Jill Barber | |
|---|---|
 Barber performing at 2007 Summer Sundae festival in Leicester, England | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Gillian Grace Barber[1] (1980-02-06)February 6, 1980 (age 46) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
| Origin | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Genres | Folk-pop,folk rock,vocal jazz |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Outside Music |
| Website | www.jillbarber.com |
Jill Barber (bornGillian Grace Barber; February 6, 1980)[2] is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Originally associated with thefolk-pop genre, she has performedvocal jazz andpop music on her more recent albums.[3]
Barber was born and raised inPort Credit, a neighbourhood in the south-central part ofMississauga, just west of Toronto. Her brother is singer-songwriterMatthew Barber. She studied atQueen's University before pursuing her musical career full time.[4]
Barber won the Female Artist Recording of the Year award for her debut albumOh Heart at the 2005 Music Nova Scotia Awards.[5] In 2007, Barber earned her fourth win as Best Local Solo Artist (Female) inThe Coast’s annual "Best of Music Reader’s Poll", and her first win as Best Canadian Solo Artist (Female).[6]
From February to March 2007, she toured Eastern Canada withDan Hill as part ofStuart McLean'sCBC Radio showThe Vinyl Cafe. She returned to the Vinyl Cafe Tour in 2009 performing across Canada withMatt Andersen.[7] In 2008, Barber releasedChances, a jazz album with full orchestral arrangements which was partially co-written with her producer Les Cooper, while also collaborating on several songs with Canadian music legendRon Sexsmith.
This album led to a new level in touring reaching audiences across the globe while earning twoJuno Award nominations including New Artist of the Year. The title track to this album was featured on the Netflix seriesOrange Is the New Black, at the end of season 1, episode 1.[8]
She followed up with the albumMischievous Moon, released throughOutside Music in 2011.[9] In the same year, Jill and Matthew Barber collaborated on a cover ofThe Hardship Post's "Your Sunshine", which appeared on the charity compilation albumHave Not Been the Same – Vol. 1: Too Cool to Live, Too Smart to Die.[10]
Barber has performed predominantly in English. She has also recorded and performed "Une femme doit faire"[11] and French translations of two of her songs, "All My Dreams" ("Tous mes rêves") and "Tell Me" ("Dis-moi").[12] Her 2013 albumChansons, a selection ofcover versions of classic songs fromQuebec and France, was her first album of material recorded and performed entirely in French.[3]
Barber won the SiriusXM 2012 Jazz Artist of the Year award, as well as the 2013 Western Canadian Francophone Album of the Year forChansons.[13]
In 2016, Barber co-produced an albumThe Family Album, with her brotherMatthew Barber, also a singer-songwriter.[14] The album consists of original songs written by Jill and Matthew Barber along with covers of songs by Canadian artists, Gene MacClellan Ian Tyson, and Neil Young.[15] The album won a Juno award for Contemporary Roots Album of the year in 2017.[16]
Her solo album,Metaphora, was released in June 2018.[17] She followed up with another French-language album,Entre nous, in 2020, and withHomemaker in 2023.[18]
In 2025 Jill and Matthew Barber contributed a cover ofJoel Plaskett's "Light of the Moon" to the Plaskett tribute albumSongs from the Gang.[19]
Barber has written two children's books,Baby's Lullaby[20] andMusic is for Everyone.[4]
Barber is mentor to young women as part of theGirls Action Foundation's Light A Spark initiative,[21] and an ambassador forSave the Children.[13]
Barber is married toCBC Radio 3 personalityGrant Lawrence.[22] They have two children.[4]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
