LaGaylia Frazier

LaGaylia Frazier (born February 16, 1961) is an American-born Swedish singer who specializes in R&B and jazz.

Early life and work

LaGaylia Frazier was born in Miami, Florida. She grew up in Miami Shores in a single parent household headed by her mother Jean as her parents had separated when Frazier was aged two: Frazier would not see her father again until she was sixteen but credits her father as the source of her musical talent via genetics, Frazier's father (Hal Frazier) being a nightclub singer. LaGaylia Frazier was a child musical prodigy not as a vocalist but as a classical pianist, practicing six hours a day for twelve years. She began singing while a student at the University of Miami where she majored in voice and musical theatre: in her four years as a student at the University of Miami she was a member of the university's chamber music chorale, appeared in several on-campus stage musical productions, and sang with a number of jazz bands, jazz being what she'd call "her passion".

After leaving the University of Miami without a degree, Frazier performed with Top 40 bands, eventually joining singer/guitarist Rosco Martinez and pianist Paquito Hechavarriais in a Latin-oriented dance music outfit originally known as Uno Mundo but whose recording debut was as Bandera with a self-titled album release in 1989. Bandera enjoyed radio support in Florida but were otherwise overlooked despite a European promotional tour by Frazier and her bandmates. After a sabbatical in Britain, Frazier returned to Florida in 1990 and was recruited to sing with the in-house act at the Fort Lauderdale club Coconuts, that act being the acoustic duo Wooden Ships whose members had played behind Frazier in her early performing career. Frazier's vocal prowess at Coconuts caused considerable buzz with artist manager Eliot Weisman being motivated to scout out the singer, with Frazier resultantly performing in Atlantic City and Las Vegas although her career remained focused in south Florida, with her residency at Coconuts lasting eleven years.

Frazier also provided vocal support on Miami-area recording sessions notably those for the 1990 self-titled album by Hi-Five - specifically the hit single "I Can't Wait Another Minute" (R&B #1, Pop #8) plus the tracks "Just Another Girlfriend" and "The Way You Said Goodbye" - and the 1994 Gloria Estefan album release Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, specifically on the title cut and also the track "Cherchez La Femme". Also in 1994, with Emilio Estefan producing, Frazier recorded the Jon Secada composition "Shower Me With Your Love" for the soundtrack of the film The Specialist: Frazier also had a bit part in that film, as "Singer #1", billed as LaGaylia Frazier although she was credited simply as LaGaylia on "Shower Me With You Love". The success of "Shower Me With Your Love" - #12 on the club play chart in March 1995 - led to plans for Frazier recording an album with producer Ric Wake but this did not come to fruition and Frazier's affiliation with Crescent Moon - the Estefan's label - was also unproductive.

Career in Sweden

While performing at Coconuts in 1999 LaGaylia Frazier was discovered by Marie Schröder a well-known figure in the Swedish music industry (notably as producer of Vicky von der Lancken) who was visiting the U.S. Marie Schröder assumed Frazier's management and arranged for Frazier to participate in the 2000 edition of the Rhapsody of Rock, Robert Wells' musical extravaganza which annually tours Scandinavia: Frazier made a long-term relocation to Sweden in March 2001 having formed a relationship with Swedish record producer Eric S. Frazier resided with Eric S in Sundsvall until the autumn of 2002 when the couple's relationship ended: Frazier has subsequently resided in Stockholm. She became a Swedish citizen in 2008.

LaGaylia Frazier has made two bids to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest: at Melodifestivalen 2004 with the number "It's in the Stars" and at Melodifestivalen 2005 - as LaGaylia - with the number "Nothing at All". "It's in the Stars" bowed out of Melodifestivalen 2004 in Semi-Final #1 in fifth place, while "Nothing at All" ranked fourth in Semi-Final #3 of Melodifestivalen 2005 thus qualifying for a Second Chance round whose top three numbers were advanced to the Melodifestivalen 2005 final: Nothing at All" just missed the cut bowing out of the Second Chance round of Melodifestivalen 2005 in fourth place. Both "It's in the Stars" and "Nothing at All" were released on Lionheart Records M&L label.

In 2005 Frazier signed a three-single deal with Lionheart Records but subsequent to "Nothing At All" - which is her sole Swedish chart single to date at #38 - she had only one single release: "Head in the Clouds", in April 2006 prior to her 2007 album Uncovered which was released that January 24 on her own TBG label through Playground Music: Frazier co-wrote nine of the album's eleven tracks with its producer Marcus Dernulf. In May 2007 Frazier returned to the U.S. in hopes of securing a release there of Uncovered and played four club dates in Fort Lauderdale.

In 2008 Frazier participated in the Romanian national preselection round for Eurovision known as Selecția Națională performing the song "Dr Frankenstein". Although the demo of the song had featured a solo vocal by Frazier an announcement was made in January 2008 of tentative plans for Frazier to perform "Dr Frankenstein" in Selecția Națională as a duet with Sahlene with the duo being billed as LaSal: however by that month's end it had been confirmed that Sahlene's schedule would not permit her participation in Selecția Națională and that "Dr Frankenstein" would be performed by Frazier as a solo act. Frazier introduced "Dr Frankenstein" in Semi-Final #1 Selecția Națională with a resultant advance to the Final where the number bowed out in tenth place. Frazier did win the Baltic Festival in Karlshamn with her own composition "Over and Over Again" in July 2008.

Since debuting in Sweden in the 2000 Rhapsody of Rock tour she has also participated in that tour's 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2011 editions. In 2003 Frazier performed as Anita in the Malmö Opera and Music Theatre's production of West Side Story and in 2004 was invited by Malmö Opera to headline in Carmen - an offer she refused on the basis that she prefers to sing as herself rather than as a character. In 2004 Frazier appeared at the Stockholm Jazz Festival - returning in 2011 - with 2004 also seeing the first of several collaborations with clarinet maestro Putte Wickman with Frazier - in the company of some of Sweden's premier musicians - accompanying Wickman on his final tour in 2006. Since 2010 Frazier has been a regular collaborator with pianist Jan Lundgren & his trio: it was at a concert with Lundgren's trio at the Jazz Museum in Strömsholm that LaGaylia received the 'Anita O'Day Award' in August 2010. Frazier's second album: Until It's Time, released in 2012, is a collaboration with Jan Lundgren. From the autumn of 2010 LaGaylia extensively toured Sweden in a R&B-oriented revue entitled the Blues Mothers with Sahlene - now billed as Anna Sahlene - as co-headliner. A frequent television guest performer, Frazier was also a choirmaster in Season #2 of Körslaget (2008-09).

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

• Melodifestivalen 2004 (semifinals)
• Melodifestivalen 2005 (semifinals)

References

External links

• Official site
• LaGaylia - booking & events