Biography
Who is Jacob Collier?
Early life and education
Jacob Moriarty Collier was born on August 2, 1994, in London, United Kingdom. He grew up in North London alongside two younger sisters. His mother, Susan Collier, works as a conductor, violinist, and professor at the Royal Academy of Music's Junior Academy. His grandfather, Derek Collier, was also a violinist who performed with various international orchestras.
During his childhood, Jacob expressed an interest in music through classical roles. At age 10, he played the character Tiny Tim in the 2004 film A Christmas Carol. He also performed as a treble singer in productions such as Mozart's The Magic Flute and Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw. These early experiences helped shape his understanding of harmony.
Rise to fame on YouTube
Jacob Collier began sharing his musical talents online by uploading content to YouTube in 2011. One of his early uploads was a vocal arrangement of the song Pure Imagination from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In 2013, he released a split-screen video cover of Stevie Wonder's Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing. This specific video became a viral sensation, gaining millions of views.
The popularity of his videos caught the attention of major industry figures. After seeing his work, Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock became friends with him. This connection led to Jacob Collier being invited to the Montreux Jazz Festival, where he was introduced to Hancock personally.
Career and Djesse project
He released his first album, In My Room, in 2016. He recorded this project in the music room of his family home in Finchley, North London. For this debut, he acted as the producer, arranger, and performer, playing every instrument on the tracks. In 2017, he won two Grammy Awards for his arrangements of the Flintstones theme and the song You and I.
Between 2018 and 2024, Jacob Collier worked on a big musical undertaking called Djesse. This project consists of four volumes and 50 songs. The first volume, released in December 2018, featured the Metropole Orkest. The second volume arrived in July 2019 and included an a cappella version of Moon River. The third volume followed in 2020, and the final volume was released in March 2024.
Birthday and age
Jacob Collier was born on August 2, 1994, which makes Jacob 32 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Jacob shares the date with 53 other famous people.
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