Jane Child facts for kids

Jane Child (born Jane Richmond Hyslop on February 15, 1967) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and music producer. She is most famous for her hit song "Don't Wanna Fall in Love". Jane Child is also known for her unique fashion sense. She often wore her hair in spiky styles or long braids. She also had a special nose chain piercing.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Growing Up in Toronto

Jane Child was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her father, Ricky Hyslop, was a well-known classical musician. Her mother was also a singer and pianist. Jane grew up with two brothers. From a very young age, her parents taught her how to play piano and sing. She started learning music even before kindergarten!

First Musical Experiences

One of the first records Jane ever owned was the Beatles' Rubber Soul. Her dad bought it so she could learn the song "Michelle". She also learned about funk music during family Christmases in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She would listen to the local music played on the beaches there.

Joining the Music World

When Jane was 12, she joined the children's choir at the Canadian Opera Company. She also studied piano for a short time at the Royal Conservatory of Music. At 15, she decided to leave school, even though she was a good student. She found a newspaper ad for a band needing a keyboard player. She joined this touring rock and roll band called Summerhill. They traveled to small towns in northern Canada. Jane played the synthesizer, piano, and organ. She also sang in their shows. She earned $25 a week and played with them for over 45 weeks in their first year.

Other Music Jobs

Jane had many other music jobs too. She played the organ at her local Anglican church. She also played piano for ballet classes and at piano bars. Sometimes, she even recorded short jingles for commercials.

Music Career and Success

Getting Signed to a Label

Jane Child made a demo tape in Hamilton, Ontario. She played all the instruments herself because she had a small budget. A production company in New York City heard her tape and signed her. She then moved to New York and later to Los Angeles. Jane was very determined to produce her own music. She left her first label because they wouldn't let her produce. After many record companies wanted to sign her, she chose Warner Bros. Records. They agreed to let her produce her own music.

Debut Album and Big Hit

Her first album, Jane Child, came out in 1989. Jane wrote and produced the entire album herself. She also sang all the vocals and played all the instruments, except for the guitar parts. This was very unusual for a new artist on a major record label! Because of her unique music style and her desire to control her own sound, people in the music world called her "the female Prince".

Jane Child is best known for her hit song "Don't Wanna Fall in Love". This song reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1990. It was also a big hit on the R&B chart, which was rare for a white artist at the time. Her earlier song, "Welcome to the Real World," also did well, reaching number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Later Albums and Projects

In 1993, Jane released her second album, Here Not There. On this album, she mixed her R&B sound with rock, grunge, and Eastern music. This album and its songs were not as successful. After this, she kept a low profile for a while. However, she did work with some Japanese artists in Japan.

In 2001, she re-recorded "World Lullabye" from her first album. She sold the song online and gave all the money to the Twin Towers Fund. Her third album, Surge, was released in 2002 on her own record label, Sugarwave. She also recorded a cover of Tina Turner's song "We Don't Need Another Hero" for a tribute album in 2004. More recently, she has contributed vocals to cover songs for the Just Dance video games, including Just Dance 2016 and Just Dance 2017.

Artistic Style and Influences

Unique Look

Jane Child's unique look was inspired by African and East Indian cultures. It also had influences from the punk movement. She started her famous spiky hairstyle when she was 17. It took three women 14 hours to redo it once a month!

Musical Inspirations

Jane Child's music was influenced by many different artists and styles. Some of her inspirations include Stevie Wonder, the Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Public Enemy, Mozart, Indian music, Alicia de Larrocha, and Glenn Gould. She would often spend 14 hours at a time working on her music, including samples and sequences. She writes left-handed and would sing as she wrote, often creating the bass line with her left hand at the same time.

Personal Life

Jane Child has been married to Cat Gray since 2004. Cat Gray is the main musician on the TV show Let's Make a Deal. In 1990, Jane bought a house in Los Angeles that was built in 1917. She enjoys collecting Citroen cars and old antiques.

Awards and Recognition

Jane Child has been recognized for her musical talents.

• In 1990, she was nominated for a Rising Star award at the AMOA Jukebox Awards.
• In 1991, she was nominated for several Juno Awards, including Most Promising Female Vocalist, Songwriter of the Year, and Producer of the Year.
• Also in 1991, her song "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" won the Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year.
• In 1990, she was nominated for Best New Artist in a Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Discography

Albums

• Jane Child (1989)
• Here Not There (1993)
• Surge (2002)
• Surge Remixed (2002)

Singles

• "Welcome to the Real World" (1989)
• "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" (1990)
• "Mona Lisa Smiles" (1992)
• "Here Not There" (1993)
• "Do Whatcha Do" (1993)
• "Perfect Love" (1993)
• "All I Do" (1994)
• "World Lullabye 2001" (2001)
• "Almost Beautiful" (2001)
• "Nice Day" (2002)
• "Maybe Tomorrow" (1998) (as a featured artist with Tomohiko Nishimura)