Jesse Clegg

Jesse Clegg (born July 25, 1988)[1] is a South African singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist, whose three studio albums, When I Wake Up, his 2011 follow up Life on Mars, and his latest, Things Unseen, have made Clegg a platinum-selling success in his home country. He is the son of Johnny Clegg, who was a prominent musician and anti-apartheid activist.

Jesse Clegg
Jesse Clegg performing live in 2016
Jesse Clegg performing live in 2016
Background information
Birth nameJesse Clegg
Born (1988-07-25) 25 July 1988
Johannesburg, South Africa
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active2008–present
LabelsDavid Gresham Record Company
Websitejesseclegg.com

Biography

The son of Johnny Clegg, Jesse spent the first six years of his life on tour with his father.[2]

After the widespread acclaim of his first album, Clegg's music caught the attention of the Canadian record producer David Bottrill.[3] He subsequently moved to Toronto for four months to work with Bottrill who produced his second album.[4] Life on Mars was recorded at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario. Another notable contributor was the recording engineer Bob Ludwig who mastered the album in New York.

In 2014, Clegg brought his music to the international stage. He embarked on a seven-week tour across the United States[5] and Canada,[6] which comprised 32 shows in 31 cities.[7] He has also played numerous high-profile showcase festivals in the US – including the CMJ Music Marathon[8] New Music Seminar,[9] and the CBGB Festival.[10] On 14 June 2014, Clegg performed on the main stage at UK's Isle of Wight Festival.[11][12]

In 2015, Clegg returned to studio to record new material for his third studio release, entitled Things Unseen.[13] Produced by Dennholm Harding, the first single, "Use Me", was released in July, and immediately started charting on national radio, reaching the No. 1 spot on several stations. It remained in the iTunes Top 40 for three months.

The second single, "Souvenir", was released in December, and the album was launched in June 2016 at a sold-out event in Johannesburg.[14] The album debuted in the iTunes Top 10 albums chart. The latest single, "Breathing", featured a collaboration with Shekhinah.[15] It was met with widespread acclaim and high rotation play-listing on national stations. It was the second No. 1 single off of the album. Clegg has recently returned from his second North American tour, where he played 36 shows across the continent from 17 March to 1 May 2016.[16]

He has released six Top 10 singles and toured extensively throughout South Africa. As an official ambassador for the Nelson Mandela 46664 Foundation, Clegg has been invited to play at Radio City Music Hall in New York for the annual Mandela Day Concert.[17] He has been nominated for three South African Music Awards.[18][19]

Discography

Albums
  • When I Wake Up (2008)
  • Life on Mars (2011)
  • Jesse Clegg Live & Unplugged (2012)
  • Things Unseen (2016)

References
  1. "Jesse Clegg". Twitter.com. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  2. Wilson, Craig (6 June 2011). "Interview: The Big JC – Jesse Clegg". Muse Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  3. "Jesse Clegg talks Life on Mars – Jason Von Berg Online". Jasonvonberg.me. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  4. "Media Update". Media Update. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  5. Haley, Caleb (6 May 2014). "Jesse Clegg Tours a Frat Party and Wonders When Americans Study". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  6. Courtland, Abigail (1 April 2014). "Jesse Clegg – April 2014 Artist Of The Month". heirwaves. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. "Jesse Clegg Is Touring @ARTISTdirect". Artistdirect.com. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  8. "CMJ Music Marathon 2015". Cmj.com. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  9. "Jesse Clegg". The Living Room. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  10. "CBGB Festival Folk Alliance Night: Fri, October 11, 2013". SubCulture New York. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  11. "Line-Up for the Isle of Wight Festival". Isleofwightfestival.com. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  12. "Media Update". Media Update. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  13. Helen Herimbi (22 June 2016). "Digging deep for truth". IOL. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  14. "Jesse Clegg to launch new album". Jacaranda FM. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  15. "Jesse Clegg teams up with Shekhinah". Channel24. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  16. Parrella-Aureli, Ariel (11 April 2016). "South Africa's Jesse Clegg leaves 'Souvenir' on USA". Columbia Chronicle (PDF). Chicago: Columbia College. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  17. Pareles, Jon (20 July 2009). "Nelson Mandela Endows His Birthday Celebration With a Purpose". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  18. "2010 SAMA Nominees". Channel24. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  19. "SAMA Nominees 2009". Channel24. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
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