1. Michael "Jakko" Jakszyk is an English musician, record producer, and actor.
34 Facts About Jakko Jakszyk
1. 2.
Jakko Jakszyk has released several solo albums as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
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Jakko Jakszyk is best known as lead singer and second guitarist of King Crimson from 2013 to 2021 succeeding Adrian Belew in the role.
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Jakko Jakszyk was a member of Level 42, the Lodge, and the Tangent and has collaborated with Tom Robinson, Peter Blegvad, Danny Thompson, Gavin Harrison, Warren Harry, Pandit Dinesh, and Dave Stewart.
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Jakko Jakszyk has worked as a session musician and soundtrack producer.
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Jakko Jakszyk was born at Whittington Hospital in Archway, London, the son of Irish singer Peggy Curran and an unknown American airman.
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Jakko Jakszyk grew up in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, and would later describe his childhood as unhappy; his adoptive parents' nationalities led to an unsettled home life.
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Originally aiming to become a professional footballer, Jakko Jakszyk switched his full attention to his other two obsessions, music and acting, after failing to win a place with the Watford Boys football squad at the age of 15.
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Jakko Jakszyk's self-confessed "dictatorial tendencies" reduced a bigger line-up to a trio of "two screaming lead guitars and a trumpet".
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When Soon After split up, Jakko Jakszyk toured with "a strange little band" which supported Camel, Stackridge, and Judas Priest, then briefly joined a Tring-based band called Synthesis which played progressive rock in the Canterbury-scene vein.
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Jakko Jakszyk would describe them as "the wrong band at the wrong time".
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Jakko Jakszyk contributed several songs to the band's repertoire and co-wrote material with Stewart.
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In 1983, Jakko Jakszyk signed a second solo recording contract with Stiff Records.
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Jakko Jakszyk continued his collaboration with Dave Stewart, contributing to his duo work with Barbara Gaskin and playing a prominent role on the Stewart-produced Neil's Heavy Concept Album.
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In 1987, Jakko Jakszyk joined Peter and Kristoffer Blegvad, John Greaves, and Anton Fier in the short-lived New York-based band the Lodge, with whom he recorded one album, The Smell of a Friend.
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From 1987 onwards, Jakko Jakszyk consolidated his work as a pop session player and budding producer, and signed a new and remunerative publishing deal.
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Jakko Jakszyk worked with producer Larry Williams in Los Angeles, during which he wrote with, produced or played for Bill Myers, Shari Belafonte, and Tommy Funderburk's rock band What If.
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Jakko Jakszyk formed the Kings of Oblivion with Gavin Harrison in order to record the album Big Fish Popcorn, which was released on the Bam Caruso label in 1987.
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In 1988, Jakko Jakszyk began recording a duo album with Tom Robinson called We Never Had It So Good: it was released in 1990 and gained positive press attention.
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Jakko Jakszyk went on to play on all of Level 42's tours and promotional appearances between 1991 and 1994.
21.
Gould's second period with the band was short, and Jakko Jakszyk brought in Gavin Harrison as drummer to fulfil tour obligations.
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Jakko Jakszyk left Level 42 in 1994 when group leaders Mark King and Mike Lindup opted to split the band up.
23.
Jakko Jakszyk performed with them on 1 January 1994 BBC Radio broadcast of The Johnnie Walker Show, substituting for estranged guitarist Dave Davies.
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Since 1991, Jakko Jakszyk had been sketching out plans for an autobiographical radio piece called The Road to Ballina, a mixed music-and-spoken word project exploring his own family history and his bittersweet search for his birth mother.
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In 2007, Jakko Jakszyk joined British progressive rock band the Tangent for their album Not as Good as the Book.
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Shortly afterwards the personnel list was announced, with Jakko Jakszyk confirmed as lead singer and second guitarist.
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Jakko Jakszyk has remained with King Crimson until the present day as a key part of the band's longest continual line-up.
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In September Jakko Jakszyk was awarded the 'Chris Squire Virtuoso award' at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards at Shakespeare's Globe in London.
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In 2023 and 2024 Jakko Jakszyk performed live in Italy with the new John Greaves Band along with Mel Collins, Annie Barbazza, Annie Whitehead and french drummer Regis Boulard.
30.
On 14 August 2020 Jakko Jakszyk released an animated video for his single "The Trouble with Angels" directed by Iranian filmmaker, Sam Chegini.
31.
Jakko Jakszyk has had a sideline in comedy work parallel to his solo career and has spent some time as a member of the actor's union Equity.
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Jakko Jakszyk has appeared in the BBC sitcom Birds of a Feather.
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Under the pseudonym of "Grand Master Jellytot", Jakko Jakszyk produced the novelty hip-hop single "The Stutter Rap".
34.
Jakko Jakszyk is divorced from model Amanda Giles, the daughter of King Crimson drummer and co-founder Michael Giles.