Confession

Jay Douglas is a 3 times Juno Awards nominee, a music producer and band leader of the Jay Douglas All-Star Band. He has performed at various festivals worldwide, including the likes of Rastafest Festival in Toronto and the 4 seasons Reggae Cruise in Atlanta, Georgia. He has worked with international reggae stars such as Beres Hammond, Freadie Mcgreggor, Marcia Griffiths, Luciana, Ken Boothe, Leroy Sibbles, Fab5 Band General Tree, Jesse Dub Matix King, Ziggy Marley, Lyn Tait and the great Ernest Ranglin. Jay has been involved in a lot of community work including working with Councillor Josh Colle to establish Reggae Lane in Toronto.

Jay Douglas first appeared on stage in Montego Bay, Jamaica when he was a youth. He moved to Toronto as a teenager to join his mother in 1963 attending Central Tech High School. It was there as a student that Jay had his first Canadian performances.

His professional career was ignited as the frontman of “The Cougars”, a popular group in the Caribbean nightclub scene in both Toronto and Montreal that performed regularly throughout the 60’s and 70’s playing a mix Ska, Rock Steady, Reggae, Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Funk.

As a solo artist Jay has performed around the world, and at annual Toronto events such as the Toronto Jazz Festival, Beaches Jazz Festival, Jerk Fest, Canadian National Exhibition, Yonge and Dundas Square, and a Taste of Lawrence.

Amongst his many accolades he was proclaimed winner of NOW Magazine’s Toronto’s “Best R&B Act” in 2006. He was selected by Seattle, Washington-based record label, “Light in the Attic” to lead an all-star band for the “From Jamaica to Toronto” concert tour across Canada which was meant to coincide with the release of the label’s compilation album of the same name that pays tribute to the Jamaican Reggae artists that left a mark on the Canadian music scene of the 60’s and early 70’s.

Jay was nominated for “Reggae Recording of the Year” at the 2012 JUNO Awards and was the recipient of the “G98.7 FM Entertainment Award” at the Harry Jarome awards that same year. In 2014 Jay Douglas made international news when he was invited by the then mayor the late Rob Ford to perform in the council chamber. Jay had everyone up on their feet and dancing moments after a very tense political moment at the time.

Toronto has been in love with Jay for many years. His image is found on a mural made in 2015 on Reggae Lane in Toronto’s Little Jamaica district which was inspired by and in honour of the cultural influences brought by Reggae music.

Jay’s face turns up again on a 70-metre tall mural commissioned by the Downtown Yonge Street BIA dedicated to the artists and venues that made the Yonge Street Music Scene.

In 2020 Douglas was shortlisted for the 2020 Juno Awards, for Reggae Recording of the Year for “Jah Children”  

Jay’s connection to his homeland have been there his entire career through his many lifelong friendships and musical collaborations with many of the founding musicians of ska, rock steady, reggae.

Jay’s new release “Confession” tells his history through a music journey that touches on his earliest experiences starting out as a teen singing in Doo Wop groups in Montego Bay to the vast array of influences that he’s encountered through his 50 + year career which has made him the artist that he is today.