HE'S been tipped by the national newspapers as being the next James Blunt and a face to look out for in 2008 in a forthcoming issue of Company magazine - so who exactly is Saundersfoot singer and songwriter Jay P. A serving member of the British Royal Navy, James Gareth Picton is the son of Janet and Terry Picton and grandson of Viv and Val Walters. Now based in Portsmouth, the fitness instructor made a New Year's resolution to teach himself how to play guitar after he critically injured his knee while coaching rugby in the Navy. With encouragement from close friends, James (known as Jay) decided to pursue music more seriously and began writing and performing, and on his return from operations, he was discovered playing in a Portsmouth bar by producer Clyde Ward from Worldward Productions. The reputable producer who has worked with Motown legend Lionel Richie had Jay recording in his studio in a matter of weeks. After recording and unofficially releasing three tracks under the name of Jay P on the Indie Store website, the songs topped the charts within two days and remained there for five weeks. He recently played his first live gig in London at the Blag Club in Notting Hill, attracting the attention of The Sun newspaper. Naming the likes of Otis Redding, Bill Withers and Paul Weller amongst his influences, it appears that it's not only a military background that the up- and-coming songwriter shares with chart topper James Blunt, but also a soulful tinge to his acoustic melodies. Jay has been in the Royal Navy for the past seven- and-a-half years, including service on many of the country's finest war ships. He was involved in the Afghanistan conflict in the Gulf of Oman in 2001, as well as covering the nation's firestrikes in 2003. Jay loves the service and believes he has become the person he is today due to his time in the military. He said: "Having no real musical background I feel it has been a blessing to find music. Totally self taught, Jay doesn't read music but plays and sings from the soul. Check out his website at http://www.myspace.com/1jayp">www.myspace.com/1jayp
