Blonde Electra | |
|---|---|
 Ruby and Jazzy King in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Electropop,hip hop |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Members | Jazzy King Ruby King |
Blonde Electra (formerlyBlonde Electric) are a Britishpop duo consisting of British-German sisters Jasmina "Jazzy" King (born 19 February 1990) and Natalia "Ruby" King (born 7 May 1992). They formed the group in 2013 inDüsseldorf, Germany, after leaving their previous bandKing.[1]
The two sisters have been making music from an early age and have worked assongwriters in Europe and the United States. They are best known for their performances in theeleventh UK series ofThe X Factor in the 'Group' category, mentored byLouis Walsh. The duo reached the finals and took part in the first live show finishing in sixteenth place. They have lived in London since 2014.
On 6 February 2017 they registered theprivate limited UK company 'Toy Machine Limited' atCompanies House, with both sisters listed as thedirectors.[2]
The parents of the two sisters, British-born Michael Jaffray King and his German wife Irmgard (also known as Joanna), left India in 1991 and travelled with their children as Christianmissionaries in acaravan through Europe and the United States.[3] They moved about 80 times and lived mostly under poor circumstances, especially during their nine-year stay inUkraine, which they described as living in aghetto without running water or a shower. All children werehome-schooled and grew up under their father's strict rules without being allowed toys or to watch TV or listen to popular music.[4][5][6]
Jazzy and Ruby King started to sing on the streets at an age of one or two at their father's instigation. He later formed with his five oldest children the Christian band The King Family and they toured through the world performing religious music as street musicians, in clubs, churches, schools and prisons and on TV shows.[6] In 1998 they were offered a $4 million record deal byWord Records/Warner Music Group (US) which was refused by their father because of the young age of the children.[7]
When Jazzy and Ruby King turned 15 and 13, now living in Slovakia,[3] they left their family to stay on their own and to sing in a night club,[8] after their oldest brother Michael had already quit the band in 2003. The five siblings reunited in 2006 and started outside their father's control the band King Family, supported by the German producerDieter Falk. They were soon given a record deal byEMI and published two singles and one album.[9][10] In 2009 the band was invited toNashville, Tennessee byDoc McGhee (the manager ofKiss andBon Jovi) and the siblings decided to emigrate to the United States. They parted ways with EMI and renamed their band toKing. They moved from a camping ground in Cologne to Los Angeles in June 2009. At the end of 2013, King released the music video "B.O.M.B.", directed byNicholaus Goossen, in which Jazzy and Ruby King featured.[11]
After differences with their siblings Jazzy and Ruby King left the band King and started their own group called Blonde Electric. They were based inDüsseldorf, Germany, at that time and decided to move to England and audition forThe X Factor after they heard thatSimon Cowell had been back on the judging panel.[12] They were earning their living with nannying and waitressing jobs and increased their initial combined assets of about only £150 to over £10,000 in only a few months.[13]
Blonde Electra were the first auditionees to be shown in the 2014 series.[14] They performed the song "Do It like a Dude"byJessie J and were accepted to go on with three 'yes' votes from Cowell,Louis Walsh andMel B and one 'no' vote fromCheryl. At the bootcamp the group sang "I Love Rock and Roll" byJoan Jett and at the judges' houses, which took place inBermuda, they performed "Gold Digger" byKanye West. Walsh, their mentor, selected them as the first act to perform in the live shows,[15][16] after which Jazzy King told the show host that they needed to succeed because they did not have "a plan B" and they "don't function in the outside world, this is all we can do.".[17]
During their time onThe X Factor, the group decided to change their name from Blonde Electric to Blonde Electra shortly before the live shows because the old name was too descriptive.[18] According to Jazzy King the new name should "represent who we are and what we stand for. When we think of Blonde Electra, we imagine a strong, independent woman that doesn't take no for an answer".[1]
Although the duo did not advance to the second week, the choreography (withX Factor creative directorBrian Friedman)[14] and fashion style of their live performance stood out. Head stylist Gemma Sheppard, responsible for the outfits, called them the most fearless with fashion, willing to push boundaries and having a vision.[19] AtThe X Factor finals, the two sisters aroused controversial attention when they kissed each other on stage during their performance of the opening number with the other contestants.[20]
| The X Factor performances and results (2014) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Theme | Song | Result |
| First audition | Free choice | Do It like a Dude -Jessie J | Through to bootcamp |
| Bootcamp | Free choice | I Love Rock and Roll -Joan Jett | Through to judges' houses |
| Judges' houses | Free choice | Gold Digger -Kanye West | Through to live shows |
| Live show 1 | Number ones | Kids in America -Kim Wilde | Eliminated (16th) |
While participating inThe X Factor, the sisters revealed in interviews that they are related to thenChancellorGeorge Osborne, whose father is a cousin of their father.[21] Their paternal grandmother Helen Queenie Horn married Rodney Stewart King, the son of Lt. Col. Stewart William King, an officer in theBritish Indian Army.[22] Her sister Mary Horn married as her second husbandSir George Francis Osborne, the grandfather of George Osborne.[23]
Their sister Marieangela King married on 1 December 2013 the musician and artistElijah Blue Allman,[24] the son of singer and actressCher.
| Year | Title | Type | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Goodbye Deutschland! Die Auswanderer | German TV series | Themselves (as part of the band King Family) | Participant |
| 2012, 2014 | The X Factor | TV | Themselves (as part of group Blonde Electra) | Contestant |
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | Certification | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | "Radio" | — | — | Pop Tart | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | "Let's Touch" | — | — | Pop Tart | |||||||||||||
| "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||||||
