{{Short description|Canadian singer, songwriter and record-producer}} {{For|her eponymous album|Jane Child (album)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Jane Child | birth_name = Jane Richmond Hyslop | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1967|02|15}} | birth_place = Ontario, Canada | genre = {{flatlist| * Freestyle * pop * R&B * synth-pop * rock}} | occupations = Singer, songwriter, record producer | years_active = 1987–2007 | label = {{Flatlist| * Warner Bros. * Sugarwave }} | spouse = Cat Gray }}
'''Jane Richmond Hyslop''' (born 15 February 1967), known professionally as '''Jane Child''', is a Canadian singer, songwriter and record-producer. Her single "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" was number two for three consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 from April 14 to April 28, 1990.<ref>{{cite web|last1=John|first1=Bush|title=Artist Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jane-child-mn0000178345/biography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> She is also known for her unusual fashion style, which included a hairstyle made of spikes and ankle-length braids and a nose chain piercing.
==Early life== Child was born in Ontario, and is the daughter of Canadian classical musician Ricky Hyslop, while her mother was a singer and pianist.<ref name='Sholin' /> She has two brothers.<ref name="Sholin" /> Child was classically trained as a pianist during her youth.<ref name='rs' /> Her parents taught her how to play and sing by kindergarten. The first record she ever owned was the Beatles' ''Rubber Soul'', purchased by her father so that she could learn the arrangement of "Michelle".<ref name='Sholin'>{{cite web|url=http://www.janechild.com/press_gavin.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011220231457/http://www.janechild.com/press_gavin.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=20 December 2001|title=Jane Child Online|accessdate=6 July 2022}}</ref> Her exposure to funk music came from having Christmases in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and listening to local music there on the beaches.<ref name='citroen'>{{cite web|url=http://www.janechild.com/press_citroen.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011220230537/http://www.janechild.com/press_citroen.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=20 December 2001|title=Jane Child Online - Citroen Profile|accessdate=6 July 2022}}</ref>
At age 12 she joined the Canadian Opera Company's children's chorus, and soon after studied piano briefly at the Royal Conservatory of Music under Samuel Dolin.<ref name="NST1993">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sdwxAAAAIBAJ&pg=6202,1870885|title=New Releases|date=25 September 1993|newspaper=New Straits Times|access-date=23 April 2010|page=4|archive-date=30 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030002654/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sdwxAAAAIBAJ&pg=6202,1870885|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0001683|title=Hyslop, Ricky|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|first1=Margaret|last1=Daly|first2=Betty|last2=Nygaard King|access-date=23 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050518062551/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0001683|archive-date=18 May 2005}}</ref> At age 15 she dropped out of school despite good grades. While seeking a summer job she saw an ad in a newspaper for a band looking for a keyboardist, which she applied for and joined. It was a touring rock and roll band of Deadheads known as ''Summerhill'' that played remote northern Canadian towns, and paid her $25 a week.<ref name='keyboard'>{{cite web|url=http://www.janechild.com/press_keyboard.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020407100108/http://janechild.com/press_keyboard.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=7 April 2002|title=Jane's Getting Serious|first=Ronbert L.|last=Doerschuk|accessdate=6 July 2022}}</ref><ref name='rs'>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.janechild.com/press_rolling.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020603212848/http://janechild.com/press_rolling.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=3 June 2002|title=Jane Child - A flamboyant fashion plate serves us up a hot hit|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=1990|first=Jeffrey|last=Ressner|accessdate=6 July 2022}}</ref> She played the synthesizer, piano, and organ, and sang in their shows for over 45 weeks in their first year together.<ref name='jam' /> She also had various other musical jobs, such as organist at the Anglican church in her neighbourhood and at horse-shows, playing piano for ballet classes and at piano bars,<ref name='jam' /> and recording jingles for commercials.<ref name='citroen' />
