Kreesha Turner
Encyclopedia
Kreesha Turner is a Canadian R&B/pPop recording artist. She cites as her inspirations R&B acts such as Erykah Badu
, Jill Scott
and D'Angelo
, hip-hop acts including A Tribe Called Quest
, Andre 3000
and Common and rock acts like the Foo Fighters
and Our Lady Peace
.
, Alberta
. As a young child, Turner danced in her bedroom to music by jazz musician Oscar Peterson
. Turner has always mentioned jazz as an inspiration, especially artists such as Ella Fitzgerald
, Billie Holiday
and Peggy Lee
.
Turner's musical tastes developed when she discovered the music of Erykah Badu
, Jill Scott
and D'Angelo
, A Tribe Called Quest
, Andre 3000
, Common, the Foo Fighters
and Our Lady Peace
. Turner's early musical expression was through modern, tap, jazz, hip-hop and African dance.
In 2000, when Turner was 15, her mother sent her to Jamaica
to live for a year to experience Jamaican culture. Turner quickly learned that singing is a big part of everyday life in Jamaica, particularly at the Pentecostal church. Friends convinced her to audition for the youth choir despite her own belief that she could not sing. On the strength of her rendition of Canada's national anthem, Turner was accepted into the choir and began singing gospel songs at the Faith Temple Tabernacle. Turner says this is the time she realized she loved to sing.
In 2005, Turner won a talent contest in Edmonton organised by radio station The Bounce
(91.7 FM). Winning the contest allowed her to record four tracks in Vancouver with songwriting/production team, Hipjoint Productions, the most important to Kreesha's career being "Bounce with Me". This was noticed by urban and R&B music manager Chris Smith (Nelly Furtado
, Fefe Dobson
, Tamia
) and led to the start of her mainstream career.
After a successful audition with Virgin Records
, she signed a record deal with the Capitol Music Group
, under which the Virgin imprint operates. Concurrently, EMI Music Canada signed her in order to more effectively tap into the Canadian market.
Before her mainstream success, the singer's song "Bounce With Me" was heard as early as spring 2006 on Vancouver AC stations but was not officially released as a single until 2007. Turner released her first official single, "Simple", to the Canadian iTunes Store
on November 13, 2007, but the single was not a success. Her first official video was for her second single, "Bounce With Me", which was released to iTunes
on December 4, 2007. This single was eventually used as 'The Free Song of the Week' on iTunes and it became her first song to enter the charts, peaking at number 53 on the Canadian Hot 100
. Her third single, "Don't Call Me Baby
", was released to radio in April 2008 and on iTunes
May 20, 2008. It eventually rose in the Canadian Hot 100
from #41 to #8, making "Don't Call Me Baby" her first Canadian
Top 10 single.
On August 5, 2008, Turner's firstt album, Passion
, was made available for advanced streaming on MuchMusic
.com. On August 12, 2008, Passion was released in Canada.
In late July 2008, Turner was recognized by gossip blogger Perez Hilton as the next big singing sensation, comparing her sound to soulful pop stars such as Duffy.
On November 22, 2008, Turner had her first USn #1 with her single "Don't Call Me Baby" on the US Billboard Dance Charts.
After a year of success, Turner was ranked 16th on MuchMusic
's 2008 Sexiest Girls list. Turner performed some of the year’s biggest hits in a live, national broadcast from Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square
on New Year's Eve.
On March 13, 2009, Turner received an award for "Best New Group/Solo Artist (Rhythmic/Dance/Urban)" at the Canadian Radio Music Awards in Toronto, Canada - her first award for her musical contribution. Turner was nominated for two Juno Awards: New Artist of the Year and Pop Album of the Year.
Leading up to the 2009 Juno Awards, Turner appeared in a number of heavily aired Nestle Kit Kat Senses commercials, which feature the singer and her hit song "Bounce With Me". The commercials still air to this day.
