Jason "J" Brown
| Jason "Jay" Brown Blunt | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jason Paul Brown |
| Born | 13 June 1976 |
| Origin | Aldershot, Hampshire, England, UK |
| Genres | Pop, hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, rapper |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1997–2012 |
| Associated acts | Five, Abz Love |
Jason Paul "J" Brown (born 13 June 1976 in Aldershot, Hampshire, England) is an English former singer and rapper. He is best known as a former member and lead singer of boy band Five. He was the oldest member of the band, which also included Sean Conlon, Ritchie Neville, Abz Love and Scott Robinson. In 2012, it was announced that Five, along with 911, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Honeyz and Liberty X, would be reuniting for the ITV2 reality series The Big Reunion, and although Brown initially agreed to take part in the reunion, he later backed out, claiming that he no longer wants to be in the public eye.
Early life and Five
Brown was born at the Cambridge Military Hospital at Aldershot, and as a child he lived in Germany, Canada and all over the north of England. He spent his teenage and young adult life in Warrington and Newton-le-Willows before joining Five. Five were internationally successful, selling more than 20 million records over a period of five years.
As the oldest member of Five, Brown took a leading role as a dominant figure within the band, and he performed several rap verses on their songs. After the group's dissolution in 2001, it was revealed that Brown's treatment of Sean Conlon partially contributed to the latter leaving the band prior to the release of their third album Kingsize.
Failed comeback and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
After Five disbanded in late 2001, Brown kept a low profile, although he was involved in several protests in the London area, notably against UK involvement in the wars in the Middle East. In 2006 he joined up with three of his former band mates, Robinson, Neville and Love (fifth member Conlon was committed to a Sony contract and decided not join them) for a planned relaunch of the band. However, not enough record company interest was generated, and Five's comeback was abandoned less than nine months later.
Soon after Five's relaunch plan was abandoned, Brown became a contestant on the seventh series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.[1] He made it into the final along with Christopher Biggins and Janice Dickinson, and finished in third place. He also appeared as a part of Anthony McPartlin's team on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (February – March 2008). Soon after he appeared on Fiver's Generation Sex, he has recently become involved in writing/producing for other musicians.
Second Five comeback
After Brown's ex-bandmate Conlon appeared on The Voice UK on 24 March 2012 and failed to make it past the audition stage,[2] discussions were had between the former bandmates about the possibility of a second reunion.[3] Five later announced that they would be reforming for the ITV2 series The Big Reunion, but at the last minute, Brown pulled out of the reunion and refused to be part of the show, claiming that he no longer wants to be in the public eye.[4]
The Big Reunion: On Tour, an additional mini-series featuring the bands as they embarked on their arena tour, began airing on ITV2 on 5 September 2013. Brown also returned to hit back at accusations made by his bandmates.[5] He acknowledged his behaviour could have been seen as loud and overbearing, but he denied bullying Conlon. During a meeting with former bandmate Abz Love, Brown explained he has moved on and that he does not feel comfortable returning to Five.[6]
References
- ↑ "'Celebrities' descend on Oz ahead of I'm A Celebrity". Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ↑ Westbrook, Caroline (24 March 2012). "The Voice: 5ive star Sean Conlon's comeback ends early on new show". Metro. DMG Media. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ↑ "5ive Sean Conlon has another shot at fame after The Voice boot". The Sun. News UK. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ↑ "The Big Reunion's 911:'J will regret not rejoining 5ive". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ↑ "The Big Reunion: On Tour". itv.com. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ↑ "'Big Reunion' 5ive Former Frontman Jason 'J' Brown Reveals He Tried To Kill Himself". The Huffington Post. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.