Juliette

Bio:

My name is Juliette Ashby. I was born and brought up in a north London suburb. My first introduction to music was when I was just 6 weeks old and I went to a Stevie Wonder concert. You see I was one of those babies who just cried all the time. My mum was a huge Stevie fan and she was given tickets to his London concert. She really didn’t want to leave me at home crying, so she bundled me up and took me with her. I know that decision really paid off; hearing Stevie’s soulful tones at such a tender age got into my very being and has stayed with me through my life…. I was hooked.

Our home was always filled with good music. My dad was a talented musician/music head, playing electric violin, piano, and guitar and is also a fantastic writer/journalist. He founded the first global entertainment news network, now called WENN, which he started and set up with my mum in our house when I was a little girl. So, I was surrounded by music and the well-written word.

My big sister Jessica also had a good ear for harmonies and as kids on long car journeys we’d drive my parents crazy by either arguing or singing at the top of our lungs. Even now I still ring my sister when I’m in the studio and am stuck for a good harmony and she’ll sing down the phone to me.

I wrote my first song when I was 7 in the car while we were on holiday in Greece. It was a country song called “Place In My Heart” – my close friends and family still know all the words as we were always singing it.

Ever since childhood, I have been very clear on how I wanted to live my life and how I wanted music in my life.

I met my best friend Amy (Winehouse) at nursery (kindergarten) when we were 4 years old – even at that age we were completely like minded and remained best friends throughout everything.

When we were 10 – and when we weren’t getting into trouble with the teachers – we were writing and performing songs, dances and raps. We called ourselves “Sweet & Sour” (like the rap duo Salt ‘n’ Pepper). I was Sweet (of course) and she was Sour.

I took Amy with me to our first recording studio session with American songwriter and producer Alan Glass (now my stepdad), who had worked with the likes of George Benson,

Kenny G, Aretha Franklin, Earth Wind and Fire, and other greats. Amy and I recorded the three songs we’d written together; “Spindarella”, “Glam Chicks” and “Boys …Who NeedsThem”.

We were always getting up to some sort mischief but when we got to secondary school our mums went up to the school and begged for us not to be put into the same class together…….that didn’t stop us being best friends.

My Mum and Dad divorced when I was in my teens and I was even more passionate about writing and singing and continued to write and record over 50 tracks with Alan – all of which have played a big part in the writer and vocalist that I am today.

During my childhood and teenage years I was inspired by R & B, Country and Reggae music. My biggest influence was the amazingly talented Bonnie Raitt. I knew her albums inside out and she continues to be a huge inspiration to me as does the late, great Bob Marley. His amazing voice and lyrics triggered such deep feelings in me.

I also loved ‘90′s R & B….albums like “Pure Swing” were always in my first CD selection, and artists such as Erykah Badu, Conner Reeves, Lil MO, Salt ‘n’ Pepper, Kelly Price, CoCo, Aaliyah, Nicole, Monica, Silk, Brandy, Boyz 2 Men, Jill Scott, Rasheem Patterson, Brian McKnight, Babyface, Eric Benet, Mya…….the list could go on and on……were all huge influences.

I write all my own material based on my own first hand experiences……my life’s ups, downs, ins and outs, good and bad; it’s all laid out on the table. It’s my life and it’s my therapy.

When I was about 14 I went a bit “off the rails”. In hindsight it did me good to get it all out my system then. My mother – my rock – reluctantly had a continuous fight on her hands because I refused to go to school. I moved schools a couple of times and eventually left at fifteen after doing my exams a year earlier than my friends. I just wanted out and to concentrate on my music and my great social life! I felt total frustration at school….. that I was wasting precious time…… I knew what I was doing and what I wanted to do and would continue to do for the rest of my life; create and perform my music…

By the time I was 18 I had calmed down a little and I moved out of the family home and into a flat with Amy. We had two of the best years of our lives there together with memories that will never be erased. But unfortunate circumstances began taking her life and our friendship out of our control, although through all the pain and disturbing

experiences that followed we always remained right by each other’s side whenever we needed each other….. as best friends do.

At the same time my dad was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder. I don’t like to go into detail around my father’s illness and the torment that surrounded my best friend, but I will say I had to deal with and experience things that I would never wish anyone to ever have to go through.

I met my partner and soulmate Peter-Paul when I was 20 years old – at a time when I needed a good man and a stable influence in my life. His support and love has influenced my music greatly.

I’ve worked with some fantastic producers who still remain my very close friends and we’re continuing to make amazing music together. US producer Alan Glass (Kenny G, Aretha Franklin, Earth Wind & Fire, George Benson), Miami based producer Drunk Art Drew, Jamaican producer Jazzwad (Damien Marley & Bobby Brown, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Movado) and UK producer Jack Shack (N – DUBZ).

Like a lot of other people in this world, I’ve been through some real soul-destroying times…..things that I’ve witnessed happen in my family and to my closest friend. Having no control over such events has left me with a great deal of pain. Pain that will stay with me forever, but my music is my therapy and it brings me happiness, and hopefully a comforting lyric or melody from one of my songs will touch another person and bring them happiness too.

Every minute of every day I live with the pain of my best friend not being here with me ………but I’m looking forward to the future and to where my music will take me.   

Member Since:

April 26, 2006

Influences:

Sounds Like: