Lemar Obika (born 4 April 1978), known as Lemar, is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. Initially rising to fame after finishing third on the first series of British talent show Fame Academy, he was later signed to Sony BMG, where he has gone on to release five studio albums, three of which are certified platinum or double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Lemar's double-platinum debut album Dedicated was released in November 2003 and contained the successful singles "Dance (With U)", "50/50" and "Another Day", all of which charted in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. His second effort, Time to Grow, saw similar success, again achieving double platinum certification and spawning his most successful single, "If There's Any Justice", which peaked at number 3 and spent four months in the UK Singles Chart. Lemar has seen considerable chart success in the UK and Ireland, releasing ten top 20 singles, seven of which peaked in the top 10, and has sold over two million albums.
Early life
Lemar Obika was born in Tottenham,[1]North London, England to Nigerian parents. He grew up listening to R&B and soul music. He used to sing at home with his siblings, pretending to be Michael Jackson and the Jacksons. He was 17 when he had his first concert at the Junior Jam at 'The Temple' in Tottenham supporting American singer Usher.[citation needed] At the time, he was designing a website to sell logos for the Ericsson PH337 phone.[2] Later on, he gave up an opportunity to study pharmacy at Cardiff University to pursue a musical career. Lemar had some success supporting various artists such as American girl groupsDestiny's Child and Total on their UK club tours and after some years, managed to secure a recording contract with BMG. Following this, he released his debut single "Got Me Saying Ooh". His record deal with BMG fell through in less than a year due to restructuring at the record label.[3] He had to eventually take a job working as an accounts manager at NatWest in Enfield, North London. At age 24, his mother died of cancer and he found listening to Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" brought "clarity" and aims to "write songs as moving as this".[2]
Lemar was most notably brought to public attention on the BBC's Fame Academy in 2002, a combination of a talent quest and reality television show. He made the finals of the show winning plaudits for his version of "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green and singing a duet with Lionel Richie on "Easy". While he ended up finishing third in the show, which was won by David Sneddon, he caught the eye of fellow British soul singer Beverley Knight, who invited him to sing a duet with her during her concert at the Hammersmith Apollo.
Sony Music was so impressed with his potential that they signed him to a five-year record deal worth £1 million. He was also the contestant from Fame Academy chosen to represent the UK in Eurobest, coming fifth (the eventual winner being Chenoa from Spain).[4]
Lemar's second single "Dance (with U)" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in early 2003. His first album Dedicated was released late in 2003 with additional singles "50/50" and "Another Day" also achieving chart success in the UK.[4] Following the success of the album, he commenced his first headlining tour of the UK. After completing his UK tour, Lemar was the opening act for Justin Timberlake's UK tour dates.[4] Thus, he is considered the "most successful graduate.[2]
In early November 2004, Lemar released his first single from the album Time to Grow. "If There's Any Justice" reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, and has become one of Lemar's most recognised songs.[4]Time to Grow was released following the single and peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart, to date, the album has been certificated 2× Platinum by the BPI.[4] Two other singles were released from the album, "Time to Grow" and "Don't Give It Up".[4]
4 September 2006 saw Lemar return with his eighth single, entitled "It's Not That Easy", which became his sixth UK top ten hit. A week later his new album The Truth About Love was released, which saw guest appearances from Styles P from The L.O.X., Mica Paris and Joss Stone. The album became Lemar's highest charting album to date, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart, outpeaking Time to Grow (number eight) and Dedicated (number sixteen). Two more singles were released from the album, "Someone Should Tell You" and "Tick Tock".[4] At the Brit Awards in 2007, Lemar was hoping to arrive in a makeshift limo, with James May from the BBC's Top Gear as the driver. Lemar ultimately got frustrated with May and got out of the car after May repeatedly got lost. He featured on Sway's first single "Saturday Night Hustle" from the album The Signature LP.[4]
Lemar's fourth studio album, The Reason was released on 24 November 2008, entering the UK Albums Chart at No. 41. Lead single "If She Knew" was released on 10 November 2008, and peaked on the UK Singles Chart at No. 14. On 2 March 2009, Lemar released his second single from the album, "Weight of the World", the song peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] He performed both singles on GMTV.[4]
