Joel Turner (musician)

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Joel Turner
Background information
Also known as The Beatbox Boy, JT, The Big JT, J Bigz
Born March 3, 1987 (age 20)
Origin Mullumbimby, New South Wales, Australian flag Australia
Genre(s) Urban
Occupation(s) Musician/Record producer
Instrument(s) Beatboxing, Guitar, Bass
Years active 2003–present
Label(s) Dream Dealers, Rajon, Hardwax

Joel Turner (born March 3, 1987, Mullumbimby NSW) is a Brisbane beatboxer / singer / songwriter / instrumentalist / record producer best known for the Australian hit song "These Kids". As a beatboxer, he is recognised for his raw power, deep bass, and trademark sounds such as his "third voice", cowbell, teeth beats and bass guitar.

Turner first appeared at the auditions for the 2003 season of Australian Idol, where he drew attention for his beatbox skills. Although praised but deemed unsuitable for the competition, Turner was nevertheless voted "Most Popular of the Unforgettables" and performed at the 2003 Idol Grand Final at the Sydney Opera House. He was later signed and managed by Idol judge Mark Holden, together with rappers the Modern Day Poets (MDP), consisting of Turner's older brother Tim Turner (aka "DubLT" – left the group in 2005, replaced by Kitchener "K1" Wesche) and their cousin Chris Heiner (formerly Chris Turner, aka "C4").

"These Kids" was written by DubLT after a friend committed suicide, but was also subsequently dedicated to Joel Turner's troubled childhood neighbour and friend. It debuted in the top 5 of the Australian singles charts in October 2004. The single reached number one on the Australian singles chart and achieved double platinum status. It remains the highest selling release by an Australian hip-hop act ever.

The self-titled Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets album was released on November 1, 2004 and was hailed by Beat Magazine (issue #944) as "the most accomplished and shockingly brilliant debut of 2004". Most of the songs featured Turner's vocal percussion, alongside eight tracks of pure beatboxing. Guests on the album included boxer Anthony Mundine rapping on a track called "Knock U Out" (released as the second single and reached #14; Turner and the Modern Day Poets also performed at one of Mundine's bouts on the Gold Coast), as well as Australian Idol contestants Rebekah LaVauney and Axle Whitehead, with Whitehead appearing on the track "Scatbox". The album reached the top 30 of the ARIA albums chart and achieved platinum status. The third single was "Funk U Up", which debuted at #17 on the ARIA charts in May 2005 and peaked at #13. A fourth single titled "Respect" was released in October 2005 (reaching #29), along with a DVD titled Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets with the Beatbox Alliance.

Turner has also appeared in several television commercials, most famously for Drumstick Loaded icecream.

Contents

[edit] Career history

Turner began performing and writing songs with his family members as a child. Along with his cousin, he joined his brother in the group Modern Day Poets, which was later changed to “Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets” to capitalize on Turner’s fame through Australian Idol. It was Turner’s cousin who suggested the trio audition for the show, as nothing more than a bit of a fun and an opportunity to gain exposure.

The song “These Kids” came together in December 2001 when Turner’s brother asked him to compose some music for the lyrics he had written. The track was originally recorded in Cairns, Queensland, with funding from a family friend. It was this demo recording that would later help the group to secure a record contract with Mark Holden, who had been impressed with Turner’s beatboxing and guitar skills and had asked to hear some songs from him. After the track's release, the group received a great deal of feedback from young people who identified with the issues mentioned in the song, such as drugs, depression, suicide, and living on the streets.

Following his signing in early 2004, Turner spent the year recording and promoting his debut album and appearing at events such as the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, Telethon, and the Youth Alive Festival. He also appeared at the Australian Idol final for 2004 with a symphony orchestra and six beatboxers known as the Beatbox Alliance, who were assembled via a competition on Australian Idol judged by Turner and Holden.

In January 2005, Turner and the Modern Day Poets embarked on their first national tour, accompanied by the Beatbox Alliance and multi-instrumentalist Dylan Hartas. In addition to shows at various pubs, clubs, schools and theatres, high-profile gigs on the tour included the Big Day Out Festival, the Melbourne International Music Festival/Tsunami Benefit (where Turner also performed with Michael Franti and Spearhead), 5th Element, the Channel V Billabong Detour, the Byron Bay East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, and the Cosmonautical Youth Festival.

In March 2005, Turner appeared at the TV Week Logie Awards after show and also attended the MTV Australia Video Music Awards, where he was nominated for the "Supernova" Award.

During the middle stages of 2005, Turner and his crew took part in the Coke Live '05 Sessions – a series of gigs for Under 18's held across Australia in de-licensed venues. In July, Turner had the honour of opening for US rapper Ice T at a concert in Melbourne. Other performances during this time included Warriors Realm IV and the Nova Pimp parties held across Australia, as well as the Stylin' Up Festival in Brisbane, the Supernatural Conference, and the Exoday Festival in Bundaberg.

In September of 2005, Turner was crowned World Beatbox Champion at the Hip Hop World Challenge in Leipzig, Germany, where his conquests included the UK champion Faith SFX and Belgian champ RoxorLoops. He also paired with Beatbox Alliance member Tom Thumb (as the duo "Attention Deficit Disaudio") to win the Team World Championship.