Turner returned to Hipjoint Productions in Vancouver in spring 2009 to sing on "Dust In Gravity", a song by alt-pop band Delerium which will be included on their greatest hits record to be released in late 2009. "Dust In Gravity" featuring lead vocals by Turner reached #1 on The US Billboard Dance Charts on June 5, 2010, giving Turner her second #1 in the US.
In June 2011, her new single, "Rock Paper Scissors", was put online. The song is from her second album, due to be released later in the year.
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
and D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
, hip-hop acts including A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, Andre 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
and Common and rock acts like the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
and Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
.
Early life
The oldest of three children born to a Canadian father and a Jamaican mother, Turner was born and raised in EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. As a young child, Turner danced in her bedroom to music by jazz musician Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
. Turner has always mentioned jazz as an inspiration, especially artists such as Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
and Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
.
Turner's musical tastes developed when she discovered the music of Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
and D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
, A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, Andre 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
, Common, the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
and Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
. Turner's early musical expression was through modern, tap, jazz, hip-hop and African dance.
In 2000, when Turner was 15, her mother sent her to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
to live for a year to experience Jamaican culture. Turner quickly learned that singing is a big part of everyday life in Jamaica, particularly at the Pentecostal church. Friends convinced her to audition for the youth choir despite her own belief that she could not sing. On the strength of her rendition of Canada's national anthem, Turner was accepted into the choir and began singing gospel songs at the Faith Temple Tabernacle. Turner says this is the time she realized she loved to sing.
Music
In 2003, immediately after graduating from high school, Turner became an active member in the underground urban/hip-hop community. Writing, recording and performing all her own material, she aggressively began pursuing her musical career. Turner quickly gained attention from her peers, developing an underground fan base that had a number of industry insiders excited. Turner performed on any and every stage she could, entering and winning several competitions, but it was not until a couple years later that she was successful.In 2005, Turner won a talent contest in Edmonton organised by radio station The Bounce
CHBN-FM
CHBN-FM is a contemporary hit radio station based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The station, which is jointly owned by Rogers Radio, operates at 91.7 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.-History:...
(91.7 FM). Winning the contest allowed her to record four tracks in Vancouver with songwriting/production team, Hipjoint Productions, the most important to Kreesha's career being "Bounce with Me". This was noticed by urban and R&B music manager Chris Smith (Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
, Fefe Dobson
Fefe Dobson
Felicia Lily "Fefe" Dobson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her self-titled debut album earned her two Juno Award nominations. Her second album, Sunday Love, was not released and she was terminated from her recording company...
, Tamia
Tamia
Tamia Hill , and known professionally as Tamia, is a four-time Grammy-nominated Canadian R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, model, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as well as an occasional actress.She is best known for her 2000 hit "Stranger In My House" and Fabolous' 2003...
) and led to the start of her mainstream career.
After a successful audition with Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, she signed a record deal with the Capitol Music Group
Capitol Music Group
Capitol Music Group is a major record label, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMI.-History:It was formed in February 2007 as a merger of Virgin Records and Capitol Records in an effort by EMI to restructure and save an average of $217 million yearly...
, under which the Virgin imprint operates. Concurrently, EMI Music Canada signed her in order to more effectively tap into the Canadian market.
Before her mainstream success, the singer's song "Bounce With Me" was heard as early as spring 2006 on Vancouver AC stations but was not officially released as a single until 2007. Turner released her first official single, "Simple", to the Canadian iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on November 13, 2007, but the single was not a success. Her first official video was for her second single, "Bounce With Me", which was released to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on December 4, 2007. This single was eventually used as 'The Free Song of the Week' on iTunes and it became her first song to enter the charts, peaking at number 53 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. Her third single, "Don't Call Me Baby
Don't Call Me Baby (Kreesha Turner song)
"Don't Call Me Baby" is a pop–R&B song performed by Canadian singer Kreesha Turner for her debut studio album, Passion . The track was released as the album's second single in May 2008 in Canada. It has since peaked at #8 on the Canadian Hot 100...
", was released to radio in April 2008 and on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
May 20, 2008. It eventually rose in the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
from #41 to #8, making "Don't Call Me Baby" her first Canadian
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
Top 10 single.
