7 Things to Know About Jacob Collier!
Music October 13, 2022
Jennifer Hudson and Jacob Collier are having a full-on “musician moment”!
On Thursday’s episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” the British musician performed a cover of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” also featured on his latest live album, “Piano Ballads (Live from the Djesse World Tour 2022).”
JHud and Jacob also spoke about his unique voice, his live shows, and how he got started in music.
Here are seven things to know about Jacob Collier:
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View Story1. Jacob’s Voice Is His Main Instrument
While Jacob is proficient at several instruments, he wants every instrument he plays to sound and “feel like [my] voice.”
When asked about his favorite instrument, Jacob said it was a “hard question” because the “voice can do it all.” His recommendation: “If you want to explore, [playing the] piano is the first place to start.”
One instrument that Jacob does not play, however, is the harp.
“But it’s such a beautiful instrument,” he said, commenting on the harp that adorns JHud’s stage.
2. He Could ‘Feel Chords’ as a Kid
When asked what he hears when he listens to a record, Jacob said “it depends.”
“Sometimes it’s the voice or the bass,” he explained.
However, for him, “my heart is [in] the chords, major and minor.”
“They feel different,” he elaborated. “As a kid, I would feel chords. [I thought to myself,] ‘How could I move from here to there?’”
3. Jacob Was ‘Excited’ When His Voice Broke
Jacob told Jennifer he developed his sound after his voice broke.
“One time when my voice broke, everybody was like, ‘Wow!’” he said on the show. “I was excited for my voice to break because of bass notes.”
Jennifer was impressed by the singer’s ability to hit top register and go down to bass.
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View Story4. Jacob Got His Start on the Internet
While Jenn gained nationwide attention on “American Idol,” Jacob got his start on YouTube.
“When I was a wee lad, I started doing YouTube videos,” he said. “I was learning my voice.”
5. Quincy Jones Sent Jacob a ‘Mind-Blowing’ Email
After doing a series of YouTube videos, Jacob got the attention of legendary record producer Quincy Jones, who sent him an email.
“I did an arrangement of [Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing”] and Quincy heard it and got excited.”
“That was mind-blowing,” he added.
6. He Made History at the Grammys
Similar to how Jennifer became the 17th person and the youngest woman to achieve an EGOT, Jacob made history in 2021 when he became the first British artist to receive a Grammy Award for each of his first four albums.
In total, he has won three Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals Grammys and two in the Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category.
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View Story7. Jacob Can Make a Crowd Sound Like Angels
When you go to a Jacob Collier show, be prepared to sing!
On his recent tour, Jacob got his audience to sing and conducted them like a choir.
To demonstrate his point, he conducted the “Jennifer Hudson Show” audience — prompting Jenn to exclaim, “Y’all sound like angels!”
“It starts with a call and response. ‘Hey oh!’” Jacob said. “I try and build chords out of the audience.”
For more information about Jacob’s music, head to JacobCollier.com.
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Check your local listings.
