Cleveland Watkiss

Cleveland Watkiss is a British virtuoso vocalist, actor and composer. He was the winner of the London Jazz Awards for Best Vocalist in 2010 and was voted WireGuardian Jazz Awards best vocalist for three consecutive years.

Watkiss was born in Hackney, East London, to Jamaican parents, and was one of nine children. He studied voice at the London School of Singing with opera coach Arnold Rose and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was also one of the cofounders of the vastly influential Jazz Warriors big band. His vocals can be heard on their debut album, Out of Many People, which won a video award in Japan. Watkiss was then entered for the WireGuardian Jazz Awards and was voted best vocalist for three consecutive years, and was the opening act of choice for Cassandra Wilson and Abbey Lincoln. The Guardian music journalist John Fordham described Cleveland as arriving on the scene with a bang.

Source: Wikipedia