Jason Kay
Encyclopedia
Jason "Jay Kay" Luís Cheetham (born 30 December 1969), is a Grammy Award
-winning English musician, best known as the lead singer of the band Jamiroquai
. With early lyrics frequently espousing a green, ecological stance, yet now owning over 30 luxury cars, Kay is frequently accused of environmental hypocrisy, a claim he denies.
, Manchester, England, Kay formed Jamiroquai
with members Toby Smith
(keyboards), Stuart Zender
(bass), Nick Van Gelder (drums) and Wallis Buchanan (didgeridoo
) together with guest appearances by Gavin Dodds (guitar), Maurizio Ravelico (percussion) and Johnny Thirkell (horns) amongst others, both on the band's debut album and on their first tour.
Jamiroquai has sold over thirty million albums, and has spent a collective 162 weeks on the UK singles chart
between 1992 and 2006 with Kay's personal wealth said to be around £
40 million. He appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List
2004 at joint-950th. The Sunday Times Rich List 2008
has him tied for #1,794, with £40 million.
After the huge success of Jamiroquai's first single, When You Gonna Learn
, a US$1.9 million, eight album deal was signed with Sony Music Entertainment
. The band's first album was Emergency on Planet Earth
. The relationship with Sony ended in 2007.
The band's third album, Travelling Without Moving
, generated international attention with the ground breaking video of Virtual Insanity
which earned Jamiroquai four MTV Video Music Awards
. Since then, their fourth album, Synkronized
, has done just as well; it was recorded in Kay's home studio located in the garden of his 500-year-old, 11-bedroom Buckinghamshire
mansion.
Kay has previously stated that he would like his band to continue writing music for another 15–20 years. However it was reported in February 2007 that Kay had wanted to quit music. This was denied on Jamiroquai's official website the day after.
Kay is well known for his array of elaborate hats and headgear. When appearing professionally (in concerts, interviews etc.) he has been referred to as "the mad hatter" for his love of headgear. It is said that he has over 50 different hats that he wears at concerts and in public. He has stated publicly that some of them were made by his own mother.
Kay's most recognizable headgear is his mirrored "feather headdress" seen on the cover of High Times: Singles 1992–2006.
series The Naked Chef alongside chef Jamie Oliver
. He has also performed on the series Strictly Come Dancing
singing Canned Heat
. He made multiple appearances on Top Gear and for a time held the record for the fastest celebrity lap in the Chevrolet Lacetti from more than 50 other celebrity drivers.
The day before Jamiroquai performed their new single, White Knuckle Ride
, on The X Factor
on 31 October 2010, Kay was quoted by The Sun as saying of the show's judges Cheryl Cole
and Dannii Minogue
: "What are they going to tell me about fucking music? ... When have you ever done anything? You're useless. The pair of you. I mean you look great and I'd like to fucking shag you but that's all." During his performance on the show, the pair talked continuously and refused to applaud at the end. Notably, neither of the other two judges stood up either.
is a former cabaret singer and television personality. After Kay's identical twin, David, died some weeks after they were bornhttp://www.scotsman.com/news/interview_jamiroquai_singer_songwriter_jason_kay_1_478844, Karen brought Kay up largely alone, which gave him "an itinerant childhood, half of it living in 'rural Suffolk and rural Devon’", according to his 2010 The Daily Telegraph
interview http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/8064590/Jay-Kay-interview.html and his 1999/1994 television interviews http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei1Nw5iprOM. It's stated in the 1997 Lancashire Evening Telegraph article that Kay "moved with his mother and step-father Mervyn Kay to Manchester as a youngster."http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/archive/1997/03/10/Lancashire+Archive/6185298.Star_s_secret_past James Royal, often misidentified as Kay's stepfather, is Karen Kay's former manager whom she had a relationship with some time during Kay's childhood years. Royal had stated in his 2002 The News of the World interview about 13-year-old Kay's six-month stay in Thailand that he never married Karen Kay, but "still regards" Kay as his "stepson".http://www.0x61.com/forum/music-jamiroquai-f618/more-from-the-uk-tabloid-press-t525421.html
Kay reveals in his 2010 The Sunday Times
interview that his biological father is Portuguese. Kay met his biological father Luís Saraiva, a former professional guitarist, in 2001 when Kay was 32 years old. On 26 May in 2006, Saraiva appeared in a two-minute backstage interview with an interviewer from Portuguese television station RTP1 at the 2006 Rock in Rio
concert where Jamiroquai made its appearance. The interviewer erroneously referred Luís Saraiva as Luís Silveira during the interview.