==Career== Eventually Child cut a demo tape in Hamilton, Ontario, with the engineer who owned the studio where she had been recording jingles.<ref name='Sholin' /> With a low budget, she would bus out to the studio and play all the instruments herself. Child was signed by a New York based production company after a partner in the company, who was a client of Child's entertainment lawyer, heard the tape. She subsequently relocated to New York and then Los Angeles.<ref name='jam' /> Adamant about producing her own music, Child left the label. After a bidding war with 13 other labels, she settled with Warner Bros. Records, who agreed to sign her on her own terms. At this time she was struggling to pay bills despite extravagant nights out for label meetings.<ref name='jam' /> One of her first potential breaks was when a publishing company sent a song she wrote to Maurice White, but in the end he chose not to record the song despite liking it.<ref name='citroen' />
Her debut album, ''Jane Child'', released in 1989, was fully written and produced by Child, who also performed all the vocals and played all the instruments (except for the guitar parts), a rarity for a debut artist signed to a major label. Due to her musical style and her emphasis on control over her music, she was at the time labelled by the press as "the female Prince".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-27-ca-593-story.html|author=Hunt, Dennis|title=WHO'S HOT : Jane Child: Her Music Is as Offbeat as Her Looks|website=Los Angeles Times|date=27 May 1990|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204032644/https://articles.latimes.com/1990-05-27/entertainment/ca-593_1_jane-child|archive-date=4 December 2015}}</ref>
Her single "Don't Wanna Fall in Love",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://funkatropolis.blogspot.com/2015/07/dont-wanna-fall-in-love-by-jane-child.html#.W_s8QOhKjIU|author=Davis, Kenneth H.|title="Don't Wanna Fall in Love" by Jane Child|website=FUNKATROPOLIS|date=16 July 2015 |access-date=16 July 2015}}</ref> peaked at No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1990.<ref>{{cite book|title=Billboard Top 1000 Singles, 1955-2000|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtvqw2XOPEEC|year=2001|publisher=H. Leonard Corporation|isbn=978-0-634-02002-5}}</ref> The song was also a big hit on the R&B chart, peaking at No. 6. Her previous single, "Welcome to the Real World", was a modest hit, peaking at No. 49 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref name="VF"/>
In 1993, she released her second album, ''Here Not There''. In the album, she broadened her R&B sound to mix it with traces of rock, grunge, and Eastern music. The album and its singles were commercial failures, and she was dropped from the label and kept a low profile for the rest of the decade, though she recorded a few collaborations with Japanese artists in that country.
In 2001, she re-recorded the song "World Lullabye" from her debut album and sold the single through her website. All proceeds were donated to the Twin Towers Fund.
Her third album, ''Surge'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://y2dray.blogspot.com/2004/07/ever-wondered-whatever-happened-to.html|website=Y-2-DRAY 4-EVER!|author=Dray, Jacques|title=Ever wondered whatever happened to... JANE CHILD?|date=24 July 2004|access-date=24 July 2004}}</ref> was released in early 2002 on her own label, Sugarwave.<ref name="Jancik1998">{{cite book|author=Wayne Jancik|title=The Billboard Book of One-hit Wonders|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UJYzAQAAIAAJ|year=1998|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=978-0-8230-7622-2}}</ref>
She recorded a cover of Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero" for the tribute album, ''What's Love? A Tribute to Tina Turner'', released in 2004.
==Artistry== Child's look was inspired by African and East Indian cultures, as well as the punk movement, which came from living amongst these diasporas in Toronto. Her notable hair style, which she started at the age of 17,<ref name='jam'>{{cite news|url=http://www.janechild.com/press_jam.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020115052333/http://www.janechild.com/press_jam.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=15 January 2002|title=Taking Pleasure in Being Unique|work=Jam Entertainment News|date=June 1, 1990|first=Elianne|last=Halbersberg|accessdate=6 July 2022}}</ref> would be redone once a month by 3 women taking 14 hours to do.<ref name='citroen' /> Her musical influences included Stevie Wonder, the Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Public Enemy, Mozart, Indian music, Alicia de Larrocha, and Glenn Gould.<ref name='keyboard' />
Child would do her own cataloguing for programming, including the samples and sequences, often for 14 hours at a time. She writes left handed and would sing as she wrote, also coming up with the bass line with her left hand. In studio some of the gear she used included Fairlight, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 and T-8, LinnDrum, E-mu SP12, Synclavier, Roland MSQ-700 and the Roland SBX-80. For tours her gear included a Minimoog, a Solina (ARP String Ensemble), a Mini-Korg, a Hammond B3 with a Leslie 145, and a Yamaha CP-70 electric grand.<ref name='keyboard' />
==Personal life== Child has been married to Cat Gray, the chief musician on ''Let's Make a Deal'', since 2004.