On August 5, 2008, Turner's firstt album, Passion
Passion (Kreesha Turner album)
Passion is the first album by the Canadian singer Kreesha Turner. It was released on August 12, 2008, in Canada and will be released in early 2009 in the United States. Passion had been available for advanced streaming on MuchMusic.com. a week earlier...
, was made available for advanced streaming on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
.com. On August 12, 2008, Passion was released in Canada.
In late July 2008, Turner was recognized by gossip blogger Perez Hilton as the next big singing sensation, comparing her sound to soulful pop stars such as Duffy.
On November 22, 2008, Turner had her first USn #1 with her single "Don't Call Me Baby" on the US Billboard Dance Charts.
After a year of success, Turner was ranked 16th on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's 2008 Sexiest Girls list. Turner performed some of the year’s biggest hits in a live, national broadcast from Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza that forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. The square opened in 1965, and, as with the City Hall, the square was...
on New Year's Eve.
On March 13, 2009, Turner received an award for "Best New Group/Solo Artist (Rhythmic/Dance/Urban)" at the Canadian Radio Music Awards in Toronto, Canada - her first award for her musical contribution. Turner was nominated for two Juno Awards: New Artist of the Year and Pop Album of the Year.
Leading up to the 2009 Juno Awards, Turner appeared in a number of heavily aired Nestle Kit Kat Senses commercials, which feature the singer and her hit song "Bounce With Me". The commercials still air to this day.
Turner returned to Hipjoint Productions in Vancouver in spring 2009 to sing on "Dust In Gravity", a song by alt-pop band Delerium which will be included on their greatest hits record to be released in late 2009. "Dust In Gravity" featuring lead vocals by Turner reached #1 on The US Billboard Dance Charts on June 5, 2010, giving Turner her second #1 in the US.
In June 2011, her new single, "Rock Paper Scissors", was put online. The song is from her second album, due to be released later in the year.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Juno Award Juno Award The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music... for Best New Artist |
|
| Juno Award Pop Album of The Year | ||
| Canadian Radio Music Awards Best New Group/Solo Artist | ||
| MuchMusic Video Awards MuchMusic Video Awards The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos.... for International Video of the Year by a Canadian |
||
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| CA Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
||
| 2008 | Passion Passion (Kreesha Turner album) Passion is the first album by the Canadian singer Kreesha Turner. It was released on August 12, 2008, in Canada and will be released in early 2009 in the United States. Passion had been available for advanced streaming on MuchMusic.com. a week earlier...
|
11 |
| 2011 | Tropic Electric
EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... /Capitol Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
- |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
U.S. Dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
|||
| 2007 | "Simple" | — | — | Passion Passion (Kreesha Turner album) Passion is the first album by the Canadian singer Kreesha Turner. It was released on August 12, 2008, in Canada and will be released in early 2009 in the United States. Passion had been available for advanced streaming on MuchMusic.com. a week earlier... |
| "Bounce With Me Bounce With Me (Kreesha Turner song) Bounce With Me is a single released by Canadian singer Kreesha Turner, written and produced by Mike James and Troy Samson of Hipjoint Productions and released on December 4, 2007.-Music video:... " |
53 | — | ||
| 2008 | "Don't Call Me Baby Don't Call Me Baby (Kreesha Turner song) "Don't Call Me Baby" is a pop–R&B song performed by Canadian singer Kreesha Turner for her debut studio album, Passion . The track was released as the album's second single in May 2008 in Canada. It has since peaked at #8 on the Canadian Hot 100... " |
8 | 1 | |
| "Shattered" | — | — | ||
| "Lady Killer Lady Killer (song) "Lady Killer" is a song by Kreesha Turner that was on the Canadian Hot 100 for thirteen weeks in 2008.... " |
54 | — | ||
| 2009 | "Passion" | — | — | |
| 2010 | "Dust In Gravity" | — | 1 | Non-Album Release |
| 2011 | "Rock Paper Scissors" | — | — | Tropic Electric |
| 2011 | "I Could Stay" | 68 | — |