Lemar performed his new single "The Way Love Goes" on the BBC1 show So You Think You Can Dance on 9 January 2010.[4] He also performed the single on GMTV in February.[4] The single was released on Valentine's Day and peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart.[4] On 8 March, the single was followed by his much anticipated album, The Hits.[4] Which - as well as including 10 hit singles from his four studio albums - also features four new tracks. In addition to "The Way Love Goes", these include a duet with JLS on a re-recording of Lemar's own 2003 ballad "What About Love".[5] On 19 March, Lemar and JLS performed the song together on Sport Relief.[4]
On 11 March 2010, Lemar's album The Hits hit number one on the R&B download charts on iTunes, along with 9 of Lemar's songs in the top 100 downloads. It peaked at number eighteen on the UK Albums Chart.[4] Toward the end of March 2010, Lemar performed a Radio 1's Live Lounge version of "Empire State of Mind".[4] He also recorded cover versions of Beyoncé's "Sweet Dreams" and Alicia Key's "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart".[4]
Lemar appeared as a special guest on the UK Dates of Mary J. Blige's World Tour. His confirmed dates were at Birmingham's LG Arena, London's O2 Arena and Manchester's MEN Arena. The first date, in London, was on 2 November 2010.[4] It was also announced that Lemar would be the special guest on the UK dates of Enrique Iglesias' tour in 2011.[6]
Lemar returned with his single "Invincible", which he performed for the first time at Stoke 2012 Live. The release date for the single was 12 August, and will be the first single to be taken from the as yet untitled fifth studio album this year.[7] on 21 June Lemar leaked the single via his official website, speaking to Digital Spy about the single he commented saying "Sticking together is what makes you invincible. When times are hard, it's important to stick together and know what your values are."[8]
On his site The Re-View, Nick Bassett praises "Invincible" for its "narrative journey which showcases Lemar’s songwriting talents as well as his impressive vocal."[9]
Lemar returned again in 2015 with his single "The Letter", which got its first airplay on BBC Radio 2's breakfast show with Chris Evans. The Letter was also the title of his latest album. The album featured a duet with Joss Stone, a cover of "Someday We'll Be Together", made famous by Diana Ross & the Supremes.
On 7 February 2023, Lemar released the single "Future Love", which he wrote and produced by himself.[10][11] The single preceded Lemar's seventh studio album, Page in My Heart,[12][13] which was released on 24 March 2023.[14] A radio mix of "Dust" was released as the album's second single on 28 April 2023.[15][16]
Lemar appears as Lord Smythe-Smith in episode 5 of the 2023 TV-Series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023). Created by Shonda Rhimes and directed by Tom Verica, the series is a prequel spin-off of the Netflix series Bridgerton (2020) that focuses on young Queen Charlotte's rise to prominence and power.
On 19 January 2008, MSN UK reported that Lemar became a father for the first time with his long-term partner Charmaine Powell, who gave birth at London's private Portland Hospital to a girl. Lemar and Charmaine then had another child, a son. The couple married on 17 July 2010 at St Mary the Virgin, Monken Hadley.[citation needed]
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer and primary songwriter, with Owen and Williams initially providing backing vocals, and Donald and Orange serving primarily as dancers.
Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian singer-songwriter who rose to fame after winning the first season of Australian Idol, in 2003. Sebastian has since released ten top ten albums, including three number ones. The first seven all gained either platinum or multi-platinum certification. He has also achieved twenty three top twenty singles, with fourteen of them, reaching the top ten, including six number ones. He is the only Australian male artist in Australian chart history to achieve six number one singles, and places third overall for all Australian acts. Ten of his singles have been certified multi-platinum, including the 13× platinum "Battle Scars". His debut single "Angels Brought Me Here" was the highest selling song in Australia in the decade 2000 to 2009. With 69 platinum and seven gold certifications and combined album and single sales of over five million in Australia, he has the highest certifications and sales of any Australian Idol contestant.
Richard Paul Astley is an English singer. He gained fame through his association with the production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, releasing the 1987 album Whenever You Need Somebody, which sold 15 million copies worldwide. His debut single "Never Gonna Give You Up" was a No. 1 hit in 25 countries, winning the 1988 Brit Award for Best British Single. His 1988 single "Together Forever" became his second song to top the US Billboard Hot 100 and was one of his eight songs to reach the Top 10 on the UK Singles Chart. The title track, "Whenever You Need Somebody", was also a No. 1 hit.
Dedicated is the debut album by English singer Lemar. It was released on 24 November 2003 by RCA Records. The now defunct girl group The 411 provided backing vocals for a number of tracks.
