Like a certain other Australian Idol judge, moving to Australia from the UK in 2004 proved to be a good move for this experienced music industry professional. For one, Jay Dee now shares his life with his Australian partner and their two daughters, Jasmine and Marley ("after the great, late Bob"). He has also loved working in Australia as Head of A&R at Sony Music and has now been bowled over by the chance to be a judge on Australian Idol.
"I've always been a fan of the show and have worked quite closely with it for for years now," says Jay Dee. "I never expected it to happen but now the opportunity is here...Take the leap and see how you fall, as my grandfather would say!"
Jay Dee says he's still "slightly in disbelief" at his new Australian Idol role, which will see him plunged into semi-finals madness for his first week of work. A bundle of nerves, Jay Dee is currently envisioning the moment "when Andrew G asks me something and I'll just go blank."
"I'm sure that'll happen," says Jay Dee philosophically. "Once I get over my camera nerves, I'll just perform my day job. I spend all week giving advice to artists, from ones who sell millions to those just starting out."
Ever since Jay Dee was a six-year-old in the north of England spending his weekly £1.50 pocket money on 7-inch vinyl, music has been his passion. He moved on from touring as a drum & bass MC when he was a teenager to managing bands in London in his early 20s. Jay Dee teamed up with the management heavyweight Jonathan Shalit and went on to work with huge UK acts like Big Brovaz, Artful Dodger and Jamelia. This is one music industry dynamo who knows his stuff and won't hold back from telling the Idol hopefuls what they need to know.
As to what we can expect from his judging style, Jay Dee says, "I'm just going to me and be honest. There's no point in being unnecessarily cruel because it doesn't achieve anything but there's no point sugar coating something either." At this point Jay Dee gets a second opinion from a trusted source, "I'm not nasty all the time - Daddy's nice, aren't I, Jasmine?"