From 1998 to 2001, Kay dated Denise Van Outen
. They were engaged and reported to be on the verge of marriage, but split up in 2001; Jamiroquai's album A Funk Odyssey
is mostly about their breakup.
In a 2010 interview, Kay indicated that at one time he had a "substantial" cocaine
habit. He has however been free of drugs since 2003.
Kay continues to support the Burma Campaign UK
and the need for democracy in Burma. He is also a patron of the Captive Animals Protection Society
, a charity campaigning for an end to the use of animals in circuses, zoos and exotic pet trade. He has spoken out against animal exploitation for entertainment.
. The album's cover featured an adaptation of the "Buffalo Man" logo and the Ferrari
crest, which probably earned him his recent visit to Maranello and a close look at the new Ferrari 458 Spider. Three of his cars appeared in the video for the song Cosmic Girl
. In total he has 37 vehicles including what he calls "staff cars".
A combination of cars and music is evident in the song Black Devil Car on the album Dynamite
which is a tribute to his black Ferrari Enzo. The Enzo suffered damage to the windows after an altercation with hotel chef Aaron Billington at the Brudenell Hotel in Aldeburgh
, Suffolk.
In occasion of his 39th birthday, he admitted he has become a Porsche
fan.
In the last years he has bought a black 356 Speedster, a blue 911 Carrera RS
, and a 911 GT3 RS in orange livery. Porsche Carrera RS of 1973 has been used in the clip of "White Knuckle Ride", one of the last singles of the band, included in their last album.
Kay's love of fast cars has occasionally landed him in legal trouble. In May 1998, Kay was caught driving at 111 mph (178.6 km/h) and his licence was suspended for 42 days. He said in an interview: "I should count myself lucky. I've clocked up 175 mph on a public road. If I'd been caught doing that, it would have been a prison sentence." He appeared in court in Scotland
to face charges for speeding after being clocked at 105 mph (169 km/h) in a Mercedes-Benz G-Class
, on 26 February 2004. The speed limit for the road was 70 mph (112.7 km/h). He was later banned from driving for six months.
Kay participated in the 2007 Gumball 3000 rally as part of Team Adidas in a brand new Maserati Quattroporte
. In 2010 he took part in the Mille Miglia
in his Maserati A6G/54.
He holds the record on the BBC show Top Gear for the fastest lap in the (now retired) Chevrolet Lacetti
on the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment. His time of 1:45.83 was four-hundredths of a second ahead of Kevin McCloud
, one-tenth of a second ahead of Brian Johnson
, lead singer of the rock band AC/DC
, and one tenth of a second above then-leader, Simon Cowell
. He was invited back as Cowell had been "on the top for long enough".
Kay also likes motorcycles and was at the Ace Cafe to see Charley Boorman
off for his television series By Any Means
. He rides a Rizla Suzuki GSXR-600. He owns a motorhome
, and holds a C LGV (class 2) driving licence just to drive it. He persuaded his close friend James Martin
to also purchase one. Kay also leases a Robinson R44
helicopter, registration G-JKAY.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning English musician, best known as the lead singer of the band Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
. With early lyrics frequently espousing a green, ecological stance, yet now owning over 30 luxury cars, Kay is frequently accused of environmental hypocrisy, a claim he denies.
Career
Born in StretfordStretford
Stretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...
, Manchester, England, Kay formed Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
with members Toby Smith
Toby Smith
Toby Smith is a musician, most famous for being the keyboardist and co-songwriter for Jamiroquai from 1992 up to 2001....