M People is an English dance music band that formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is taken from the first letter of the first name of band member Mike Pickering, who formed the group. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked them as the 83rd most successful dance act of all time. M People have sold over 11 million records worldwide
Sade are an English band, formed in London in 1982 and named after their lead singer, Sade Adu. Three members, Paul Anthony Cooke, Stuart Mathewman, and Paul Spencer Denman, are from Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Its music features elements of soul, quiet storm, smooth jazz and sophisti-pop. All of the band's albums, including compilations and a live album, have charted in the US Top Ten.
Simon Solomon Webbe is a British singer and rapper. He is best known as a member of the boy band Blue, selling over 15 million records. Webbe released three solo studio albums in 2005, 2006 and 2017 and had five UK Top 40 singles.
James Morrison Catchpole is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He rose to recognition for his 2006 debut single "You Give Me Something", which peaked within the top five on the UK Singles Chart, received platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and became a hit song in several European regions. Following its success, he signed with Polydor Records to release his debut studio album Undiscovered (2006), which peaked atop the UK Albums Chart. At the Brit Awards 2007, Morrison won the Brit Award for Best British Male from three total nominations, namely British Breakthrough Act and Song of the Year for the aforementioned.
The Truth About Love is the third studio album by English singer Lemar. It was released by RCA Records on 11 September 2006 and contains the singles "It's Not That Easy", "Tick Tock", and "Someone Should Tell You." The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Lemar's highest-charting album to date and his first to make the top 5. The Truth About Love was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 15 September 2006, after only five days of it being on sale. It was later awarded Platinum on 8 December 2006.
Adam Richard Wiles, known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut studio album, I Created Disco, was released in June 2007. Its singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls" both reached the top 10 in the UK. In 2009, he released his second studio album, Ready for the Weekend, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and whose lead single, "I'm Not Alone", became his first song to top the UK Singles Chart.
The discography of Kaiser Chiefs, a British indie rock band, consists of eight studio albums, one extended play, thirty-three singles, and one video album. Kaiser Chiefs were formed in 1997 in Leeds, England by classmates Nick Hodgson (drums), Nick Baines (keyboards) and Simon Rix (bass). The trio were later joined by Andrew White (guitar) and Ricky Wilson (vocals).
The Script is the debut album by Irish pop rock trio the Script, which was released in the Republic of Ireland on 8 August 2008 and was released in the UK on 11 August 2008 by Phonogenic Records. Following success in the Republic of Ireland, the album was released elsewhere in Europe in September 2008. The album topped the UK charts and peaked at number 64 on the US Billboard 200 on 4 March 2010. The album was nominated for a Choice Music Prize-Irish Album of the Year 2008.
Stan Walker is an Australian New Zealand singer, actor, and television personality. In 2009, Walker was the winner of the seventh season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. It was on December 2009, Walker released his debut studio album, Introducing Stan Walker, which included the hit single, "Black Box". The album debuted at number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It also appeared on the New Zealand Albums Chart at number two and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, better known by his stage name Tinie, is a British rapper and singer. He has been signed to Parlophone since 2009, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment company Disturbing London in 2006, along with his cousin Dumi Oburota.
This is the discography of English soul, R&B singer, songwriter and vocal producer Lemar who has to date released seven studio albums, one compilation album and twenty-two singles.
Rudimental are a British drum and bass band, signed to Asylum Records, Atlantic Records and Black Butter Records. The band consists of Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden and Leon "Locksmith" Rolle.
John William Peter Newman is an English singer, songwriter, musician, DJ, composer and record producer. He is best known for the track "Love Me Again" which peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2013 and appeared in FIFA 14, as well as co-writing and singing on Rudimental's 2012 singles "Feel the Love" and "Not Giving In", which peaked at number one and number 14 on the chart, respectively. In 2014, he featured in the Calvin Harris single "Blame", which also topped the UK charts.
Invincible is the fifth studio album by English singer Lemar. It was released by Angelic Media Limited on 8 October 2012 in the United Kingdom and marked his first independent release following his departure from Sony. The album debuted and peaked at number 49 on the UK Albums Chart and produced the single, "Invincible".
"Invincible" is a song by English singer Lemar from his same-titled fifth studio album (2012). It was released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 12 August 2012. The song peaked at number 158 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Come Closer" is a song by Nigerian singer Wizkid featuring Canadian rapper Drake. The song was released as the third single from the former's third studio album, Sounds from the Other Side (2017).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
