Omar Lye-Fook
Encyclopedia
Omar Lye-Fook and known as Omar, is an internationally acclaimed British
soul
singer, songwriter and musician. Omar grew up in Canterbury
, Kent
. He learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. Omar also spent two years at Chetham's School of Music
in Manchester
, and the Guildhall School of Music in London. His most well-known song was his debut single "There's Nothing Like This". It reached #14 in the UK Singles Chart
on re-release in 1991. Allmusic noted that he is described by some as the father of British neo soul
.
releases, "Mr Postman" and "You and Me" featuring backing vocals from Caron Wheeler
, Omar released his first album
, entitled There's Nothing Like This in 1990. Initially released on his father's record label
, Kongo Records, it entered the UK Albums Chart
, peaking at #54. Signing to his first major record label, Talkin' Loud
, saw the re-release of his debut album, which climbed to #19 in the British chart
. This was followed in 1992 by his second album, Music, which proved less successful (UK #37) than the first.
A new signing to RCA Records
led to Omar undertaking collaborations with other musicians, including Lamont Dozier
, David Frank
(The System
), the former Heatwave
bassist
Derrick Bramble, Leon Ware
and Stevie Wonder
. In 1996, Omar contributed "Water to Drink" to the AIDS
benefit album, Red Hot + Rio
, produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
In 2003, after one of his songs ("There's Nothing Like This") was used in the intro round on Never Mind the Buzzcocks
, presenter Mark Lamarr
questioned Omar's supposed instant recognizability, quipping that he would require a Blockbuster
card to confirm Omar's identity. Omar's agent, e-mailed the show and a few episodes later, Omar appeared in the show's 'identity parade' round, Blockbuster card in hand. Lamarr was force to concede that Omar was recognizable, and a rather more significant artist than he had earlier given him credit for.
In 2006, the Urban Music Awards
presented Omar with the Best Neo Soul Act and Outstanding Achievement Awards.
After studying at the Identity Drama School, on 11 June 2009, Omar made his acting debut in Ché Walker
's musical
, Been So Long
.
alumna, who has provided background vocals
for some of Omar's recordings.
Omar became the father of twins in early 2008.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer, songwriter and musician. Omar grew up in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. He learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. Omar also spent two years at Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music , familiarly known as "Chets", is a specialist independent co-educational music school, situated in Manchester city centre, in North West England. It was established in 1969, incorporating Chetham's Hospital School, founded as a charity school by Humphrey Chetham in 1653...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and the Guildhall School of Music in London. His most well-known song was his debut single "There's Nothing Like This". It reached #14 in 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 ...
on re-release in 1991. Allmusic noted that he is described by some as the father of British neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
.
Career
Following his first two singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
releases, "Mr Postman" and "You and Me" featuring backing vocals from Caron Wheeler
Caron Wheeler
Caron Wheeler is a two-time Grammy Award winning British R&B/soul singer, who gained fame by writing and singing the lead vocals on the two biggest hits for Soul II Soul Caron Wheeler (19 January 1963) is a two-time Grammy Award winning British R&B/soul singer, who gained fame by writing and...
, Omar released his first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, entitled There's Nothing Like This in 1990. Initially released on his father's record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Kongo Records, it entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, peaking at #54. Signing to his first major record label, Talkin' Loud
Talkin' Loud
Talkin' Loud is a record label started by Gilles Peterson at Phonogram in 1990 after he left Acid Jazz Records. The label name is based on Peterson's club night "Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Something", itself a reference to James Brown and Bobby Byrd's "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing".The first...
, saw the re-release of his debut album, which climbed to #19 in the British chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. This was followed in 1992 by his second album, Music, which proved less successful (UK #37) than the first.
A new signing to RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
led to Omar undertaking collaborations with other musicians, including Lamont Dozier
Lamont Dozier
Lamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
, David Frank
David Frank
David Frank is an American music producer, composer, classically trained pianist, and founding member of the 1980s R&B group The System. Yamaha Music calls him "the founding father of electronic R&B." -Early Development:...
(The System
The System (band)
The System was an American synth pop duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Mic Murphy and seasoned session keyboardist David Frank. The band was founded in 1982 in New York and backed up by Paul Pesco on electric guitar and Kris Khellow - keyboards, synthesizers.Sometimes the group is referred to...
), the former Heatwave
Heatwave (band)
Heatwave was an international funk/disco musical band featuring Americans Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and Keith Wilder of Dayton, Ohio, Englishman Rod Temperton , Swiss Mario Mantese , Czechoslovak Ernest "Bilbo" Berger , Jamaican Eric Johns and Briton Roy Carter .They were known for their successful...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Derrick Bramble, Leon Ware
Leon Ware
Leon Ware is a soul music singer, songwriter and producer. Best known for crafting the hit album, I Want You, originally recorded for Ware, until friend and Motown icon Marvin Gaye was assigned to the album in 1976...
and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
. In 1996, Omar contributed "Water to Drink" to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album, Red Hot + Rio
Red Hot + Rio
Red Hot + Rio is a compilation album produced by Paul Heck as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series intended to promote AIDS awareness. This installment is a contemporary tribute to the Bossa nova sound, especially the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim...
, produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
In 2003, after one of his songs ("There's Nothing Like This") was used in the intro round on Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
, presenter Mark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Lamarr was born in the Park South area of Swindon and has three elder sisters. His father is Irish...
questioned Omar's supposed instant recognizability, quipping that he would require a Blockbuster
Blockbuster (movie rental store)
Blockbuster LLC is an American-based provider of home video and video game rental services, originally through video rental shops , later adding DVD-by-mail, streaming video on demand, and kiosks. At its peak in 2009, Blockbuster had up to 60,000 employees. There are around 1700 Blockbuster...
card to confirm Omar's identity. Omar's agent, e-mailed the show and a few episodes later, Omar appeared in the show's 'identity parade' round, Blockbuster card in hand. Lamarr was force to concede that Omar was recognizable, and a rather more significant artist than he had earlier given him credit for.
In 2006, the Urban Music Awards
Urban Music Awards
The Urban Music Awards is a HipHop, R&B, Dance and soul music awards ceremony launched in 2003 and now held in six countries annually.The awards ceremony is held annually by Invincible Media Group. The UMA's is now held in 6 countries annually...
presented Omar with the Best Neo Soul Act and Outstanding Achievement Awards.
After studying at the Identity Drama School, on 11 June 2009, Omar made his acting debut in Ché Walker
Ché Walker
Ché Walker is an English actor, playwright, theatre director and teacher at the Identity Drama School.Walker lives in Camden in London and his play The Frontline deals with street life outside Camden Town tube station....
's musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, Been So Long
Been So Long
Been So Long is a soul/funk musical with music and lyrics by Arthur Darvill and book by Ché Walker. The musical is based on the 1998 play of the same name....
.
Personal life
Omar is sometimes credited as Omar Hammer. His birth father's surname is Lye-Fook, while his stepfather's surname is Hammer. He and his siblings, two brothers and a sister are all musicians. Samia Lye-Fook (Omar's sister, and youngest of the four) is a BRIT SchoolBRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
alumna, who has provided background vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for some of Omar's recordings.
Omar became the father of twins in early 2008.
Albums
- There's Nothing Like This (1990) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#19 (re-issue) - Music (1992) - UK #17
- For Pleasure (1994) - UK #50
- This Is Not a Love Song (1997) - UK #50
- Best By Far (2001)
- Sing (If You Want It)Sing (If You Want It)Sing is the sixth album by British neo-soul singer Omar, released in April 2006 on Omar's own Ether label. Sing was produced by Omar and his brother, Scratch Professer, and features guest appearances from long-time Omar fans Stevie Wonder and Angie Stone, as well as rapper Common and British...
(2006)
Chart singles
| Year | Title | 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 ... |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "There's Nothing Like This" | #14 | Kongo Records |
| 1992 | "Your Loss My Gain" | #47 | Talkin' Loud Talkin' Loud Talkin' Loud is a record label started by Gilles Peterson at Phonogram in 1990 after he left Acid Jazz Records. The label name is based on Peterson's club night "Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Something", itself a reference to James Brown and Bobby Byrd's "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing".The first... |
| 1992 | "Music" | #53 | Talkin' Loud |
| 1994 | "Outside" / "Saturday" | #43 | RCA RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
| 1994 | "Keep Steppin'" | #57 | RCA |
| 1997 | "Say Nothin'" | #29 | RCA |
| 1997 | "Golden Brown Golden Brown "Golden Brown" is a song by the English rock band The Stranglers. It was released as a 7" single in December 1981 in the US and in January 1982 in the UK, on Liberty... " |
#37 | RCA |
Collaborations
Some of the musicians Omar has performed with include (but are not limited to):
|
Carleen Anderson Carleen Anderson is an American soul singer, who has had success in the United Kingdom. She is the daughter of the singer Vicki Anderson and stepdaughter of Bobby Byrd, and is most well known as the lead singer in the Young Disciples as well as for her own solo career.-Early career:Anderson was... Galliano The word Galliano can refer to:*Galliano , a liqueur*Giuseppe Galliano , an Italian soldier*John Galliano , British fashion designer*Richard Galliano The word Galliano can refer to:*Galliano (drink), a liqueur*Giuseppe Galliano (1846-1896), an Italian soldier*John Galliano (b. 1960), British... |
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical... Guru (rapper) Keith Edward Elam , better known by his stage name Guru, was an American emcee and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts... |
Kele Le Roc Kele Le Roc is a British pop, UK garage and R&B singer.-Career:Le Roc began singing at the age of three, and she attended Langdon Comprehensive School in East Ham. She first found widespread acclaim in 1995 with the underground hit "Let Me Know"... Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... |
Syreeta Wright Syreeta Wright , who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter most notably known for her work with Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston.-Early life and career:... |
Common (rapper) Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor.... - on the 2004 Electric Circus Electric Circus (album) Electric Circus is the fifth studio album by rapper Common, released December 10, 2002 on the now-defunct MCA Records. The album was highly anticipated and praised by many critics for its ambitious vision. However, it was not as commercially successful as his previous album, Like Water for... track, "The Hustle" Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB... |
External links
- Omarmusic.net Official website
- Soul Jones Presents
- Projectvibe.net Omar Biography, discography, and interview at Projectvibe.net
- Soulwalking biography
- Omar interview at http://www.britishhiphop.co.uk