(keyboards), Stuart Zender
Stuart Zender
Stuart Patrick Jude Zender is an English bassist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for being the original bass player for Jamiroquai.-Early life:...
(bass), Nick Van Gelder (drums) and Wallis Buchanan (didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
) together with guest appearances by Gavin Dodds (guitar), Maurizio Ravelico (percussion) and Johnny Thirkell (horns) amongst others, both on the band's debut album and on their first tour.
Jamiroquai has sold over thirty million albums, and has spent a collective 162 weeks on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
between 1992 and 2006 with Kay's personal wealth said to be around £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
40 million. He appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List
Sunday Times Rich List
The Sunday Times Rich List is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families in the United Kingdom, updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times since 1989...
2004 at joint-950th. The Sunday Times Rich List 2008
Sunday Times Rich List 2008
The Sunday Times Rich List 2008 was published on 27 April 2008.Since 1989 the UK national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times has published an annual magazine supplement to the newspaper called the Sunday Times Rich List...
has him tied for #1,794, with £40 million.
After the huge success of Jamiroquai's first single, When You Gonna Learn
When You Gonna Learn
"When You Gonna Learn" is the debut single by the British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. In the United Kingdom, the song is renowned for drawing attention to the band. It was originally released in 1992 by Acid Jazz Records, and later re-released on Sony Records in 1993 as the lead single from the...
, a US$1.9 million, eight album deal was signed with Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. The band's first album was Emergency on Planet Earth
Emergency on Planet Earth
Emergency on Planet Earth is the debut studio album released by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1993, the album features strong elements of the mixture of the R&B, and funk genres, but it is notable for being one of the group's definitive acid-jazz albums...
. The relationship with Sony ended in 2007.
The band's third album, Travelling Without Moving
Travelling Without Moving
Travelling Without Moving is the third studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1996, the album features the international hit single "Virtual Insanity"...
, generated international attention with the ground breaking video of Virtual Insanity
Virtual Insanity
"Virtual Insanity" is the lead single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. The song reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted at #38 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart upon the single's release in America in 1997...
which earned Jamiroquai four MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
. Since then, their fourth album, Synkronized
Synkronized
Synkronized is the fourth studio album released by Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1999, the album contains funk, disco, and acid jazz elements...
, has done just as well; it was recorded in Kay's home studio located in the garden of his 500-year-old, 11-bedroom Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
mansion.
Kay has previously stated that he would like his band to continue writing music for another 15–20 years. However it was reported in February 2007 that Kay had wanted to quit music. This was denied on Jamiroquai's official website the day after.
Headgear
Kay's most recognizable headgear is his mirrored "feather headdress" seen on the cover of High Times: Singles 1992–2006.
TV performances
Kay appeared in an episode of the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series The Naked Chef alongside chef Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
. He has also performed on the series Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
singing Canned Heat
Canned Heat (song)
"Canned Heat" is the second single from British funk band Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized, released in 1999. The song was their second #1 on the U.S. Dance Chart and peaked at #4 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund...
. He made multiple appearances on Top Gear and for a time held the record for the fastest celebrity lap in the Chevrolet Lacetti from more than 50 other celebrity drivers.
The day before Jamiroquai performed their new single, White Knuckle Ride
White Knuckle Ride
"White Knuckle Ride" is the first single from British alternative group Jamiroquai's studio album, Rock Dust Light Star. The single was released via Digital Download on 31 October 2010, with a Limited Edition Vinyl release due to appear on 1 January 2011. The song was written by band frontman Jay...
, on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
on 31 October 2010, Kay was quoted by The Sun as saying of the show's judges Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
and Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
: "What are they going to tell me about fucking music? ... When have you ever done anything? You're useless. The pair of you. I mean you look great and I'd like to fucking shag you but that's all." During his performance on the show, the pair talked continuously and refused to applaud at the end. Notably, neither of the other two judges stood up either.
