Roland Gift
| Roland Gift | |
|---|---|
 Gift pictured at a Grammy rehearsal in 1990 | |
| Born |
Roland Lee Gift 28 May 1961 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Musician, actor |
| Known for | Member of Fine Young Cannibals and Akrylykz |
Roland Lee Gift (born 28 May 1961)[1] is a British singer and actor. He was the lead singer of the band Fine Young Cannibals, who rose to fame in the late 1980s.
Biography
Gift was born in Sparkhill in Birmingham[2] to a white mother and a black father,[3] and lived in the city until the age of 11.[4] He then moved to Hull, where his mother, Pauline, ran several second-hand clothes shops. He was educated at Kelvin Hall School in Hull.
Gift has two sisters, Helga and Jay, and one brother, Paul.
One of his children, son Louis, performs in the experimental acrobatic circus company Barely Methodical Troupe.[5]
Akrylykz and Fine Young Cannibals
His first recording, on which he played the saxophone,[3] was with Hull ska band Akrylykz; the second release on York's Red Rhino Records.[6] Although this record was unsuccessful, it did bring him to the attention of Andy Cox and David Steele of the Beat. Akrylykz toured with the Beat,[7] which led to them, in around 1985, asking him to be the lead singer of their new band Fine Young Cannibals after their old band, the Beat, had broken up. He also was a guest artist on the Ska City Rockers' "Time Is Tight" single.
In 1990, he was named by People magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world.
Solo career
Gift contributed a cover of "That's How Strong My Love Is" for the soundtrack of the 1996 film Beautiful Girls.
In 2002, Gift released a self-titled solo album, featuring the single "It's Only Money". In 2007, Gift was in a recording studio working on a follow-up album.
Gift has performed as a solo artist again, appearing at the Rewind Festival in Henley.[8] On 13 February 2012, Gift appeared on BBC Radio Solent promoting the gigs and announced a potential new album in 2012. This will be a soundtrack to a film Gift is involved with. "The Prisoner" was played on the show and Roland said this would probably be included in the soundtrack.
He also appeared in Jools Holland's 20th annual 'Hootenanny' show, which aired overnight on BBC2 on 31 December 2012 / 1 January 2013,[9] the last to be recorded at BBC Television Centre. Gift sang the Fine Young Cannibals hits 'Good Thing' and 'Suspicious Minds'.
Gift was a guest vocalist on Jools Holland's 2013 tour.[10]
In August 2014 Gift gave four live UK performances at the Hare and Hounds, Birmingham, Freedom Festival, Hull, Sage, Gateshead and the Café de Paris, London.
As of February 2015, Roland Gift is recording a new album, 'Return to Vegas'.
Acting
In 1987, Gift had his first screen role in the film Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, and also appeared in Out of Order the same year. In 1990 he did his first stage work, playing Romeo in the Hull Truck Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, a production which had a brief run in the United States at the Staller Center for the Arts.[11] He also appeared as a lounge singer (singing songs that were included in the Fine Young Cannibals album The Raw and the Cooked) in the 1987 film Tin Men, directed by Barry Levinson.
In 1989, he appeared in Scandal as Johnny Edgecombe, Christine Keeler's boyfriend.
In December 1992, he began the first of five appearances as the evil Immortal Xavier St. Cloud in the television series Highlander: The Series, and appeared in an episode of the Yorkshire Television series Heartbeat. He also had a small role as the jazz saxophonist Eddie Mullen in the mini-series The Painted Lady (1997), starring Helen Mirren, and appeared in the movie The Island of the Mapmaker's Wife (2001).
In 2001 Gift was considered for the role of Xander Cage in xXx but was ultimately passed over in favour of Vin Diesel.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Information | UK Album Chart |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Roland Gift
|
Singles
| Year | Single | UK Singles Chart | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "It's Only Money" | ||
| 2009 | "Crushed" *(as Roland Lee Gift) |
References
- ↑ Roland Gift at AllMusic
- ↑ Coleman, Andy (15 March 2002). "Good Thing, Where Have You Gone?: Interview – Roland Gift". Birmingham Evening Mail. Trinity Mirror Midlands. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
- 1 2 "Roland Gift Biography". Musicianguide.com. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- ↑ Robertson, Peter (10 August 2002). "Home truths: Roland Gift.". The Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
- ↑ Lyons, Beverley (2014-08-07). "Video: Bromance star Louis Gift reveals how his life has gone full circle as he appears at Edinburgh Fringe". Daily Record. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
- ↑ "(obituary) Tony Kostrzewa: Founder of Red Rhino Records". The Independent. 9 May 2008.
- ↑ "The Rebel Magazine: Q & A with Roland Gift". Therebelmagazine.blogspot.com. 12 January 2011. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- ↑ "Roland Gift – Rewind 2012". Absolute Radio. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
- ↑ "BBC Two – Jools' Annual Hootenanny, Jools' 20th Annual Hootenanny – 2012". Bbc.co.uk. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
- ↑ "Official Web Site | Tour Dates". Jools Holland. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
- ↑ "Review/Theater; Pop Star as a Nontraditional Romeo". The New York Times. 14 July 1990. Retrieved 2012-12-09.