Whatever happened to... Jimmy Ray?

"Who wants to know? Who wants to know 'bout me?" London-born Jimmy Ray sang on his 1997 hit. But as the tumbleweed rolled by silently in the wind, it was clear just what the answer to that question was. His moment in the spotlight might have been shorter than Tinchy Stryder trying on his mother's heels, but with his Elvis-style quiff, chiseled jawline and guitar slung casually over his shoulder, he still managed to leave his mark on pop consciousness. We got on the case to find out what Jimmy's up to now.

How do you feel about being considered a one hit wonder?
"I'm not too dissatisfied with it. Of course anyone in the recording industry would want a prolonged career, but there have been some good one hit wonders over the years so I don't have a problem with that."

You were billed as "The Next Big Thing" at one point. What happened?
"I was signed to Sony and they encouraged me to get management representation with Simon Fuller and 19. They're an enormous conglomerate - a media monster - and I'd come from playing dingy clubs in East London so I think we were on different wavelengths in some respects. I never really saw myself in the bubblegum pop field, but the way I was marketed was very stylistic. I was made out to be a bit of a dunderhead who was worried how his hair was looking on the cover of Smash Hits."

You managed to achieve some success in America though.
"Yeah, that definitely makes me remember the whole experience with good memories. My record peaked at number 13 there - as it did over here - so that was the best thing that could have happened to me. It was a big deal at the time because British acts were just starting to become popular over there again."

Are you angry about the way your career was handled?
"I don't blame anyone really. Ultimately I could have made the choice about how I looked and who I worked with. All I would say is that when I was finally released from my label, the MD said to me, 'You know, we made some mistakes with your career'. I think that was a fair comment. I'd assumed a wonder boy role, but really I'd have been better advised to keep things less glitzy and concentrate on my music."

Have you given up on music altogether now?
"Not at all, I'm now part of a production house called Airplayers. At the moment we're working with a new girlband called ChickFlick, made up of three Swedish girls and a Brit. They've got an edgy dance-pop sound and have a lot of ambition to succeed. It's still early days but we're feeling really confident about them. Watch this space!"

Press play below to watch the video to 'Are You Jimmy Ray?':



More information on Jimmy Ray and Airplayers at: http://www.myspace.com/airplayersmusic

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