Paparazzi confrontations
In 2001, Kay was charged with assaulting a photographer and damaging his camera outside a nightclub. Kay pleaded not guilty and the charges were later dropped. On 12 September 2006, Kay was cautioned by police over an incident outside a London nightclub. He allegedly assaulted two photographers.Personal life
Kay's mother Karen KayKaren Kay (TV Personality)
Karen Kay on 18 July 1947 is a former jazz singer, cabaret singer, comedienne and impressionist.She is the mother of acid jazz singer Jay Kay....
is a former cabaret singer and television personality. After Kay's identical twin, David, died some weeks after they were bornhttp://www.scotsman.com/news/interview_jamiroquai_singer_songwriter_jason_kay_1_478844, Karen brought Kay up largely alone, which gave him "an itinerant childhood, half of it living in 'rural Suffolk and rural Devon’", according to his 2010 The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
interview http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/8064590/Jay-Kay-interview.html and his 1999/1994 television interviews http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei1Nw5iprOM. It's stated in the 1997 Lancashire Evening Telegraph article that Kay "moved with his mother and step-father Mervyn Kay to Manchester as a youngster."http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/archive/1997/03/10/Lancashire+Archive/6185298.Star_s_secret_past James Royal, often misidentified as Kay's stepfather, is Karen Kay's former manager whom she had a relationship with some time during Kay's childhood years. Royal had stated in his 2002 The News of the World interview about 13-year-old Kay's six-month stay in Thailand that he never married Karen Kay, but "still regards" Kay as his "stepson".http://www.0x61.com/forum/music-jamiroquai-f618/more-from-the-uk-tabloid-press-t525421.html
Kay reveals in his 2010 The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
interview that his biological father is Portuguese. Kay met his biological father Luís Saraiva, a former professional guitarist, in 2001 when Kay was 32 years old. On 26 May in 2006, Saraiva appeared in a two-minute backstage interview with an interviewer from Portuguese television station RTP1 at the 2006 Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
concert where Jamiroquai made its appearance. The interviewer erroneously referred Luís Saraiva as Luís Silveira during the interview.
From 1998 to 2001, Kay dated Denise Van Outen
Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen is an English actress, singer and television presenter. Her most notable roles to date are as a presenter on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway.- Early life :Born Denise Kathleen Outen in Basildon, Essex, she is the...
. They were engaged and reported to be on the verge of marriage, but split up in 2001; Jamiroquai's album A Funk Odyssey
A Funk Odyssey
A Funk Odyssey is the fifth studio album by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 3 September 2001 in the United Kingdom, and 11 September 2001 in the United States.-Background:...
is mostly about their breakup.
In a 2010 interview, Kay indicated that at one time he had a "substantial" cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
habit. He has however been free of drugs since 2003.
Kay continues to support the Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK founded in 1991 is a London based Non Governmental Organisation that aims to achieve the 'restoration of human rights and democracy in Burma . BCUK campaigns on behalf of the Burmese pro-democracy movement and is the largest campaigning organisation for Burma in Europe...
and the need for democracy in Burma. He is also a patron of the Captive Animals Protection Society
Captive Animals Protection Society
The Captive Animals' Protection Society is a UK charity campaigning to end the use of animals in entertainment, including circuses, zoos, the exotic pet trade and the audio-visual industry.-History:...
, a charity campaigning for an end to the use of animals in circuses, zoos and exotic pet trade. He has spoken out against animal exploitation for entertainment.
Cars and vehicles
Kay has a strong interest in exotic cars and owns over 30 luxury cars, mainly sports cars. His love of motors was expressed with the release of the album Travelling Without MovingTravelling Without Moving
Travelling Without Moving is the third studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1996, the album features the international hit single "Virtual Insanity"...
. The album's cover featured an adaptation of the "Buffalo Man" logo and the Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
crest, which probably earned him his recent visit to Maranello and a close look at the new Ferrari 458 Spider. Three of his cars appeared in the video for the song Cosmic Girl
Cosmic Girl
"Cosmic Girl" is the second single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. Released in November 1996, it achieved great chart success, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart.-Background:...
