his first concert at the Junior Jam at the Temple in Tottenham supporting Usher. He gave up an opportunity to study pharmacy at the Cardiff University to pursue a musical career. Lemar had some success in his musical career supporting Destiny's Child and achieving a record deal. When the record deal fell through due to restructuring at the label he was signed to, he had to eventually take a job working as an accounts manager at the NatWest Bank.

Lemar saw an advertisement for Fame Academy in 2002, a combination of a talent quest and reality television show and decided to put his name forward. He made the finals of the show winning plaudits for his version of "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green and singing a duet with Lionel Richie on "Easy Like Sunday Morning". While he ended up finishing third in the show, he caught the eye of veteran British r&b singer Beverly Knight who invited him to sing a duet with her during her concert at the Hammersmith Apollo. Sony Music was so impressed with his potential that they signed him to a five record deal.

Recorded Career

Lemar's first single "Dance With U" reached number 2 on the UK singles charts in early 2003. His first album Dedicated was released late in 2003 with additional singles "50/50" and "Another Day" also achieving chart success in the UK. Lemar won a Brit Award for Best Urban Act in the 2004 Brit Awards. Following the success of the album, he commenced his first headlining tour of the UK featuring an appearance at Party in the Park in Birmingham. He has also done work with Prince Charles's the Prince's Trust.

Discography

  • Dedicated (2003)
  • Time To Grow (2004)

Links

  • Lemar Online website (http://www.lemar-online.com/lemar/)
  • Top of The Pops interview (http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp/artists/l/lemar/underthegrill/page1.shtml/BBC)

This page about Lemar includes information from a Wikipedia article.
Additional articles about Lemar
News stories about Lemar
External links for Lemar
Videos for Lemar
Wikis about Lemar
Discussion Groups about Lemar
Blogs about Lemar
Images of Lemar

He has also done work with Prince Charles's the Prince's Trust. One of the first musicians to act against the illegal downloading and file sharing of copyrighted music from the Internet, Aimee Mann is also one of the founding members of the independent music collective United Musicians, which is based on the principle that every artist should be able to retain copyright ownership of the work he or she has created. Following the success of the album, he commenced his first headlining tour of the UK featuring an appearance at Party in the Park in Birmingham. The Joe Henry-produced album, which was recorded mostly live and has few overdubs, is slated for release May 3, 2005. Lemar won a Brit Award for Best Urban Act in the 2004 Brit Awards. Mann has described her next album, The Forgotten Arm as a concept album about two lovers who met at the Virginia state fair and are on the run in the '70s. His first album Dedicated was released late in 2003 with additional singles "50/50" and "Another Day" also achieving chart success in the UK. Ann's Warehouse, a live album and DVD recorded at a series of July 2004 shows in Brooklyn, was released in November of that year; the two discs were sold packaged together in either a CD jewel case or a DVD case.

Lemar's first single "Dance With U" reached number 2 on the UK singles charts in early 2003. Live at St. Sony Music was so impressed with his potential that they signed him to a five record deal. Lost In Space was re-released in 2004 via Mann's website. The re-released Lost In Space Special Edition featured a second disc containing six live recordings, as well two B-sides and two previously unreleased songs. While he ended up finishing third in the show, he caught the eye of veteran British r&b singer Beverly Knight who invited him to sing a duet with her during her concert at the Hammersmith Apollo. 2 on SuperEgo, and in 2002 she continued with Lost In Space. He made the finals of the show winning plaudits for his version of "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green and singing a duet with Lionel Richie on "Easy Like Sunday Morning". The same year, fed up with both ineffectual promotion and artistic meddling by her record label, she struck out on her own and founded SuperEgo Records. In 2000, Mann released Bachelor No.

Lemar saw an advertisement for Fame Academy in 2002, a combination of a talent quest and reality television show and decided to put his name forward. Reportedly, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson took his inspiration for the film from Mann's lyrics. When the record deal fell through due to restructuring at the label he was signed to, he had to eventually take a job working as an accounts manager at the NatWest Bank. Mann gained greater public recognition in 1999 when she contributed eight songs to the soundtrack of the film Magnolia, including the Academy Award-nominated song, "Save Me". Lemar had some success in his musical career supporting Destiny's Child and achieving a record deal. In 1997 she married musician Michael Penn. He gave up an opportunity to study pharmacy at the Cardiff University to pursue a musical career. Again, reviews were positive, but sales were weak.

He was eighteen when he had his first concert at the Junior Jam at the Temple in Tottenham supporting Usher. While only a small hit, the album was critically praised, and paved the way for her next release, 1995's I'm With Stupid. Lemar Obika was born on 4 April 1978 in London and grew listening to soul and r&b and used to sing at home with his brother pretending to be The Jacksons. In 1993 Mann released Whatever, her first solo album. Lemar or Lemar Obika (born 4 April 1978- ) is a British r&b singer who has had a run of chart success in the UK since appearing on Fame Academy on BBC Television. Around the time of the first album's release, Aimee began a romantic relationship with Jules Shear; they broke up before the final 'Til Tuesday album, which contained the song "J For Jules". Top of The Pops interview (http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp/artists/l/lemar/underthegrill/page1.shtml/BBC). 'Til Tuesday released two more albums before breaking up in 1990, when Mann left to start her solo career.

Lemar Online website (http://www.lemar-online.com/lemar/). Aimee also performed with Rush in 1987 on the song "Time Stand Still", singing backup vocals and appearing in the music video. Time To Grow (2004). In 1983 she co-founded the new wave band 'Til Tuesday, which achieved minor success in 1985 with its first album, Voices Carry. Dedicated (2003). Aimee Mann was born in Richmond, Virginia, and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes; the band released the EP Bark Along with the Young Snakes in 1982, and a compilation album was issued in 2004. Aimee Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American rock guitarist, bass player, singer, and songwriter.

The Forgotten Arm (2005). Ann's Warehouse (live album/DVD) (2004). Live at St. Lost in Space Special Edition (2004).

Lost in Space (2002)

    . 2 (2000). Bachelor No. Magnolia (Original Soundtrack) (1999).

    I'm With Stupid (1995). Whatever (1993). Coming Up Close: A Retrospective (best-of compilation, 1996). Everything's Different Now (1988).

    Welcome Home (1986). Voices Carry (1985). Aimee Mann & The Young Snakes (compilation, released 2004). Bark Along with the Young Snakes (EP, 1982).