* En anglais uniquement
The banshee wail of vocalist
Jay Aston was one of
Gene Loves Jezebel's trademark quirks. As one-half of the creative minds behind
Gene Loves Jezebel,
Aston was behind the goth-flavored group's transition into AOR. Born on May 4, 1961, with his twin brother
Michael Aston in Porthcawl, South Wales,
Jay started playing music in the early '80s with the band Slav Aryan. Also featuring his sibling
Michael, guitarist Ian Hudson, and a drum machine, the group was into the dark post-punk sounds that were becoming fashionable in England at the time.
Aston relocated with the band to London in 1981; now called
Gene Loves Jezebel, the group signed with Situation 2. In 1983,
Aston contributed vocals on
Xmal Deutschland's
Fetisch.
Gene Loves Jezebel became one of the most influential goth rock acts of the '80s; however, the group adopted an increasingly pop approach with each record.
Promise and
Immigrant represent
Gene Loves Jezebel's daring blend of gloom and glam. By 1986's
Discover,
Gene Loves Jezebel was being played in dance clubs as "Heartache" and "Desire" leapt onto "Rock of the '80s" radio stations with slick yet undeniably catchy guitar hooks. In order to capitalize on the success of
Discover, the follow-up, 1987's
The House of Dolls, was even more accessible. The band's new direction was too polished and commercial for
Michael; he parted ways with
Jay in the late '80s and moved to Los Angeles. While
Michael went solo,
Jay kept the
Gene Loves Jezebel name and recorded two albums, Kiss of Life and
Heavenly Bodies, before reuniting with
Michael for a tour in 1997. But the brothers' reconciliation was short-lived.
Aston then recorded his solo debut, Unpopular Songs, followed by a critically praised
Gene Loves Jezebel full-length,
VII. ~ Michael Sutton