. In total he has 37 vehicles including what he calls "staff cars".
A combination of cars and music is evident in the song Black Devil Car on the album Dynamite
Dynamite (Jamiroquai album)
Dynamite is the sixth studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai, released in June 2005. Produced by Mike Spencer and Jay Kay, it is perhaps their most diverse work to date, featuring electronic, funk, disco, house and acoustic tracks....
which is a tribute to his black Ferrari Enzo. The Enzo suffered damage to the windows after an altercation with hotel chef Aaron Billington at the Brudenell Hotel in Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
, Suffolk.
In occasion of his 39th birthday, he admitted he has become a Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
fan.
In the last years he has bought a black 356 Speedster, a blue 911 Carrera RS
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
, and a 911 GT3 RS in orange livery. Porsche Carrera RS of 1973 has been used in the clip of "White Knuckle Ride", one of the last singles of the band, included in their last album.
Kay's love of fast cars has occasionally landed him in legal trouble. In May 1998, Kay was caught driving at 111 mph (178.6 km/h) and his licence was suspended for 42 days. He said in an interview: "I should count myself lucky. I've clocked up 175 mph on a public road. If I'd been caught doing that, it would have been a prison sentence." He appeared in court in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to face charges for speeding after being clocked at 105 mph (169 km/h) in a Mercedes-Benz G-Class
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
The original 460-series Geländewagen went on sale for civilian buyers in 1979, after having debuted in February of that year. It was offered with two wheelbases, a short wheelbase of 2,400 mm and a long one of 2,850 mm. One could choose between three body styles: A two-door short...
, on 26 February 2004. The speed limit for the road was 70 mph (112.7 km/h). He was later banned from driving for six months.
Kay participated in the 2007 Gumball 3000 rally as part of Team Adidas in a brand new Maserati Quattroporte
Maserati Quattroporte
The Maserati Quattroporte is a luxury four-door saloon made by Maserati in Italy. The name translated from Italian literally means "four doors". There have been five generations of the car, each separated by a period of roughly five years....
. In 2010 he took part in the Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
in his Maserati A6G/54.
He holds the record on the BBC show Top Gear for the fastest lap in the (now retired) Chevrolet Lacetti
Daewoo Lacetti
The Daewoo Lacetti is a compact car made by the South Korean automaker GM Daewoo since 2002. The first-generation Lacetti was available as a four-door sedan, a five-door hatchback or a five-door station wagon. The sedan and wagon were designed by Pininfarina, and the hatchback by Giorgetto Giugiaro...
on the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment. His time of 1:45.83 was four-hundredths of a second ahead of Kevin McCloud
Kevin McCloud
Kevin McCloud is a British designer, writer and television presenter best known for his work on the Channel 4 series Grand Designs. He lives in a 15th-century farmhouse in Frome, Somerset, with his wife Suzanna "Zani" who runs an online interior decoration business, and their two children, Milo ...
, one-tenth of a second ahead of Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer for the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
, lead singer of the rock band AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, and one tenth of a second above then-leader, Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
. He was invited back as Cowell had been "on the top for long enough".
Kay also likes motorcycles and was at the Ace Cafe to see Charley Boorman
Charley Boorman
Charley Boorman is an English TV adventurer, travel writer and actor. He is well known for his association with motorcycles and enthusiasm for biking.-Education:...
off for his television series By Any Means
By Any Means
By Any Means, also known as Ireland to Sydney by Any Means, is a television series following Long Way Round and Long Way Down star Charley Boorman...
. He rides a Rizla Suzuki GSXR-600. He owns a motorhome
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
, and holds a C LGV (class 2) driving licence just to drive it. He persuaded his close friend James Martin
James Martin (chef)
James Martin , is an English cook who first appeared on television in 1996.-Television career:...
to also purchase one. Kay also leases a Robinson R44
Robinson R44
|-See also:-External links:* * * * * *...
helicopter, registration G-JKAY.