Jem

Producer

Popular As Jem (singer)

Birthday May 18, 1975

Birth Sign Taurus

Birthplace Penarth, Glamorgan

Age 48 years old

#43518 Most Popular

1970

She performed a cover version of Paul McCartney's 1970 song "Maybe I'm Amazed" in the first season finale.

Since then, every song from the album has appeared in various television programs, such as Six Feet Under, Desperate Housewives, Without a Trace and Grey's Anatomy.

1975

Jemma Gwynne Griffiths (born 18 May 1975), known by her stage name Jem, is a British singer, songwriter, and record producer.

Born and raised in Penarth, Glamorgan, she began songwriting at an early age.

Jemma Griffiths was born in Penarth, Wales, a small town near Cardiff on 18 May 1975.

Jem originally found her passion for singing and songwriting whilst attending Stanwell School.

During her early school years she explored her musical interests with the family piano, penning her first song at the age of thirteen.

Jem has three siblings, older sister Chloe, eldest sister Georgia, who provided vocals for the Welsh indie/punk band Weapons of Mass Belief alongside brother Justin, who also goes by the name Yestyn, of Glass Pear.

1993

In 1993, Jem moved to Brighton to study Law at the University of Sussex.

1996

After graduating from university in 1996, she worked as a DJ as well as co-founder of record label Marine Parade in Brighton.

Both during her studies and after graduating in 1996, Jem spent time as a club and festival promoter and also began working as a DJ in Brighton's club scene under the name Jem, inspired by the animated series Jem and the Holograms.

1998

In early 1998, alongside Adam Freeland, she co-founded and helped run the specialist breakbeat/hip hop record label Marine Parade.

However, after spending two years acting as agent and promoter for other aspiring musicians, she soon felt that she had neglected her own musical career.

1999

In November 1999, she left Brighton and returned to Wales, where she assembled a mobile recording studio and focused on developing her own individual songwriting and music production skills, completing a collection of four demos that acted as the basis of her break into the music industry.

2000

In 2000, Jem moved to London where she met Sugababes manager Sarah Stennett, with whom she began a professional relationship.

Stennett introduced her to other writers and producers.

2001

In 2001, Jem travelled to Brooklyn, New York City, teaming up with hip hop producer Ge-Ology and co-producer Yoad Nevo.

2002

In March 2002, Jem stopped by independent radio station KCRW to leave a demo of her song "Finally Woken" in Nic Harcourt's mailbox.

Harcourt began playing it on his show Morning Becomes Eclectic.

This attracted the attention of Bruce Flohr, an A&R rep for RCA Records and newly established ATO Records, who offered her a recording contract.

She was subsequently signed to the label and Jem relocated to Los Angeles.

2003

She had a writing session with electronic producer Guy Sigsworth, during which the song "Nothing Fails" was created; the song was eventually picked up by Madonna for her 2003 studio album, American Life.

On 13 October 2003, in preparation for the release of her full-length album, Jem released the EP It All Starts Here..., consisting of five tracks.

2004

On 24 March 2004, she released her debut studio album Finally Woken through ATO Records.

Featuring the singles "They", "Just a Ride" and "Wish I", the album saw the most success in the United Kingdom, where it was certified Platinum.

Her full-length studio album Finally Woken was released in the United States on 24 March 2004.

2005

In the United Kingdom, "They" was released as her lead single on 13 March 2005.

This was followed by "Just a Ride" in June and "Wish I" in September, which was used as the theme tune to UK reality television programme Celebrity Love Island.

Finally Awoken spent 32 weeks on the UK Album Chart and peaked at number 6.

Jem licensed every song on her album to be broadcast on American television programs, films and advertisements as a method of promotion.

Television program The O.C. was the first to use Jem's music in several of their episodes, eventually inviting her to guest-star on the show.

2006

In 2006, Jem decided to cease touring and to spend a year focusing on writing new material and developing her second studio album.

She parted from Yoad Nevo and met with four different producers across the United States.

Over the next few years she worked with Jeff Bass in Detroit as well as meeting with Lester Mendez in Los Angeles.

Producers Mike Bradford and Greg Kurstin also collaborated with Jem.

During the production of her album, Jem wrote and lent her vocals to the song "Once in Every Lifetime" which appeared on the Eragon movie soundtrack.

2008

Jem followed up her debut with her second album, Down to Earth, released on 18 September 2008.

Jem's second studio album, Down to Earth was released in the United States, Canada, and Japan on 18 September 2008 with the European releases varying by each country between January and March 2009.

The album peaked at 48 on the Billboard 200 and 64 on the UK Albums Chart The lead single of the album "It's Amazing" originally appeared on the soundtrack for the 2008 movie Sex and the City.

2016

Her third album, Beachwood Canyon, was released in 2016.