Marvin Priest
Marvin Cornell Elliott (born 27 October 1981), better known by his stage name Marvin Priest, is a British-born, Australian-based singer-songwriter. In November 2011 Priest released his debut studio album, Beats & Blips, in Australia, which spawned the top ten single "Own This Club" on the ARIA Singles Chart, as well as top one-hundred singles "Take Me Away" and "Feel the Love". "Own This Club" was also a top ten hit in New Zealand. At the APRA Music Awards of 2012 the track, which was co-written by Priest with Antonio Egizii and David Musumeci (of DNA Songs), won an award for Urban Work of the Year and was nominated for Most Played Australian Work.
Marvin Priest | |
|---|---|
 Marvin Priest, Luna Park Sydney, October 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marvin Cornell Elliott |
| Born | 27 October 1981 Lewisham, London, England |
| Genres | R&B, pop, reggae fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2007-present |
| Labels | Island |
| Associated acts | Maxi Priest, UB40, Ultimate Kaos, House of Shem, Dizzy Dee |
| Website | marvinpriest |
Biography
1981–2010: Early life and career beginnings
Marvin Priest was born as Marvin Cornell Elliott on 27 October 1981 in Lewisham, London, England and is the son of UK reggae singer Maxi Priest (born 10 June 1961).[1] Priest has eight siblings and one of his younger brothers, Ryan Elliott, was in the UK boy band, Ultimate Kaos, which achieved chart success in the 1990s. Priest listened to R&B, hip-hop and reggae music and he travelled the world with his father and family.[1][2]
In 2007, Priest first toured with UB40, performing as a backing vocalist at the Raggamuffin Music Festival.[2] He has since worked with other artists. Priest co-wrote "Full Hundred" on his father's album 2 the Max (2005) and featured on "Childhood", a track from Maxi's album, Refused (2007). Priest appeared on UB40's album, TwentyFourSeven, co-writing "Slow Down" and featuring in "Dance Until the Morning Light" and a remix of "I Shot the Sheriff". After touring Australia in 2008, Priest set up connections with local club artists, and spent about half a year in the country.[3] In 2010, Priest performed a duet with Ronan Keating for the latter's album, Duet, where they covered Cat Stevens' 1970 single "Wild World".
2011–present: Breakthrough success and Beats & Blips
On 25 November 2011, Marvin Priest's debut album, Beats & Blips, was released in Australia on Island Records, but did not chart in Australia. In February that year, he had issued his breakthrough debut single "Own This Club", which peaked at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart[4] and was certified double platinum by ARIA at year's end.[5] It also reached the top ten on the New Zealand Singles Chart, peaking at number seven.[6] The song was written as a collaboration with DNA Songs members Antonio Egizii and David Musumeci. His second single, "Take Me Away" featuring Wynter Gordon, was released on 22 July and peaked at number thirty-two on the ARIA Singles Chart,[7] and was certified gold.[5] "Feel the Love" featuring Fatman Scoop, the third single from Beats & Blips, was released on 25 October and peaked at number sixty in Australia.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album details | AUS |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Beats & Blips
|
Awards and nominations
| Year | Type | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | APRA Music Awards | Most Played Australian Work – "Own This Club" (Antonio Egizii, David Musumeci, Marvin Priest)[3] | Nominated |
| Urban Work of the Year – "Own This Club" (Antonio Egizii, David Musumeci, Marvin Priest)[10] | Won |
References
- "Beats & Blips [sound recording] / Marvin Priest". Music Australia. National Library of Australia. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
Marvin Elliott (born 27 October 1981), better known by his stage name Marvin Priest, is a British/Australian-based singer. Marvin's debut studio album, Beats & Blips, was released in November 2011 in Australia, spawning the top ten hit 'Own This Club', as well as top one-hundred hits 'Take Me Away' and 'Feel the Love'. Marvin Elliott was born on 27 October 1981 in Lewisham, London, England and is the son of reggae singer Maxi Priest. Marvin has eight siblings. His younger brother, Ryan Elliott, was in the British boy band Ultimate Kaos who achieved success in the 1990s. As a child, Marvin always had an interest in music, growing up listening to R&B, hip-hop and reggae music and along with his siblings, travelled the world with his father
. - "Marvin Priest - Biography". Getmusic.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
- "Nominations > Most Played Australian Work – 2012". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2012. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- Steffen Hung. "Marvin Priest – 'Own This Club'". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2011 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 31 December 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- Steffen Hung. "Marvin Priest – 'Own This Club'". New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- Steffen Hung. "Marvin Priest feat. Wynter Gordon – 'Take Me Away'". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- Steffen Hung. "Discography Marvin Priest". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- Steffen Hung. "Discography Marvin Priest". New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- "Winners for the 2012 APRA Music Awards Announced". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 24 May 2012. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