On returning to Australia, Turner was a special guest artist at the 2005 Schools Musical Spectacular in Bendigo and performed with 2003 Idol winner Guy Sebastian at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. He was also a judge at Australian Idol's "Are You a Natural" competition.

Around this time, Turner and the Modern Day Poets received three nominations for Australia's prestigious ARIA Awards – Best Independent Release and Best Urban Release for their self-titled album, and Breakthrough Artist (Single) for "These Kids". The group would later receive an ARIA No. 1 Chart Award in honour of their debut single.

For the remainder of 2005 and into 2006, Turner continued to perform gigs with both the Modern Day Poets and Attention Deficit Disaudio partner Tom Thumb, notably appearing on stage at a show by beatboxing legend Rahzel in Brisbane. Turner also spent time performing at various schools throughout Australia, as well as events such as the Pacific Brands Fashion Show, Foxtel's 10th Birthday celebrations, Schoolies, the Sydney and Melbourne Auto Salon exhibitions, and the 2006 Gold Coast Big Day Out. In addition, Turner and MDP made their acting debut, appearing in two episodes of the interactive comedy Forget the Rules.

In January 2006, Turner undertook a televised performance with his band and special guest Axle Whitehead at the Australia Day Live Concert in Canberra. Turner later revealed that they had left their deal with Mark Holden and were looking to start their own record label.

Subsequent gigs included the Australian Hip Hop United benefit concert, Parkfest, the Bring It On Youth Festival, and Force '06. In April of 2006, Turner made frequent appearances at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney, performing several shows a day and hosting beatbox workshops.

In June, Turner and the Modern Day Poets performed at the APRA songwriting awards in Sydney, where they had two songs nominated in the "Most Performed Urban Work" category. Turner spent the latter half of 2006 working on a new album and also formed a production company called Two Kingz Produktionz with up-and-coming Brisbane MC Preech. In October 2006, it was announced that Turner had signed a new deal with Rajon Music for himself and his company Modern Day Productions.

In 2007, Turner released a new single named "All Night Long" featuring Israel, Stan Bravo and C4 (AUS#38 March 2007) for his anticipated new album Out of the Box. He also spent time working in London, where he was invited to perform at a show by legendary hip-hoppers De La Soul. Turner is currently signed to Central Station's hip-hop sub-label Hardwax, and his new album will reportedly feature collaborations with De La Soul, Preech, and the Modern Day Poets.

Joel Turner has recently been touring public schools in Canberra such as Lyneham High School and Alfred Deakin High School, as well as others all around Australia. The visits support his association with Just Dream, a program aimed at imparting teenagers with values such as non-violence and accountability.

[edit] Musical background

Turner is said to have shown an aptitude for music from a young age. He began playing drums at the age of seven but was unable to afford a drum kit of his own. He thus began using his mouth to sound the rhythms as a means of practice, initially creating beats by grinding his teeth together. In 2001, after being informed by a friend that what he was doing was an artform known as “beatboxing”, Turner was inspired to develop his skills further, studying the genre and its artists and practising constantly.

In addition to his background in percussion, Turner has reportedly sung since the age of seven and played guitar since nine. He cites his musical influences as blues legends B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as hip-hop artists such as Tupac Shakur, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Dr Dre, Ice Cube and Cypress Hill.

[edit] Family background

Turner had an underprivileged childhood, growing up in the disadvantaged suburb of Acacia Ridge in Brisbane’s south. His mother Grace struggled to raise five children on a sole-parent pension, and the family often had to make do with secondhand clothing, no luxuries and little food. Turner’s father, also a guitarist (who played in Richard Clapton’s band as well as various outfits around Adelaide), left before Turner was born and returned only briefly when Turner was two years old. He later died of a heroin overdose in 1999. Turner has expressed regret at not having known his father and considers his music career to be a tribute to his father’s memory.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Title Release date ARIA chart AIR chart Certification
Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets November 1, 2004 #28 #2 Platinum

[edit] Singles

Title Album Release date ARIA chart AIR chart Certification
"These Kids” Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets September 27, 2004 #1 #1 2x Platinum
“Knock U Out” Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets January 24, 2005 #14 #1 –
“Funk U Up” Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets May 2, 2005 #13 #3 –
“Respect” Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets October 17, 2005 #29 #5 –
“All Night Long” Out of the Box (pending) February 24, 2007 #38 #1 –

[edit] DVDs

Title Release date
Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets with the Beatbox Alliance October 17, 2005

[edit] Awards

[edit] Recording career

Event Year Category Work Status
AVMAs 2005 Supernova Award – Nominee
ARIA Awards 2005 Breakthrough Artist – Single “These Kids” Nominee
ARIA Awards 2005 Best Urban Release Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets Nominee
ARIA Awards 2005 Best Independent Release Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets Nominee
ARIA No. 1 Chart Awards 2005 – “These Kids” Winner
APRA Awards 2006 Most Performed Urban Work “These Kids” Nominee
APRA Awards 2006 Most Performed Urban Work “Funk U Up” Nominee

[edit] Beatboxing

Event Year Category Status
Hip Hop World Challenge 2005 Solo Male Winner
Hip Hop World Challenge 2005 Team Winner

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links

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