In 1990, she purchased the 1917 Los Angeles house of Vidah Bickford, a locally based guitarist and mandolinist.<ref name="keyboard" /> She enjoys collecting Citroens and antiques.<ref name="citroen" />
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Nominee(s) ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}} |- !scope="row"|AMOA Jukebox Awards | 1990 | rowspan=4|Herself | Rising Star | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1990/CB-1990-08-18.pdf#page=29 |title=AMOA 1990 Nominees—New Categories Announced |magazine=Cash Box |date=August 18, 1990 |access-date=February 4, 2026 |p=29}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" rowspan=4|Juno Awards | rowspan=4|1991 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | {{nom}} | rowspan=4|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://junoawards.ca/awards/past-winners-nominees/?search_year_val1=1970&search_year_val2=2022&search_category_val=&search_wins_val=no&tag_search_val=jane+child&submit=submit|title=Past Nominees + Winners}}</ref> |- | Songwriter of the Year | {{nom}} |- | Producer of the Year | {{nom}} |- | rowspan=2|"Don't Wanna Fall in Love" | Dance Recording of the Year | {{won}} |- ! scope="row"|MTV Video Music Awards | 1990 | Best New Artist in a Video | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1148176/awards|title=Jane Child|website=IMDb}}</ref> {{end}}
==Discography== ===Albums=== ====Studio albums==== {| class="wikitable" |+ ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Label ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |- ! style="width:35px;"| <small>US</small><br /><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Jane Child: Chart History - BILLBOARD 200|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/jane-child/chart-history/tlp/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> ! style="width:35px;"| <small>US R&B</small><br /><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Jane Child: Chart History - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/jane-child/chart-history/blp/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=6 July 2020}}</ref> |- | 1989 | ''Jane Child'' | rowspan="2" |Warner Bros. | align="center"| 49 | align="center"| 40 |- | 1993 | ''Here Not There''<ref name="NST1993"/> | align="center"| — | align="center"| — |- | 2002 | ''Surge'' | Sugarwave | align="center"| — | align="center"| — |- | colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |}
====Remix albums==== {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Label |- |2002 |''Surge Remixed'' |Sugarwave |}
===Singles=== ====As lead artist==== {| class="wikitable" |+ ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Label ! scope="col" colspan="6"| Peak chart positions |- ! style="width:35px;"| <small>CA</small><br /> ! style="width:35px;"| <small>US</small><br /><ref name="VF">{{cite web|title=Jane Child Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Jane+Child.art|website=Music VF|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> ! style="width:35px;"| <small>US Dance</small><br /><ref name="VF"/> ! style="width:35px;"| <small>US R&B</small><br /><ref name="VF"/> ! style="width:35px;"| <small>UK</small><br /><ref>{{cite web|title=JANE CHILD - full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26173/jane-child/|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> ! style="width:35px;"| <small>AUS</small><br /><ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia|edition=pdf}}</ref> |- | rowspan="1" |1989 | "Welcome to the Real World" | rowspan="2" |''Jane Child'' | rowspan="7" |Warner Bros. | align=center | 59 | align=center | 49 | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | 1990 | "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" | align=center | 4 | align=center | 2 | align=center | 11 | align=center | 6 | align=center | 22 | align=center | 97 |- | 1992 | "Mona Lisa Smiles" | rowspan="5" |''Here Not There'' | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | rowspan="3" |1993 | "Here Not There" | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | "Do Whatcha Do" | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | "Perfect Love" | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | 1994 | "All I Do" | align=center | 80 | align=center | ― | align=center | 25 | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | rowspan="2" |2001 | "World Lullabye 2001" | {{Non-album single}} | rowspan="3" |Sugarwave | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | "Almost Beautiful" | rowspan="2" |''Surge'' | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | 2002 | "Nice Day" | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | colspan="10" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |}
====As featured artist==== {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Label |- |1998 |"Maybe Tomorrow" <small>(Tomohiko Nishimura feat. Jane Child)</small><!-- Japan exclusive --> |Fun House |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{AllMusic|id=jane-child-mn0000178345|title=Jane Child}} *{{Discogs artist|Jane Child}} *{{MusicBrainz artist|id=b7d10263-b437-4aad-9fb7-d5dd6d969f3d|name=Jane Child}}
{{Jane Child}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Child, Jane}} Category:1967 births Category:Canadian dance musicians Child, Jane Category:Canadian women rock singers Category:Canadian record producers Category:Canadian contemporary R&B singers Category:Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year winners Category:Living people Category:Singers from Toronto Category:21st-century Canadian women singers Category:20th-century Canadian women singers Category:Freestyle musicians Category:Canadian women singer-songwriters Category:Canadian women record producers Category:Canadian women in electronic music Category:Canadian expatriates in the United States Category:20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters Category:21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters